Moated grange and fishpond - Muston
Scheduled Ancient Monument – National Monument No. 17041
Location SK 82693 38010
Earthworks
See notes and map in The Medieval Earthworks of North-East Leicestershire, Robert F Hartley, 1987, Leicestershire Museums, Art Galleries and Records Service – see pages 11 and Fig.8.
The Jewry Wall Museum also records, as a Site of Archaeological Interest, a fishpond, moat and possible grange said to be located to the northwest of Muston church, location SK 827 380. In fact, this grid reference indicates that the records relate to the earthworks described here and their location description appears to be inaccurate.
English Heritage provides the following description:
The moated grange at Muston contains substantial earthworks and has well documented connections with the distant priory of Olveston near Bristol.
The large moated grange site containing an internal fishpond lies on the western bank of the River Devon, 150m north-west of Muston church. The moated area is subrectangular, the longest dimension measuring 200m and lying on a north-west, south-east axis. The moated boundaries of the site are straight, with the exception of the north-eastern side which follows the course of the river defining the maximum width of the site as 125m. There is an external bank on the north-east side which follows the river. Its original dimensions are difficult to determine because of river dredging and disturbance. An internal bank exists on the northern half of the site and is approximately 0.5m in height. The moat arms are on average 12-15m wide and 1.5-2m deep, with the exception of the southern part of the western side which narrows to 10m and is only 1m deep. A house platform 20m square and 0.5m in height is situated near the centre of the moated area. A faint trace of a hollow trackway exists leading from the platform to the moat on the eastern side, suggesting an original access point. Traces of further building platforms exist in the southern half of the site but are difficult to define. Midway along the western side of the site is an `L’ shaped fishpond 1.5m deep, the arms of which measure 35m x 15m. The manor of Muston was part of Olveston Priory near Bristol, the moated area being the grange farm. The site at Muston has similarities to grange sites in the parishes of Owston and Melton Mowbray in north-east Leicestershire.
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