Moor Monkton Rede House

Description

The monument includes earthwork and buried remains of a medieval moated site. It is located on raised ground 200m south west of the River Ouse, 50m to the north west of Red House. The date of construction of this site is currently unknown but it is thought to have been in existence by 1392 (sic) when Sir Thomas Ughtred, whose family had held the manor of Moor Monkton and Scagglethorpe since the Norman Conquest, was granted a licence to empark his woods and to crenellate what was called the 'Rede House'. This was almost certainly located on the platform of the moated site. The medieval village of Scagglethorpe was located in the fields to the south of Red House. It was common for the more prestigious dwellings of medieval settlements to be located in a prominent position away from the main settlement. The prominent position of the moated site reflects its importance as the habitation of the lords of the manor. The village of Scagglethorpe no longer exists and it was probably abandoned during the 14th to 15th centuries when many villages in the north of England were deserted. The moated site was located in a prominent position overlooking the River Ouse and would certainly have had access to the river for transport and communication. Given the relatively poor state of medieval roads the river would have been a major source of access. In 1523 the estate was sold to the Seymour family and later in 1560 to Sir Francis Slingsby, son-in-law to the Earl of Northumberland. By the beginning of the 17th century the moated site had been abandoned. The reason for this is not fully understood, but it is likely to be because a newer, grander and more fashionable residence was required. In 1607 construction of a new building started, which evolved into the current Red House, chapel and walled garden. (Scheduling Report)

The earthworks comprise a rectangular central platform measuring 50 metres by 28 metres, enclosed by a moat on all except the southwest side. The moat has a flat bottomed profile and survives up to 4 metres wide at the base and has a maximum width of 20 metres at the top. It has a maximum depth of 2.5 metres. Excavations on the platform have recovered pottery dating to the 15th and 16th century. The site was abandoned by the early 17th century when the present Red House was constructed. (PastScape)

Comments

The date of 1392 in the scheduling report is clearly incorrect. The actual date of the licence is 1342. The scheduling report should be altered to reflect a checkable and well accepted reference source (The Calendar of Patent Rolls) rather than an unsourced uncheckable date that has every characteristic of a typographical error.