Cudworth Moat

In the civil parish of Cudworth.
In the historic county of Somerset (Modern Authority of Somerset, 1974 county of Somerset).

Medieval moated site, two fishponds and associated earthworks at Knight House Farm. The moated site includes a sub-circular central platform 50m across elevated above the surrounding ground level. It is enclosed by a moat with an average depth of 5.5m and an average width of 5m across the base and an external bank on the west, south and south east sides rising to 5m above the base of the moat. Also included in the monument and probably contemporary with the moated site, are two rectangular fishponds, aligned north to south. The more substantial fishpond is located south of the smaller one and west of the moat. It appears as a depression 52m long and by 38m wide and is up to 5m deep below a surrounding bank which survives up to 10m wide on the east and up to 16m wide on the north where a break in the bank links it to the bank on the south west corner of the smaller fishpond. Subsidiary earthworks survive adjacent to the south and east bank of the larger fishpond which may represent part of the original water management system. The second fishpond is 13m wide, 56m long, and survives as a depression up to 1 metre deep. Matthew de Esse held this manor in 1303 and it has been recorded that in 1333 a licence was granted for an oratory within his widow's house which documentary evidence suggests was located in the area of the moated site, although this has no visible surviving features.

This site has been described as a;
Fortified Manor House.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Possible.
Cropmarks/slight earthworks remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is ST37271080

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 191730

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 53829

• Web site links
  • http://webapp1.somerset.gov.uk/her/details.asp?prn=53829
• Books
  • Dunning, Robert, 1995, Somerset Castles (Somerset Books) p55
    Ellison, Ann, 1983, Medieval villages in SE Somerset (Western Archaeological Trust surveys no.6) p116
    Dunning, R.W. (ed), 1978, VCH Somerset Vol4 p142-3
• Journal Articles
  • 1981, Moated Sites Research Group report Vol8 p24
    1977, Moated Sites Research Group report Vol4 p19,20
    Aston, M. (ed), 1977, 'Somerset Archaeology 1976' Somerset Archaeology and Natural History Vol121 p117