The Gatehouse website record for Kershope moat

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Kershopefoot; Kirsopfoote; Kisopfote

In the civil parish of Nicholforest. In the historic county of Cumberland (Modern Authority of Cumbria, 1974 county of Cumbria).

A homestead moat situated on level ground in a field of rough pasture. The uneven though featureless interior is 15m square and stands up to 0.7m above the surrounding land. The clear-cut and dry arms average 6.0m wide and 1.3m deep with low external counterscarp banks on all but the northeast side; there is no entrance causeway. Remnants of a feed arm extend from the east angle in the direction of boggy ground. Roughly parallel with the northeast and northwest arms is a probable contemporary outwork comprising a 4.0m wide and 1.0m deep dry ditch with upcast bank on both sides. (PastScape–ref. Field Investigators Comments–F1 JRL 22-AUG-79)
This is presumed by King to be site of Kershope tower shown on 1590 map as 'Kirsopfoote' and 1607 platt as 'Kisopfote'. This sort of homestead moat is normally excluded from list of fortified site (including this website). This suggests the 'towers' marked on the crude maps of the late C16, many of which have no visible remains, were, certainly in part, modest sites and the amount of fortification on the border has been exaggerated.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is NY478825

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 11706; 11703
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 1; 2 '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.

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