Scoulton Moat

Has been described as a Questionable Timber Castle (Ringwork), and also as a Questionable Fortified Manor House

There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains

NameScoulton Moat
Alternative NamesCommon Hill; Cobbled Meadow
Historic CountryNorfolk
Modern AuthorityNorfolk
1974 AuthorityNorfolk
Civil ParishScoulton

A large rectangular moated site at TF 964017. (Clarke, 1958) The site has been levelled. There are no surface remains. No moat is mentioned in local and county histories consulted, APs were consulted with negative results and Tithe and estate maps show no feature or indicative field names. R R Clarke's authority, however, is good (if first-hand). Norwich museum have nothing to add (F1 JB 24-JAN-73). (PastScape)

In 1960, two sherds of medieval pottery were recovered from a moated site west of Abergavenny Farm. This site is called the Cobbled Meadow and a large rectangular moat, double concentric ring ditch and other complex earthworks are visible from the ground as well as the air. It has been speculated that this is the possible castle site (rather than NHER 8808) but this has not been proven. (Norfolk HER)

Gatehouse Comments

In 1319 Oct 16, Constantinus de Mortuo Mari (Constantin Mortimer) was granted a licence to crenellate Sculton, county Norfolk. The location of this house is not securely identified but was in this parish. Two possible sites are identified this lost moat and a supposed motte site. Gatehouse considers the Scoulton Moat as the slightly more tenable location for the licenced Mortimer House. It is, of course, possible the licenced house was a new build on a new site and both of these sites represent the location of succeeding manor houses. Equally the evidence that either is a manor house site is slight. There were also two manors in Scoulton both of which were of sufficient status to expect to have a moated manor house. The site is isolated from modern settlement but Scoulton does seem to be a parish of dispersed settlement, without any clear nucleus. The Norfolk HER record lists this as a Motte and Bailey, presumably on the bases on a cropmark of a ring ditch.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceTF964016
Latitude52.577449798584
Longitude0.896470010280609
Eastings596400
Northings301600
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Salter, Mike, 2002, Index and Amendments to Mike Salter's English Castles Books (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 9
  • Liddiard, R., 2000, Landscapes of Lordship (British Archaeological Reports British Series 309) p. 108
  • Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales Vol. 2 East Anglia, Central England and Wales (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) (Shown on map of fortified houses of East Anglia as Destroyed)
  • Mackenzie, J.D., 1896, Castles of England; their story and structure (New York: Macmillan) Vol. 1 p. 308 online copy
  • Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol. 3 Part 2 p. 408 online copy
  • Blomefield, Francis, 1805, 'Hundred of Wayland: Scoulton' An Essay towards a Topographical History of the County of Norfolk Vol. 2 p. 344-348 online transcription

Journals

  • Clarke, R.R., 1958, CBA Group 7 Bulletin Vol. 5 p. 4

Primary Sources

  • Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1903, Calendar of Patent Rolls Edward II (1317-21) Vol. 3 p. 395 online copy