Monument record DEP 001 - Depden Hall

Moat. Three sides of square. Occupied. Just off S corner Depden Green, between Green and Church (to SE)(S1).
Until 1984 the surviving moat was 3-sided (previously dredged in 1970s) and `U' shaped. In 1984 the N side was re-excavated to complete the square. This revealed a brick wall (probably pre 1660) with two courses of Ashlar blocks at its base. Since then a new brick revetment wall has been built to the N face of the moated island, incorporating the earlier wall. No trace of the walls exist on the W, S or E sides of the moat. A new brick bridge has also been added across this N arm of the moat. The other 3 arms of the moat have also been cleaned out (in the 1970s). The existing house is situated near the NE corner of the moat and has an outlook over the N & E arms of the moat. The house has rendered `Georgian' elevations, but these conceal an earlier timber- framed structure, possibly C14 in origin (S5). The gardens have been developed in the last 10-20 years. A group of timber piles, probably from a former bridge were dredged out of the maot and now stand in a heap to the N. One pile remains in situ in the moat (S2)(S5). The line of the boundary wall is marked on the OS 2nd edition 1:2500 map, but not on the modern map. The wall has (1994) a modern brick top, on top of carefully laid dark pink bricks in a Flemish stretcher bond, possibly 17th century in date, which in turn are on top of re-used oolitic limestone blocks. This earlier walling stops in line with the timber remains of a possible bridge (see above), suggesting that they are contemporary. Further draining of the moat for work in 1994 exposed the remains of another line of walling, apparently an earlier revetting, slightly to the north of the main wall. The lower courses of this earlier wall have double-struck pointing, suggesting a Tudor date. Some blocks of limestone are mixed with the rubble on the line of this wall. Rubble spreads suggest that the brick revetting lapped around the NE corner; the rubble around the NW corner looks later, but some re-shaping seems to have happened here (S3). A group of circa 400 worked limestone blocks dredged up from the N moat arm in 1984 have been built into a 'folly' just to the NW of the moat (S5). For other mainly PMed finds from moat see (S5). According to (see 'Not to be published on web' tab for finder/s and/or findspot/s) burnt animal bones were found circa 20 feet deep when W extension built (S5).
Depden Hall belonged to the Jermyn Family in the second half of the 16th century.
March 2001: Scheduled (S4).

Taken from NRHE record:
(TL 7737 5689) Depden Hall on site of Depden Hall (NR)

Hall 17th/18th cent, much modernised.

A large substantial dwelling built on the site of an ancient hall and partly surrounded by a moat.

The present Depden Hall is generally as described by authority 2 but not outstanding. No trace of the earlier hall survives. The site is surrounded on three sides by a strong rectangular homestead moat which is at present being extensively dredged and refilled. No trace of the north arm survives.

Published 25" survey revised.

TL 77395687. Remains of a medieval moated site at Depden Hall. The present Depden Hall is a timber framed building of the 17th and 18th century, much altered in the 19th century. It stands on an island surrounded by a waterfilled moat. The north arm, which was previously infilled, was re-excavated in 1984 to reveal the remains of revetting around the north side of the island. This revetting is thought to date from the 17th century and is aligned with a group of timbers, possibly representing the remains of a bridge. Drainage of the moat in 1994 exposed the remains of another line of walling, slightly to the north, which has been dated to the Tudor period. This wall appears to to have continued around the north east, and possibly also the north west, corners of the island. Listed Grade II and scheduled.