Okeover; The Hallsteads (The Gatehouse Record)

In the civil parish of Okeover.
In the historic county of Staffordshire.
Modern Authority of Staffordshire.
1974 county of Staffordshire.
Medieval County of Staffordshire.

OS Map Grid Reference: SK15384742
Latitude 53.02396° Longitude -1.77187°

Okeover; The Hallsteads has been described as a Fortified Manor House although is doubtful that it was such.

There are earthwork remains.

Description

The earthwork remains of a moated site comprising of a rectangular platform bounded on the north and east sides by a natural stream gully and on the west and south by a rock-cut ditch. (Staffordshire HER)

This homestead moat is situated at the confluence of two steams, one making a right-angled turn before joining the other. The angle of the stream, a deep gully, forms the NE and SE arms. The NW and SW arms now dry are artificially constructed and average 19.0m wide and 2.5m deep, a shallow depression in the centre of the outer bank of the NW arm may indicate the site of the former drawbridge. Under afforestation. Fair condition. No evidence of a building was seen. (PastScape ref. Field Investigators Comments F1 JR 10-DEC-57)

Comments

Traditionally Hallsteads entrenchment formerly seat of Cockain family. In Palliser's list as a doubtful castle site castle site. Is isolated from settlement and not an obvious manorial centre. There does not seem to be any good reason to believe the medieval manor house would not be next to the church, where Okeover Hall stands, although this is the seat of the Okeover family since the time of William Rufus. A submanor house later incorporated into Okeover Hall park? A park lodge? Part of some more extensive industrial water system?

Sources of information, references and further reading

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s) 307439.
County Historic Environment Record (or Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) 00444.

Books
- Salter, Mike, 1997, Castles and Moated Mansions of Staffordshire (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 38
  1839, History and Topography of Ashbourn and the Valley of the Dove p. 200
Periodical Articles
- Hammer, M.E., 1974, 'The Moated Sites of Staffordshire' Staffordshire Archaeology Vol. 3 p. 43
  Palliser, D.M., 1972, 'Staffordshire Castles: A Provisional List' Staffordshire Archaeology Vol. 1 p. 5-8
Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
- Plot, Robert, 1686, The Natural History of Staffordshire p. 449

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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.

The possible site or monument is represented on maps as a point location. This is a guide only. It should be noted that OS grid references defines an area, not a point location. In practice this means the actual center of the site or monument may often, but not always, be to the North East of the point shown. Locations derived from OS grid references and from latitude longitiude may differ by a small distance.
Further information on mapping and location can be seen at this link.

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