Scheduled Ancient Monument: MOATED SITE AND ASSOCIATED GARDEN IMMEDIATELY EAST OF THE HALL (33289)

The monument includes a medieval moated site and associated garden immediately east of Great Bradley Hall and approximately 50m to the south of the parish church of St Mary. The moated site includes a roughly rectangular island which measures up to 80m north-south by 60m east-west. This is contained on the south side, part of the north side and the southern end of the east and west sides by a partly waterfilled moat which measures up to 18m wide and 4m deep. The north western corner of the moat, together with the greater part of the eastern arm, were infilled during the 19th century and now survive as buried features. Early maps indicate that access to the island was via causeways across the east and west arms of the moat. Today the island is approached across the infilled western arm of the moat. Approximately 10m to the east of the south east corner of the moat, and on the same alignment as the southern arm, is a pond about 50m in length and 12m wide. The eastern end of this feature adjoins the southern end of a rectangular pond aligned north-south and measuring approximately 118m in length, 10m in width and at least 2m in depth. The north-south pond, which still contains some water, is thought to represent the remains of an ornamental canal, and it is considered that the two, which may originally have been connected, were water features associated with an early post-medieval formal garden to the east of the moat. The moat is believed to represent the site of the manor of Great Bradley which was held by Sir Hugh de Lopham at the beginning of the 14th century. Sir Hugh granted the manor by deed to Sir John Boteturte, and it continued in the family of Sir John until the 15th century. Great Bradley Hall, a Listed Building Grade II sited immediately to the west of the moat and dated to the 16th century, is thought to have succeeded an earlier house on the island. A converted stable block, part of a farmyard complex to the north, was partly built over the north west corner of the moat in the 19th century. The stable block is excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath it is included.