Medieval moated site nr Farelton

Farelton Medieval moated site
Farelton
Nr HornbyLancashire

Just outside the village of Hornby on the A683 to Lancaster, lies a medieval moated site. The remains lay in the field between the road and the river Lune.

Above. View into the ditch, looking West.

The site consists of a complex of a moated outworks, with interconnecting channels surviving as well defined earthworks. Some of these channels appear to link the moat with the River Lune to the West. The whole site looks great from Google Earth's aerial photos.

Above. View of the raised earthwork platform, looking North East.

The only documentation that I can find relating to the possible history of this site, is that it could be the remains of the fortified manor house and park built in 1479 by Sir James Harrington.

Above. View of the earthworks looking West.

Licence to crenellate the buildings was granted and the site was strengthened and a park created. Both the fortified site and the park had reputedly fallen into disrepair by the 16th century.

Above. Full view of the earthwork platform looking North.

There are the remains of some masonry on the highest end of the earthworks, possibly the remains of a wall. Other masonry was visible when the site was excavated in 1978, when a narrow hollow way was discovered, linking the site with the nearby main road. The earthworks are just and so visible from the main road, but are not accessible.