Bolton Percy moot hill

Has been described as a Rejected Timber Castle (Motte), and also as a Rejected Fortified Manor House

There are earthwork remains

NameBolton Percy moot hill
Alternative NamesNun Appleton Mote Hill
Historic CountryYorkshire
Modern AuthorityNorth Yorkshire
1974 AuthorityNorth Yorkshire
Civil ParishAppleton Roebuck

Clark lists, as in Yorkshire, "Bolton-Percy.–Here is a moot hill."

The moated site is roughly triangular in plan, surrounded by a ditch 12 metres wide and up to 2 metres deep. A stream feeds the moat via a leat from the north and flows down the north western arm. Along the eastern arm there is a slight 5 metre wide outer bank and the otherwise flat moated island has a 0.3 metre high bank along its eastern edge. The southern arm of the moat has been altered to form a roughly rectangular fishpond 30 metres long by 10 metres wide; this has become silted up over the years and is now apparent as a boggy depression. A second pond lies to the west of the first and is visible as a rectangular depression 30 metres long by 10 metres wide and about 0.5 metres deep extending west from the main enclosing moat. (PastScape)

Gatehouse Comments

There is a 'Mote Hill' in the adjacent parish of Appleton Roebuck which is a scheduled medieval moated site. Given the relatively closeness to Bolton Percy and the site name (which is, as with some other such sites, rather misleading since there is no raised mound) it seems likely this is what Clark intended, although his list seems to have been made up from correspondence he was unable to personally check. The moat itself has never been described as 'fortified' although it is a fine example of a moated site, this one may have been associated with a Benedictine nunnery. Can be rejected as the site of a motte, is questionable as a defended house.

- Philip Davis

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSE550398
Latitude53.8517913818359
Longitude-1.16447997093201
Eastings455060
Northings439830
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Le Patourel, H.E. Jean, 1973, The Moated Sites of Yorkshire (The Society for Medieval Archaeology Monograph Series 5) p. 126
  • Bogg, E., 1902, The old kingdom of Elmet: York and the Ainsty district a descriptive sketch of the history, antiquities, legendary lore, picturesque feature, and rare architecture. p. 292 online copy

Journals

  • Clark, G.T., 1889, 'Contribution towards a complete list of moated mounds or burhs' The Archaeological Journal Vol. 46 p. 197-217 esp. 214 online copy

Other

  • Historic England, 2016, Heritage at Risk Yorkshire Register 2016 (London: Historic England) p. 59 online copy
  • Historic England, 2015, Heritage at Risk Yorkshire Register 2015 (London: Historic England) p. 69 online copy
  • English Heritage, 2014, Heritage at Risk Register 2014 Yorkshire (London: English Heritage) p. 79 online copy
  • English Heritage, 2013, Heritage at Risk Register 2013 Yorkshire (London: English Heritage) p. 82 online copy
  • English Heritage, 2012, Heritage at Risk Register 2012 Yorkshire and the Humber (London: English Heritage) p. 102 online copy
  • English Heritage, 2011, Heritage at Risk Register 2011 Yorkshire and the Humber (London: English Heritage) p. 95 online copy
  • English Heritage, 2010, Heritage at Risk Register 2010 Yorkshire and the Humber (London: English Heritage) p. 101 online copy
  • English Heritage, 2009, Heritage at Risk Register 2009 Yorkshire and the Humber (London: English Heritage) p. 111 online copy