Ickenham, Uxbridge, UB10 8HS, Greater London
Pynchester Moated Site
Earthworks
Place photograph
3.7
Wildland
Under 1 hour
Time
Check
Cost
Atmospheric
Feel
Why it's Wildland
3.7A square island, once enclosed by a broad moat, is all that remains above ground of a medieval manorial site. Excavations in 1966–69 uncovered traces of a building, including flint walls, a tiled floor, a hearth, an oven and a curing chamber.
Pynchester is a small, easily overlooked archaeological landscape rather than a grand ruin: its surviving earthworks mark the footprint of a medieval residence, while excavation revealed unusually tangible clues to life inside it. Its appeal is in reading the shape of the ground and imagining the vanished house—but access needs checking before setting out.
Atmospheric · Ancient-feeling
Find your way
Open mapIckenham, Uxbridge, UB10 8HS, Greater London
Opening map…
Know this place a little better?
The experience
A short, history-led visit centred on understanding the quadrangular moat and its central island. Go only after confirming that access is permitted; do not treat the map pin as an entrance.
Things to do
Trace the moat’s outline
If permitted access allows, look for the quadrangular moat, with slightly rounded corners, described in the official monument record.
Short stop
Picture the vanished house
Historic England records a central island or platform and excavation finds associated with a medieval building, including flint walls, a tiled floor, a hearth, a key-hole oven and a curing chamber.
Make a day of it
Quick escape · Under 1 hour
Read the earthworks
- 01
Confirm access and the permitted approach before travelling.
- 02
If access is permitted, take time to identify the quadrangular moat and raised central platform from an allowed viewpoint.
- 03
Compare the visible layout with Historic England’s description of the medieval site.
Verified history
Pynchester is a medieval moated site surviving as earthworks and upstanding and below-ground remains. Historic England describes a quadrangular moat around a central platform, with an entrance on the south-west side. A 1531 deed apparently records the name “Pynchester Ferme”, which has been associated with the site. Excavations in 1966–69 recorded remains of a medieval building, including flint walls and foundations, a roof-tile floor, a hearth, a key-hole oven and a curing chamber; medieval pottery included Surrey Ware. The monument was first listed in 1974 and is a Scheduled Monument. The official record notes that moats commonly signalled status rather than serving primarily as military defences; that general context should not be taken as proof of the exact purpose of this individual moat.
Hidden details
The south-west entrance — The official description records an entrance about 3 metres wide on the south-west side of the moat. Whether it is visible from an accessible viewpoint is not confirmed.
Evidence of domestic life — Excavations recorded a hearth, key-hole oven and curing chamber, alongside flint walls and a tiled floor—specific traces of the building that once occupied the central platform.
When to go
· No verified time-of-day guidance available; check access before visiting.
The supplied sources do not identify a seasonal highlight or establish how ground conditions vary through the year.
Check ground and access conditions before visiting. The site’s path condition is not established by the supplied sources.
What to look for
If the site can be lawfully viewed, look for the quadrangular outline of the moat, its rounded corners, the entrance on the south-west side and the raised central platform. These features are described in Historic England’s monument record.
The story
Medieval archaeology
Best time to go
Year-round, subject to confirmed access and ground conditions.
No evidence establishes a particularly good season or time of day. Check access and conditions before travelling.
How long to spend
Under 1 hour
Perfect for
History lovers · Walkers
Before you go
Address
Website
Listed hours
- Monday: Open 24 hours
- Tuesday: Open 24 hours
- Wednesday: Open 24 hours
- Thursday: Open 24 hours
- Friday: Open 24 hours
- Saturday: Open 24 hours
- Sunday: Open 24 hours
Check before visiting.
Google rating
Practical information
Opening & access
A medieval earthwork and Scheduled Monument. Public access and the precise visitor approach are not confirmed by the supplied sources; check with the relevant landowner or local authority before visiting, and do not enter private land or cross barriers. Access arrangements are unconfirmed. Check before visiting; do not enter private land or restricted structures.
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Parking
Parking availability is not confirmed. Check before visiting.
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Toilets
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Food & drink
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Dogs
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Accessibility
The available source information does not establish the condition of paths or on-site accessibility. Check before visiting; the source row reports that a wheelchair-accessible entrance is not available.
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Cost
Unknown
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Water
Moat; the official record describes the site as beside the River Pinn. No water activity or access permission is established.
Gallery
Place photographsKeep exploring
Around Pynchester Moated Site
Within 50 km · approximate straight-line distances
