York Historic Environment Record

The moated site is marked on the first edition OS plan for Strensall. On this plan, the moat clearly survives on three sides (north, west and south) and is partially represented on the eastern side of Manor Farm. Today, the moat is visible as a slight depression on the west and south sides. It has been partially built over on the north side. The interior of the moated site contains the much altered listed building Manor House Farmhouse (DYO1482). The building was formerly known as Strensall Hall. This building has its origins in the late 17th century and may be the manor house refered to in 1649 (VCH A History of the County of York North Riding: Volume 2 1923; http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=64640#n5) It is possible that this moated site may relate to an earlier Anglian monastic site. In AD 664 it has traditionally been assumed that Whitby was the setting for the Synod of Whitby. A monastery was founded by Hilda in AD 675, although the present Abbey originates from 1078, as the earlier one was destroyed by the Vikings in AD 867 and AD 870. The settlement of this time has been identified as the one referred to by Bede as Streoneshalh, perhaps from streon, ‘property’ or ‘wealth’ and halh, ‘a corner of land’. However, its identification with Whitby Abbey has been challenged, and an alternative location for Streoneshalh has been posited in Strensall (Strenshale DB) near York (Barnwell, P.S., Butler, L.A.S., & Dunn, C.J., 2003, ‘The Confusion of Conversion: Streanaeshalch, Strensall and Whitby and the Northumbrian Church’, in M. Carver (ed), The Cross Goes North: Processes of Conversion in Northern Europe, AD 300-1300, York Medieval Press, 311–26.)