Details

The monument includes a medieval moated site, fishpond and associated
earthworks, including an area of contemporary ridge and furrow cultivation,
lying to the south of the village church. The site was the subject of a
detailed study by the Royal Commission on the Historic Monuments of England in
1989.
The moat, which is up to 2.2m deep and 9m-17m wide, surrounds four sides of an
island, 49m by 40m, which would have been reached by a bridge. A second island
may be present adjoining this to the north, defined by the continuation of a
west side and east side of the moat - this is uncertain as the north has been
disturbed by later building and gardens. On the main island are hollows, which
are probably tree holes, while the area on the north contains earthworks of a
building and ancillary structures around a yard. An area of infill across the
moat is modern.
To the east of the moat along the line of the southern side is an oblong
fishpond, 84m by 12.8m and 1.2m deep. Where this runs into the moat a neck of
land constricts it suggesting that it was regulated by a sluice. The western
side of the possible north island may have been a second fishpond. The moat
system would have been fed with water from the direction of the mill stream on
the east, running out to the village stream on the north, but this is now dry
for most of the year.
On the land around the moated site are earthwork remains of enclosures and
buildings, orientated on the village street and Garston Lane. It is not clear
whether these are of the same period as the moat or later.
In the field to the south are the well preserved earthworks of medieval ridge
and furrow cultivation, a feature once widespread in the area. The ridges,
which may originally have been divided into two fields, exhibit the slight
reverse S-curve formed as a result of turning plough teams at the head of the
field. Lying on the east of this is an unploughed enclosure, defined on three
sides by a bank and on the east by the mill stream bank. This is perhaps the
end of a paddock cut off by the mill stream. It is interesting to note that
the ridge and furrow is lower than the ground surface in this paddock and in
the moat area, indicating continued cultivation for a long period.
The Domesday survey refers to two manors at `Merstone' held by the Count of
Mortain, a man of high status as a landowner in the west. By 1327 it had
passed to the Beauchamp family, and probably ceased to be inhabited by the end
of that century.
Excluded from the scheduling are all modern fences and posts, telegraph poles
and an interpretation board, although the ground beneath all these features is
included.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Around 6,000 moated sites are known in England. They consist of wide ditches,
often or seasonally water-filled, partly or completely enclosing one or more
islands of dry ground on which stood domestic or religious buildings. In some
cases the islands were used for horticulture. The majority of moated sites
served as prestigious aristocratic and seigneurial residences with the
provision of a moat intended as a status symbol rather than a practical
military defence. The peak period during which moated sites were built was
between about 1250 and 1350 and by far the greatest concentration lies in
central and eastern parts of England. However, moated sites were built
throughout the medieval period, are widely scattered throughout England and
exhibit a high level of diversity in their forms and sizes. They form a
significant class of medieval monument and are important for the understanding
of the distribution of wealth and status in the countryside. Many examples
provide conditions favourable to the survival of organic remains.

The moat at Marston Magna survives as a good example of its class, and is
associated with contemporary fishponds and with surrounding earthworks of
deserted buildings, enclosures and ridge and furrow cultivation. This is one
of few areas where ridge and furrow, once a widespread feature in the
landscape of this area, survives as upstanding earthworks. Because of its
topographical association with the moated site and associated earthworks, it
is considered to provide a setting for the settlement site as well as
containing archaeological deposits relating to the occupation of the moated
site.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
RCHME, , Marston Magna, Somerset, (1989)

Source: Historic England