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Horseland moated homestead is a medieval moated site located in Wales and protected as a scheduled monument by Cadw under reference GM388. The site occupies ground underlain by Triassic sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded deposits that form the local bedrock geology. This geological foundation would have influenced both the drainage characteristics of the moat and the construction materials available to the medieval occupants.
The moat itself survives as an earthwork feature, comprising the ditch system that once surrounded a residential homestead. Such moated sites were typical of medieval Wales and the border regions, serving both defensive and status purposes. The water-filled or water-retaining ditch provided security and a visible statement of the householder's authority and prosperity during the medieval period.
The survival of Horseland's moat as an archaeological monument reflects the durability of this form of earthwork construction. The sandy and conglomerate soils of the Triassic bedrock would have drained relatively freely, a practical consideration for a feature that required water retention. Today the site remains an important record of medieval settlement patterns and domestic organisation in Wales.
Horseland moated homestead is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM388. View the official record →
Horseland moated homestead is a medieval moated site located in Wales and protected as a scheduled monument by Cadw under reference GM388.
Horseland moated homestead dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a moated site. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Horseland moated homestead is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Cadw — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Wales. The official designation reference is GM388.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including East Orchard Manor House (4.5 km), East Orchard Wood Pillbox (4.9 km), West Orchard Manor House (5.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Horseland moated homestead's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Horseland moated homestead stands on Triassic Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Triassic. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.