Blakemere Moat

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Black Mere; Blackmere; Black Park; Whitchurch; Whitecherche

In the civil parish of Whitchurch Urban. In the historic county of Shropshire (Modern Authority of Shropshire, 1974 county of Shropshire).

Medieval moated site situated in a prominent position overlooking a natural pool known as Blake Mere. Documentary sources indicate that a manor house belonging to the Le Strange family existed here in C12. It passed to the Talbots in C14, and in 1383 was the birthplace of John Talbot, the first Earl of Shrewsbury. The Talbot family sold the manor in 1590 and by the end of the following century the house was in ruins. The moated site was constructed on ground which rises from south to north, alongside the former edge of Blake Mere. Three of the four moat arms that define the island survive as visible earthworks and are now dry. The island measures 56m north west to south east. In 1963 a trench was dug across the south eastern moat arm. During this investigation artefacts dating between C12 and C13 were discovered, together with the remains of two C16 retaining walls. Possibly licensed in 1322 to Fulk Le Strange.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SJ55994247

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 70971
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 01040 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website.

• Books
  • Duckers, Peter and Anne, 2006, Castles of Shropshire (Stroud: Tempus) p29-30
    Salter, Mike, 2001 (2edn), The Castles and Moated Mansions of Shropshire (Malvern) p83
    Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses Vol2 (Cambridge) p476
    Jackson, M.J.,1988, Castles of Shropshire (Shrewsbury: Shropshire Libraries) p62
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker) p344
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol2 p160
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p408
• Journal Articles
  • Watson, M.D., 1987, 'Gazetteer of Moated Sites in Shropshire' Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological and Historical Society Vol65 p9
    1980, Moated Sites Research Group report Vol7 p53
    Griffiths, R.W., 1963, Shropshire Newsletter Vol24 p2
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Calendar of Patent Rolls (1321-24) p175
• Other sources, 'grey' literature, unpublished works, etc. (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission, 1989, Scheduled Monument Report on SAM 35281 (21/08/1989)