Scheduled Ancient Monument: MOATED SITE AND ASSOCIATED POND AT BROOKHALL FARM (30574)

The monument includes a moated site located in an isolated position near the northern end of Wissett parish, close to the eastern parish boundary. The moat, which is around 2.5m deep and contains water, ranges from approximately 7m to 10m in width and surrounds the greater part of a quadrangular central island. Parts of the moat enclosing the north western corner of the island are believed to have been infilled but will survive as buried features and are included in the scheduling. The site is terraced into a slight west-facing slope, and the outer edge of the north eastern arm of the moat forms a scarp up to 1m high above the level of the ground to the west. The central island is divided into two enclosures of unequal size by an internal arm of the moat which extends north eastwards from the main south western arm and parallel to the main south eastern arm. The main enclosure measures about 87m north west-south east internally and is approximately 75m wide at the north western end, narrowing to 42m. The smaller, rectangular enclosure to the south east of this has internal dimensions of approximately 45m north east-south west by 18m. Access between the two is provided by a causeway at the north eastern end of the internal arm of the moat which separates them. A second, slightly sunken causeway across the north eastern end of the main south eastern arm opposite this is thought not to be an original feature. Parallel to the south eastern arm of the moat and separated from it by a low bank about 6m wide there is a roughly rectangular pond, possibly constructed as a fishpond, the north eastern end of which is linked to the south eastern corner of the moat by a channel about 3m wide, now partly infilled and dry. A shorter channel at the south western end links it to an irregular pond which extends from the south western end of the moat and issues into a stream running off to the south east. Brookhall Farmhouse, which is a Listed Building Grade II and dated in part to the 16th century, stands within the larger moated enclosure and is excluded from the scheduling, as are the associated outbuildings, farm buildings to the north east of the house, yard walls, modern paving, the modern surfaces of driveway and farmyard, inspection chambers, the supports of fences and garden trelliswork, a swing, clothes line posts, garden rockeries and the concrete supports of a footbridge which formerly crossed the south western arm of the moat, although the ground beneath all these features is included.