Scheduled Ancient Monument: MOAT YARDS MOATED SITE (30573)

The monument includes a moated site and the buried remains of part of an associated outer enclosure, located on the south side of Mill Common. The inner moat, which is approximately 15m wide on the north and east sides, narrowing to 10m on the south, remains open to a depth of about 1.6m and is wet in the southern part. It surrounds a central platform raised up to 0.7m above the prevailing ground level and measuring approximately 53 sq m. A dished causeway about 7m wide which provides access to the interior across the southern arm of the moat is probably not an original feature. The inner moat is partly surrounded by a second moat about 12m wide which has been infilled but will survive as a buried feature. The northern arm of this outer moat ran parallel to the northern arm of the inner moat and about 15m from it, and the buried remains of the part of this feature which lies opposite the inner moat, together with the ground between, are included in the scheduling. Moat Yards was probably the site of a medieval manor house. Four such manors are recorded in Westhorpe, all of which were united under one ownership in the 16th century.