Monument record 0040700000 - CHURCH FARM, QUARRENDON

Dimensions - Length 95m, Width 70m.
Plan Form - Rectangular.
Moat at Church Farm (The farmhouse is early 17th century). Moat encloses Church Farm on 3 sides (B1-2).
Arms c.12m wide. Parts of N & W arms waterfilled, rest dry. E arm mostly destroyed. An outer bank 20m wide skirts N arm (B6).
Detailed earthwork survey of whole Quarrendon DMV site (B7).
Photos (B9).
Further site visit 2000 photos (B10).
Test pitting carried out in January 2009 by Northamptonshire Archaeology to determine the nature and extent of modern disturbance and dumping on the moat. Demolition debris, levelling layers, a cobbled yard surface and brick drain associated with the former farm buildings were recorded, although no building foundations were found. Evidence for a possible former bridge crossing the western arm of the moat was also identified. See report for detail (B12).

A medieval moat is visible on historic aerial photographs and remote sensing data as earthworks and was mapped as part of the Aylesbury Vale Aerial Investigation and Mapping project (EBC18604). Located in fields E of Berryfields and centred at SP 80336 15811, a slightly trapezoidal ditch that varies between 6 and 12 metres wide encloses an internal area about 86.5 metres WNW-ESE and 67 metres NNE-SSW. There are roughly 9 metres wide gaps in both the WNW and ESE facing sides of the moat ditch to act as entrances. On the NNE facing exterior side of the moat ditch is a linear earthwork bank about 94 x 19 metres, in which is a small circular pit about 2 metres in diameter. Whether this bank is contemporary with the moat is unclear, as is the function of the pit. Similarly, a smaller bank about 30 x 8 metres flanks part of the outside of the WNW facing ditch (14).




The moat, which formerly surrounded Church Farm, now demolished, is rectangular, measuring internally 95.0m E to W by about 70.0m N to S, with arms 12.0m average width. Parts of the N and W arms are water filled, the remainder dry. The E arm is largely destroyed. An outer bank about 20.0m wide skirts the N arm. The footings of Church Farm incorporate ashlar blocks probably from St Peter's Chapel. At SP 802159 is a sub-retangular complex of fishponds, comprising three internal ponds with retaining and dividing banks and a perimeter linear pond; all now part water filled they attain a maximum depth of 2.3m below the banks which are themselves 1.4m above the surrounding ground level. The complex was obviously designed as a breeding stew, the inter-pond channels being quite visible although sluices cannot now be traced. Spring fed with a cut-off drainage ditch from the South. Surveyed at 1:2500 on APs (B15).
No change to report of 15.10.73. AM survey correct (B16).
Following RCHME level 3 survey in 1989-90, understood to be the moated site of a 16th-century country house belonging to the Lee family, with the fishpond forming part of the formal garden layout accompanying it. See archive report deposited in the NMR (B17).

This record includes National Record of the Historic Environment Information provided by Historic England on 4 June 2025 licensed under the Open Government Licence.