Hob's Moat (Solihull)

 park, archaeological site, earthwork (archaeology), scheduled ancient monument

The monument is situated on the north facing slope of a low hill within the outskirts of Solihull and includes a moated site, known as Hob's Moat, and the earthwork remains of a section of a hollow way. The moated site has external dimensions of approximately 137m north to south and 115m east to west. The steep sided moat ditches are dry and measure up to 15m wide and 2.5m deep. External banks are visible on all four sides of the moated site and, although the northern and eastern banks have been lowered, they can be traced on the ground surface. The banks are approximately 12m wide at their base and have an average height of 1.8m. The moated island is 0.5ha in area and slopes gradually from south to north.

Immediately alongside the northern side of Hob's Moat are the earthwork remains of a hollow way. It is medieval in origin and is thought to have run westwards to connect Hob's Moat with Castle Lane, which is mentioned in a documentary record of 1339 and runs to the west and south of the moated site. The hedgerow which defines the northern side of the hollow way has been the subject of a species count which has indicated that it may be c.650 years old and, therefore, contemporary with the earliest references to Castle Lane.

historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1014...