Pillaton Old Hall

Description

Pillaton Old Hall is a good example of a moated site with major contemporary buildings standing above ground. The moated island will retain important structural and artefactual evidence for the other buildings known to have occupied the island and the infilled ditches will retain information regarding the environment and economy of its inhabitants. The importance of the site is enhanced by good documentary records and detailed map evidence.
Pillaton Old Hall moated site is situated in an isolated context within a wide valley, 180m south of Pillaton Hall Farm. The Old Hall, which is partly in use as a dwelling and is partly ruined, originally stood within a waterfilled moat and, although the moat has been drained since 1860 and is now mostly filled in, it is still visible in places as a slight depression in the ground surface and it survives intact as a buried feature. Estate maps dating to 1754 and 1828 provide evidence for the layout of the moated site. The moat was semi-circular at its southern extent and approximately 10m wide on the west, east and south sides of the site. The northern arm of the moat was approximately 32m wide at its widest. There is a single, segmental-arched bridge across the infilled northern section of the moat. It is built of ashlar and red brick, with a coped parapet, and is largely 18th century in date. The bridge is a Grade II listed building and is included within the scheduling. The island is slightly raised above the surrounding ground surface and measures 60m north-south and 34m west-east. A retaining wall is visible on the eastern and northern edges of the island. The four ranges of buildings of Pillaton Old Hall originally formed a quadrangle around a central open courtyard and were situated at the northern end of the moated island. Upstanding remains of the east and south ranges include an early 16th-century rectangular chimney stack. It is built of red brick with a stone plinth and survives to a height of approximately 6m. There is a blocked fireplace on the west side of the stack. The chimney stack is a Grade II listed building and is included within the scheduling. The northern range, which has been restored, is now occupied and is excluded from the scheduling. It is built of brick and includes a 16th-century gatehouse with four centred arches and turrets of the early 18th century. It is a Grade II-star listed building. East of the gatehouse is the stone-built chapel dedicated to St Modwena which was built c.1480. The chapel was restored in the 19th century. It remains in ecclesiastical use and is not included in the scheduling. The manor of Pillaton was held by Burton Abbey. From at least the early 16th century Pillaton Old Hall was owned by the Littleton family. By 1740 the Littleton family had moved to Teddesley and the house at Pillaton was largely demolished. A drawing of Pillaton Old Hall in about 1798 by Stebbing Shaw indicates that only the north range and a number of large chimney stacks from the other ranges remained standing by this date. (Scheduling Report)