Monument record 0094500000 - W OF GREAT KIMBLE CHURCH

Summary

A small medieval moated site situated sone 250 metres west of St Micholas's Church. The moated site covers an area 70 metres square and is divided into two islands. The moat surrounding the larger trapezoidal island measures some 10 metres in width and 1 metre in depth and, although the south western arem extends 20 metres to the south west in order to take in a natural spring, the entire circuit of the ditches is dry. This arm also extends some 30 metres to the north west to enclose the second, smaller island. A narrow causeway to the east provides access to the smaller island. There are no superficial indications of structures visible on the islands, although reports of stone removed from the site in the earlier part of the 20th century imply the presence of buried foundations. A single medieval fishpond, measuring 12 metres by 25 metres, is located near the eastern corner of the moat.

Protected Status/Designation

Archaeological Notification Area: Earthwork complex of Medieval moats, fishponds and shrunken settlement (DBC9149)
Scheduled Monument 1017513: MOATED SITE AND MEDIEVAL SETTLEMENT REMAINS 200M SOUTH WEST OF MANOR FARM (DBC7231)

Map

Find a placename, postcode or grid reference

Map layers

Base layers

Info

Record list

Tools

Type and Period (2)

MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
BUILDING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Description

Dimensions - Width 0073 Length 0082 m
Adjoining the church is a grass-grown moated site (see plan), traces of buildings and fishponds (B1). MOAT DIVIDED INTO 2 UNEQUAL RECTANGLES. NW SMALLER ISLAND NARROW BANK - DEFENCE RATHER THAN OCCUPATION? ENTRANCE ON SE (B1-3,B5).
REPORTS OF STONE WALL FOUND S SIDE OF MOAT - INCLUDING GROOVED PIECE, ALL LIMESTONE. MUCH OF DITCH SURROUNDING N ISLAND FILLED-IN (B4).
SCHEDULED: SAM 29406 (B5).

Visible on air-photographs at SP8220590 (B7).
A now-dry four-sided homestead moat, centred at SP 8222 0590, measures, overall, 66.0m NE-SW by from 45.0 to 60.0m. Transversely. The SW arm extends 20.0m to the SE to take in a natural spring to feed the moat; and a further 30.0m to the NW where it turns through a right-angle to run nearly parallel with the NW arm and so enclosing a second much smaller island. A probably original causeway crosses the outer arm to this island, from which access was then probably gained to the larger island. The moat though dry and under pasture is in good condition. There are no traces of buildings. 20.0m from the E corner, at 'A' SP 8228 0591, is a probable Md fishpond, a rectangular water-filled depression, measuring 28.0m by 13.0m and connected by a ditch with a stream to the NE. Moat surveyed at 1:2500 (B8).

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

Sources (9)

<1>SBC20350 Bibliographic reference: A Hadrian Allcroft. 1908. Earthwork of England. p463, Fig 158.
<2>SBC20466 Bibliographic reference: Royal Commision on Historical Monuments. 1912. Historical Monuments in Buckinghamshire Volume 1. Volume 1. p167.
<3>SBC10628 Unpublished document: Ordnance Survey Field Investigator. OS RECORD CARD.
<4>SBC19282 Verbal communication: Mike Farley. 1973. Farley M E (BCM) Notes from Field Visit Nov 1973.
<5>SBC14048 Scheduling record: English Heritage. 1997. SCHEDULING LISTS OF INSPECTORATE OF ANCIENT MONUMENTS.
<6>SBC16494 Graphic material: WENT D (ENGLISH HERITAGE) SUMMER 1997 FIELD VISIT (1:2500 SKETCH PLAN, FILED).
<7>SBC29064 Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1950. RAF: 541/479, 3320-1, 07/04/1950.
<8>SBC29049 Verbal communication: A S Phillips. 1972. Field Investigator Comments - F1 ASP 24-FEB-72.
<9>SBC27441 Digital archive: Historic England. National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE). Insert 1998; Update 2004.

Location

Grid reference	Centred SP 82208 05903 (92m by 115m) (2 map features)
Civil Parish	GREAT AND LITTLE KIMBLE, Wycombe, Buckinghamshire