A water-filled moat, Friar Tuck's Island (associates with Robin Hood legend). The owner of Fountain Dale - Mr Need - contemplated excavating within the island. (2)
An inquisition of 1342 mentions that there was then no manor house in Mansfield but that there was the site of a manor house. This was probably the site at Fountain Dale. There was a hunting lodge here in 1251 which became a residence for the forest underlords of the C13/C14 when visiting Mansfield. A Raffe Clerc was forester at the moat in 1251 and collected tolls. (4)
The moat is formed by a ditch with an outer bank on all but the W side where a later boundary bank has mutilated it. The moat was formerly wet and fed by a sluice from the artificial pond to the S but the lowered water level (locally accredited to underlying coal mining) has resulted in the draining of the moat except for the S side. The interior, under grass and bracken, is level with no traces of a former building; the sides of the moat are overgrown by shrubs and trees. A wide gap in ditch and bank at the N corner probably indicates the contemporary entrance. On the approach road a board is inscribed - "Inside this moat the king's revenues were collected from the year 1130-1350. The 4 surrounding villages each paid yearly 100 head of deer". No information was gained from the owner or local sources as to the origin of this description other than that the board (with others now gone) was erected by the previous owner of Fountain Dale. The pond to the S, as previously stated, is artificial, the stream water being retained by a substantial earthen pond-bay. There are the remains of a spillway at the N end with derelict modern sluice gates. The pond served to maintain water in the moat and is probably contemporary with it. The pond bay and moat are approached by a deeply sunken, disused lane from the S. (5)
No change. (6)
See M5317 for associated well.

Data Held: Ground Photograph (Ground photograph). SNT2646.

8 colour print, C62/2, SMR

<1> VCH, 1906, Notts, p 310 (Published document). SNT1383.

<2> Groves WH, 1894, History of Mansfield, pp 90- (Published document). SNT733.

<3> Stapleton A, 1911, Notts Occasional Papers, p 121 (Published document). SNT1841.

<4> Knighton JH, 1937, Early History of Mansfield, pp 13, 23 (Published document). SNT866.

<5> Woodhouse WC, 1959, Pers Comm (Personal comment). SNT1437.

<6> Colquhoun FD, 1974, Pers Comm (Personal comment). SNT582.