NHER 4082 (Monument record) - Earthworks of a medieval moat relating to the site of Rouges Manor

7 April 1978. Visit.
Moat. Site of Rouges Manor. Three sided, not quite reaching river - altered when gardens laid out. Island embanked
up. Overgrown, ditches very wet.
E. Rose (NAU), 7 April 1978.

Referred to as Rowsess Manor in terrier 1675.
W. Milligan (NCM), 11 July 1985.

Measures 70m east-to-west by 50m north-to-south, arm averaging 12m wide. No entrance causeway is visible, though the south arm is waisted and may have given access to the interior which rises about 0.5m above the water level.
Information from (S1).
R.J. Rickett 25 July 1990.

March-May 2014. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of groundworks undertaken to improve the water quality and habitats of the River Nar and the lakes within Lexham Hall Park (part of the River Nar Restoration Project).
To the west of the lakes the river was diverted southwards, along an existing channel within the American Gardens - part of which is a recut of the southern arm of the moat. As an existing channel was used this section of the moat was unchanged by these works. The dredging of the former channel to the north was also monitored as this coincides with the northern arm of the moat. It was though found that the watercourse no longer reflects the original form of the moat, being wide and shallow at this point. Care was taken to ensure that the dredging were deposited away from the earthworks of the moat.
See report (S2) for further details, including results of an initial topographic survey by the Norfolk Rivers Internal Drainage Board.
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2022.108).
P. Watkins (HES), 21 June 2021. Amended 6 December 2022.

March 2024. Wendling Beck and Fransham Aerial Investigation and Mapping (AIM) Project.
The earthworks of a medieval moat (see above) are visible on aerial photographs and visualised lidar data (S3-S4). As the lidar survey was flown relatively recently (2017) it is likely that the feature still survives as a low earthwork. A possible raised area or mound is visible on S4 within the interior of the moat. This feature has been mapped by extent as its uncertain as to whether the mound or raised area is medieval in date or relates to activity associated with modern drainage works. The monument polygon has been updated to the location of the feature as seen on S4
J. Powell (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 08 March 2024.