Castlefacts³

Walford Moat

Has been described as a Questionable Fortified Manor House

There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains

Name	Walford Moat
Alternative Names
Historic Country	Herefordshire
Modern Authority	Herefordshire
1974 Authority	Hereford and Worcester
Civil Parish	Walford, Letton and Newton

Described as larger than usual moated site, possible strong house. (Shoesmith 1996)

Gatehouse Comments

SMR dismisses this as it as a spoil bank from the Elan Aqueduct, dumped about 1900. However, the 1884 field boundary is an unusual shape, perhaps reflecting a square feature present when field was enclosed. Also there is a crop mark to the east and north of this feature on the aerial photo. This may just be stock and machine tracks but could also be a moderately broad moat. There is also the question of why spoil was dumped here when just the other side of the fence is a virtually identical bit of field which was much nearer the road (something about this bit of the field made it less suitable for agriculture). Finally the site is typical of many C13 /C14 moated manorial sites in that is somewhat isolated from the village of Walford and the original castle. Because of SMR record must be doubtful but not possible to entirely reject.Not in Shoesmith's 2009 revised edition of his book, presumably because he accepts this as solely a spoil bank.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

County Historic Environment Record

htt.herefordshire.gov.uk/her-search/monuments-search/search/monument?smr_no=9968

OS Map Grid Reference	SO383722
Latitude	52.3443412780762
Longitude	-2.90749001502991
Eastings	338300
Northings	272280