Scheduled Ancient Monument: MOATED SITE AT BENTRIES FARM (21302)

The monument includes a sub-rectangular moated site located on a hill overlooking the village of Easton and the valley of the River Deben to the south west. The moat surrounds an island with maximum dimensions of 44m north east - south west by 43m north west - south east and itself measures from 10m to 12m in width and up to 3m in depth, the deepest part being in the northern angle. It is water filled, fed by field drainage, with a short overflow channel from the eastern corner to a ditch running alongside the adjacent track, parallel to the south eastern arm. A second outflow channel, dug in the early 1970s, connects the southern corner to the same ditch. Between these two channels, the south eastern arm is bordered by an outer bank 7m - 8m wide and 0.7m high, mounded to a height of 1.3m at the eastern end. A secondary earthen causeway 7m wide across the western end of the south western arm of the moat provides access to the island. Embedded on the western side of it are two large, weathered stone blocks, each of which is approximately 0.7m across, with a square socket cut into it to take the base of a timber upright. The western end of the north western arm, adjacent to this, is shallow and shelving, and was formerly used as a horse pond. The house, a Grade II Listed Building is dated to the 17th century and stands towards the south eastern side of the island. The inner face of the moat around the southern corner of the island is vertical and revetted with a brick wall in which is an arched opening leading to a filter bed and brick cistern through which the house was formerly supplied with water, these features being included in the scheduling. The dwelling house is excluded from the scheduling, as are the outbuildings, a summer house on the island, all paths, fences and gates, but the ground beneath these features is included.