Wath upon Dearne moat

Has been described as a Possible Fortified Manor House

There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains

NameWath upon Dearne moat
Alternative NamesWath Hall; Wathe
Historic CountryYorkshire
Modern AuthorityRotherham
1974 AuthoritySouth Yorkshire
Civil ParishWath upon Dearne

Wath Hall - Medieval hall stood in front of the present vicarage, was moated by a diversion of the Grewalebrook around it. Later became the Rectory (Martin 1920).

Geophysical survey seems to show good evidence of the moat and possible structures on the island (ASWYAS 2005).

Archaeological evaluation has confirmed the presence of a medieval moat. Structures within the moated area have also been found, confirming the interpretation of the earlier geophysical survey. Dating evidence for these structures is limited and it is unclear whether they date from the late 11th century medieval manor or the later medieval vicarage of c.1410, or both (Lee and Signorelli 2006). (South Yorkshire SMR)

Foundations formally visible in the grounds of the former vicarage have been suggested as those other fortified manor house. The SW corner of the vicarage stands on artificially raised area and there are indications to the SE that the bank is scarped with a dry ditch WSW to ENE at the base though both could reflect ornamental landscaping. (Sneyd 1995)

1312. Sept. 7. Westminster. Grant to Reyner le Flemyng, and his heirs, of a weekly market on Tuesday at their manor of Wathe, co. York, and of a yearly fair there on the vigil and the feast of St. Matthew; grant also of free warren in all their demesne lands of Wathe, Clifton, Bouthemel and Dalton, co. York.

By K. on the information of E. de Malo Lacu. (CChR - Gazetteer of Markets notes "Identified in the index of the Calendar of Charter Rolls as Wath in Hovingham, North Riding. However, neither the market, fair nor the grantee are mentioned in the entry for Wath in Hovingham in VCH (VCH Yorkshire (North Riding), i, pp. 505-6). William le Flemyng was holding Wath upon Dearne in 1302-3; John Flemyng was holding in 1316 (FA, vi, pp. 130, 198)."

Gatehouse Comments

It may be probably that the lords of the manor, the Flemings, had a manor house that was in a style reflecting their military status - they were a family of noted knights - particularly in a manor they were developing as a town with a market. However, it is not clear this was their main caput and the moated manor house may have really been for their steward or bailiff. That it was to become a rectory less than a 100 years after the market grant doesn't suggest a building that had a lot of expenditure spent on it.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSE431011
Latitude53.5043792724609
Longitude-1.3515100479126
Eastings443100
Northings401100
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Sneyd, Steve, 1995, The Devil's Logbook Castles and Fortified Sites around South Yorkshire (Hilltop Press) p. 18
  • Martin, W. Keble, 1920, A history of the ancient parish of Wath-upon-Dearne (South Yorkshire) p. 23

Primary Sources

  • Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1908, Calendar of Charter Rolls Edward I, Edward II 1300-1326 Vol. 3. (HMSO) p. 195 view online copy
  • 1920, Inquisitions and Assessments relating to Feudal Aids; with other analogous documents preserved in the Public Record Office AD 1284-1431 (HMSO) Vol. 6 p. 130 online copy

Other

  • Lee, D. and Signorelli, L.. 2006. Land off Barnsley Road, Wath-upon-Dearne: Archaeological Evaluation
  • ASWYAS. 2005. Land off Barnsley Road, Wath-upon-Dearne: Geophysical Survey