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Burnham Beeches: Hartley Court Moat

Hartley Court Moat is a near-rectangular trench surrounding a homestead, dated by the Corporation of London who own Burnham Beeches, to the 12th to the 14th centuries. It is also known as Hardicanute's Moat and Harlequin's Moat, the former name appearing on the current Ordnance Survey 1:10,000 scale mapping, and the latter on the Ordnance Survey's 1:10,560 scale mapping of 1883. The primary function of the moat appeared to be to protect the homestead from intrusion by deer and swine causing damage to crops. There is an outer fortification beyond the moat consisting of a ditch and bank which would have had a pale or fence as a defensive measure. This is the moat on the eastern side of the enclosure.