Monument record 0041700000 - NUNEHAM HILL FIELD, STEWKLEY

Summary

Medieval moated site, surviving as earthworks -A medieval moated site and section of a hollow way situated 200m south west of St Michael’s Church in Stewkley. The earthworks of a medieval moated site were found during field investigations in 1974. Immediately to the north-west runs a hollow way. It links St Michael’s Church to the scheduled medieval settlement of Lidcote, 2.5km to the south-west of the moated site. The site set in the Nuneham Hill Field measures about 38m north-west to south-east and 38m north-east to south-west from outer bank to outer bank.

Protected Status/Designation

Archaeological Notification Area: Earthworks of Medieval moat (DBC8887)
Scheduled Monument 1405589: Moated site and section of hollow way 200m south west of St Michael's Church, Stewkley (DBC8137)
SHINE: Stewkley medieval moated site and ridge and furrow earthworks (DBC7460)

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Type and Period (3)

MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
PLATFORM (Medieval to Post-Medieval - 1066 AD to 1798 AD?)
BOUNDARY DITCH (Medieval to Post-Medieval - 1066 AD to 1798 AD?)

Description

Broad, deep moat (B1).
Homestead moat on side of a hill, 200 yards SW of parish church. Has a retaining bank on SW side (B2).
'Moat' at NGR SP 8506 2596 (B3).
As described by RCHM. Earthwork re-surveyed (B4).
Scheduled in June 2013. See Scheduling documents for detail (B5).

A medieval moated site is visible on historic aerial photographs as earthworks and was mapped as part of the North Buckinghamshire Aerial Investigation and Mapping project (EBC18304). Located in a close adjacent Tythe Gardens (formerly the site of Tithe Farm) in Stewkley village and centred at SP 85065 25959, a slightly trapezoidal earthwork platform about 21 metres square is enclosed by a ditch that varies in width between 3.7 and 8.3 metres wide. In the E facing corner the ditch extends slightly further to the NE by 6 metres. Though still extant, dense tree canopy growth on the site means that the moat is not visible on aerial photographs taken in 2019 (6-7).

A sub-rectangular homestead moat cut into sloping ground. It measures overall c 52.0m NE/SW by c 34.0m transversely with arms between 8.0m and 14.0 m wide. The SW arms is retained by a low bay and the NE arm partially dry. No trace of occupation debris was found. The whole feature has been re-cut and landscaped. Published survey (25") revised (B8).

Sources (10)

---SBC18902 Aerial Photograph: 12/12/46. RAF 42.4287. SP\858261. Yes.
<1>SBC19727 Bibliographic reference: James Joseph Sheahan. 1862. History and Topography of Buckinghamshire. p752.
<2>SBC20467 Bibliographic reference: Royal Commision on Historical Monuments. 1913. Historical Monuments in Buckinghamshire Volume 2 North. Volume 2. p277.
<3>SBC10378 Map: Ordnance Survey. 1958. OS 1958 1:10560 MAP. 1:10,560.
<4>SBC10578 Bibliographic reference: OS FIELD INVESTIGATOR/OS RECORD CARD,APRIL 1974 (S URVEY IN CAS ENVELOPE FILE 0417).
<5>SBC24353 Scheduling record: English Heritage. 2013. National Heritage List for England: Schedule of Monuments.
<6>SBC25596 Aerial Photograph: Historic England. 2022. Next Perspectives APGB Imagery. SP8525.
<7>SBC25608 Aerial Photograph: Historic England. 2022. RAF-CPE-UK-1897 RS 4288 12-DEC-1946.
<8>SBC29205 Verbal communication: P A Stevens. 1974. Field Investigators Comments - F1 PAS 24-APR-74.
<9>SBC27441 Digital archive: Historic England. National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE). Insert 2003; Update 2013.

Location

Grid reference	Centred SP 85060 25961 (63m by 59m) (2 map features)
Civil Parish	STEWKLEY, Aylesbury Vale, Buckinghamshire

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (1)

Event - Survey: Aerial investigation and mapping project (Ref: 7768) (EBC18304)

Record last edited

Feb 20 2026 3:32PM