Wood Hall, Womersley

Has been described as a Possible Fortified Manor House

There are masonry footings remains

NameWood Hall, Womersley
Alternative Names
Historic CountryYorkshire
Modern AuthorityNorth Yorkshire
1974 AuthorityNorth Yorkshire
Civil ParishWomersley

Medieval moated manor, first documented 1322. Total excavation of the site occuried 1987-98 in advance of destruction by the Gale Common Ash Disposal Facility. Occupation remains of C12-C16 date have been found together with overlying C18-C19 model farm. There has been exceptional preservation of organic remains. A Medieval garden and finds indicative of the high status of the site have been discovered. The moat was found to be an integral part of the, partly pre existing, Medieval land drainage system. A pond in an annexe to the north, originally thought to be a fishpond, is now considered to be a clay pit for brickmaking. (PastScape)

Gatehouse Comments

Extensively excavated 1987-1998. Several interim reports produced but the final report is still awaited. However, the site is reasonably fully described in the The Wood Hall Moated Manor Project website. One of a large number of moated houses of various sizes in this area of low land in the flood plains of the Rivers Aire and Don. These moats may have had more to do with drainage and flood management than defence or status, although this area, Barnsdale Forest did have a reputation for outlaws and 'keeping up with the Jones's' status building may also play its part.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSE536205
Latitude53.6790313720703
Longitude-1.1895500421524
Eastings453630
Northings420590
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

No photos available. If you can provide pictures please contact Castlefacts

Most of the sites or buildings recorded in this web site are NOT open to the public and permission to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner or tenant.

Calculate Print

Books

  • Sneyd, Steve, 1995, The Devil's Logbook Castles and Fortified Sites around South Yorkshire (Hilltop Press) p. 19
  • Le Patourel, H.E. Jean, 1973, The Moated Sites of Yorkshire (The Society for Medieval Archaeology Monograph Series 5) p. 129

Journals

  • 1999 Dec, 'Wood Hall - Moated manor house' Current Archaeology Vol. 141 p. 360-5
  • Metcalf, V., 1995, 'Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1994' Medieval Archaeology Vol. 39 p. 261-3 (plan) online copy
  • Minhinnick, B., 1994, 'Wood Hall: An education and training centre' CBA Forum p. 15 (slight)
  • Metcalf, V., 1993, 'Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1992' Medieval Archaeology Vol. 37 p. 289 online copy

Other

  • NYCC; National Power; Wood Hall Trust, 11/1995, The Wood Hall Moated Manor Project: 1000 years of country life in Yorkshire