Whitchurch Moat (The Gatehouse Record)

In the civil parish of Whitchurch Urban.
In the historic county of Shropshire.
Modern Authority of Shropshire.
1974 county of Shropshire.
Medieval County of Shropshire.

OS Map Grid Reference: SJ54164203
Latitude 52.97366° Longitude -2.68406°

Whitchurch Moat has been described as a Fortified Manor House although is doubtful that it was such.

There are earthwork remains.

Description

Around the site of the monastic hospital at Whitchurch there remains the greater part of an irregular square moat (VCH 1908).
A hospital for the poor, aged and infirm was founded at Whitchurch in the 13th century and was dissolved probably in the 15th century. It was dependent upon Haughmond Abbey (Knowles and Hadcock 1971).
A now-dry sub-square moat measuring, overall, 100.0m NE to SW by 80m transversely. The arms are from 10.0 to 18.0m in width and are up to 2.0m in depth. The moat is in fair condition except for the SE arm which has been largely filled-in. The enclosed area is occupied by The Old Rectory, a derelict 19th century building with outbuildings (F1 ASP 26-MAR-76). (PastScape)

Sources of information, references and further reading

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s) 71004.
County Historic Environment Record (or Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) 00905.

Books
- Salter, Mike, 2001 (2edn), The Castles and Moated Mansions of Shropshire (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 83 (mention)
  Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales Vol. 2 East Anglia, Central England and Wales (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) p. 476
  Knowles, David and Hadcock, R Neville, 1971, Medieval religious houses in England and Wales (Longman) p. 336
  Wall (after Downham), 1908, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Shropshire Vol. 1 p. 405
Periodical Articles
- 1980, Moated Sites Research Group report Vol. 7 p. 53

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The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.

Suggestions for finding online and/or hard copies of bibliographical sources can be seen at this link.
Minor archaeological investigations, such as watching brief reports, and some other 'grey' literature is most likely to be held by H.E.R.s but is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded here, or elsewhere, but some suggestions can be found here.

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