York Historic Environment Record

DITCH ONLY EXTANT IN THE E AND S. IT IS BOUNDED IN THE W BY A MODERN DITCH. ENTRANCE WAS BY A CAUSEWAY SOME SM WIDE AT THE N END OF THE E SIDE. THE INTERNAL AREA IS BOUNDED BY AN EARTHERN. RAMPART ON THE SE SIDE.

Plan form: RECTANGULAR

History
Towthorpe is a small hamlet which has survived as a peaceful cluster of 19th Century or earlier brick farmhouses and farm buildings set in the countryside.

Important Buildings
The area includes the undesignated monument, Towthorpe Moat, and also Low Farmhouse, a Grade 2 listed
building which retains the original internal doors and baluster staircase.

NMR Information:
(SE 62255877) Moat (NR)(1)

The remains of a rectangular moat about 50 m square between
the centres of a ditch now only extant in the E and S. It is
bounded in the W by a modern ditch. Access to the central
area has been by a causeway, about 5 m wide, at the N end of
the E side. The SE side of the internal area is bounded by an
earthen rampart.

Published Survey (25") Revised.(2)

The ditch forming the east and south sides of the alleged moat is
broad and sinuous and appears to be part of a natural watercourse which drains south into the River Foss. A straight artificial drain,
which meets it from the north, forms the west side of the alleged
moat. Visible on air photographs. (4)

In 1330 Towthorpe was held by Isabel, sister of Willia de stanes, but earlier belonged to the de Towthorpe family, who held capital messuage before 1200.

Little remains of the original extent except for the three internal sides, N,S and W, which survive up to 1.0m high The E side has been demolished , end the other sides appear to have suffered much the same treatment. The internal area is rectangular in shape enclosing an area of 26m x 29m. Secondary to the moat use a stream channel circa 1.2m wide has been cut through the ditches in the NW and W sides, draining into the Foss after joining an E-W tributary 40m to the S of the moat. The earlier line of this stream survives as a N-s ditch, circa 3.0m wide, 0.4m deep, 18m to the W of the moat, on the line of the present stream to the s. Thus little survives of the original form. (5)

Manor Farm, Towthorpe/ink survey
1 Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date) OS 1:10000 1970
2 Field Investigators Comments F1 ISS 24-12-74
3 Vertical aerial photograph reference number NMR MAL/67045 018 12-JUN-1967
5 Field Investigators Comments F1 McKay D (undated, but between 1985-1991)

Related event: Vale of York project (RCHME & English Heritage). 1998-2000.

Archaeology File (Unpublished document). SYO3.