Monument record MDR10242 - Moated site (site of), near Denby Old Hall, Denby
Type and Period (2)
- MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- MANOR HOUSE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
[SK 3948 4812] MOAT [G.T.] (1) Only the moat remains of the medieval forerunner of Denby Old Hall. There do not appear to be any documentary records of this hall, nor are there any structural remains with the exception of the moat. The moat, long since disused, lies about 50 yards north of the present house; it is about 33 feet wide at the top and 6 feet deep, and encloses a rectangular platform measuring about 58 feet by 80 feet; on three sides it is excavated in the solid ground but on the north it is confined by an artificial bank on the edge of a small ravine formed by a stream coming down from Marehay, from which it was probably fed. Except in very wet weather, it is now dry, but in the memory of the present tenant of the farm it was filled with water. The moat is assumed to have encircled the medieval keeper's lodge which would probably have been built of timber. (2)
The site of the original hall of Denby, a short distance from the present house of Elizabethan origin, known as Denby Old Hall, is surrounded by a rectangular moat having an outside measurement of about 175 feet by 125 feet. (3)
The moat was destroyed many years ago. Only the north-west outer slope survives on the north-east of Denby Old Hall together with a fragment of the south-west arm and the south corner. The major part of the site is crossed by a large, covered, coal conveyor-belt to a nearby coal-washing plant. No trace of a medieval building was seen. (4) No change. Published survey (25" 1962) correct. (5)
SK 394481. Denby Old Hall moated site. A rectangular platform 18m by 25m, surrounded by a moat 10m wide and 2m deep. Listed in survey. (6, 7)
In 1990 a trench was cut across the north-western arm of the moat. A cross-section showed the moat to be some 5.3m wide at the top and 1.3m deep. The eastern, or internal, side sloped quite steeply although the western side was much gentler. Five distinct layers were recognised, layer 1 (the most recent) being a late filling designed to level off the area. Layer 3, a dump of loose stones, was thought possibly to represent rubble from the demolition of a building of some kind which had been pushed into the moat, presumably when the moat had ceased to be of any real importance. The only finds of any significance were two potsherds from layer 5 which were probably late medieval or early post medieval in date. (8)
Sources/Archives (8)
- <1> SDR12074 Map: 1938-9. OS 6" 1938-9.
- <2> SDR7860 Article in serial: Currey, P. 1904. 'Denby Old Hall and its owners, The Hall', Derbyshire Archaeological Journal. Volume 26, pp 1-10, plan, illust.. p 3.
- <3> SDR19691 Bibliographic reference: Cox, J. 1905. 'Ancient Earthworks', in The Victoria County History of Derbyshire, Volume 1. pp 357-396. p 389, plan.
- <4> SDR6502 Personal Observation: F1 WW 14-OCT-59.
- <5> SDR6655 Personal Observation: F2 BHS 22-SEP-66.
- <6> SDR15731 Bibliographic reference: Trent Valley Arch Res Com Gaz c.1980-9.
- <7> SDR4294 Bibliographic reference: Craven, M & Drage, C. 1982. Moated sites list.
- <8> SDR19692 Unpublished document: Barrett, D & Rees, K. 1990. Denby Old Hall and Moat, 1990. HER Doc. No. 856.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 39474 48120 (71m by 78m) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | DENBY, AMBER VALLEY, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (3)
- EDR1093
- EDR1320
- EDR1877
Please contact the HER for details.
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Jul 9 2015 2:38PM