Scheduled Ancient Monument: MOATED SITE AND ASSOCIATED FISHPONDS AT WETHERDEN HALL (33290)

The monument includes a medieval moated site and associated fishponds at Wetherden Hall which is situated approximately 1.2km to the WSW of the village of Hitcham and 1km to the north east of the village of Kettlebaston. The moated site includes a square island with an average width of 80m which is contained by a waterfilled moat measuring up to 20m in width. A building platform along the northern edge of the island is occupied by a Listed Building Grade II, of timber-framed brick construction and late 16th century origin, known as Old Wetherden Hall. The building platform measures 0.5m above the surrounding island and extends for a further 26m beyond the western end of the building, marking the site of a part of the structure which was standing until 1984. It is thought that this building originally represented a service range ancillary to the main house, the site of which is indicated by traces of brick footings which have been reported towards the east side of the island. The moat is crossed on the west side by a brick built bridge, supported on two arches, the base of which is believed to date from the 16th century. The inner edges of the moat on the south and east sides are revetted with brick, laid in English bond with small projecting buttresses at intervals. It is thought that the brick revetting, which has been dated to the 16th/17th century, is contemporary with both the house on the island and the bridge across the west arm. Approximately 16m east of the moat are two interconnecting ponds, thought to represent fishponds associated with the moated site. The westernmost pond measures up to 34m north-south by 10m east-west, and is situated at right angles to the infilled easternmost pond which measured up to 22m east-west by 10m north-south. A 2m wide channel, also infilled, originally connected the two ponds. The easternmost pond and the interconnecting channel will survive as buried features, and it is thought that the land between the moat and the fishponds will contain associated buried features, such as a sluice channel. Another pond, rectangular in shape and measuring up to 39m long NNW-SSE by 10m wide, is situated less than 8m to the west of the south west corner of the moat and may have been connected to it originally. Wetherden Hall is named after Richard Wederton or Witherton who is recorded as making his will in Hitcham in 1461. By 1466 Wetherden Hall was held by Sir Robert Fenys and continued in his family until 1538 by which time it was known as the `manor of Wythertons'. By 1544 Wetherden Hall was in the ownership of George Waldegrave and was inherited by his son William in the 1560s after the death of George's wife, Mary. William died in 1577 and in his will he directed that all the timber he had in `Brettenham hallwood' should be `emploied to Reparacons of the Bridge over the moate and other Reparacons aboute the saide moate'. It is believed that the main house was demolished at some time in the mid-17th century, leaving only the timber-framed brick building along the north side of the island; this is thought to have been used as a farmhouse until it was replaced in the 19th century by a house to the west of the moated site. The timber-framed brick building known as Old Wetherden Hall, the brick bridge, the conservatory and wooden decking along the north side of the island, the greenhouse, the septic tank and the patio are all excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath these features is included.