We discover the medieval monument nestled in a modern housing estate next to Asda

Think ancient ruins in Bristol and you might visualise the bombed-out St Peter’s Church in Castle Park or the remains of Kings Weston Roman village in Lawrence Weston. You probably wouldn’t think of a two-acre field a stone’s throw from Asda in Longwell Green.

Yet, less than a five-minute walk from the superstore is a well-preserved moat dating back to 1340 where a huge stone manor house with a chapel and drawbridge once stood.

And you must say, it’s hard to imagine anything so grand as you make your way down the residential Stephens Drive to the Historic England-listed site.

I went to have a look at this monument called Barrs Court one early weekday morning where I found a two-acre patch of grass land nestled in a modern housing estate with Barrs Court Primary School on its border. On three sides there’s evidence of the moat - although, admittedly, to my untrained eye it have been a water-filled ditch created by housing developers.

At the main entrance from Stephens Road is a gate and the ruins of a farm house built in the mid-18th century using stone from the original manor house. Next to the ruins is a children’s playground.

Looking out on to the field, the grass is kept short and the site appears to be well used by children for play and local dog walkers. There are benches and a footpath which take you to the moat now filled with wildlife.

According to historical sources, the site would have been of importance due to its location on the edge of Kingswood Forest, where timber was used for ship building from the 1200s. Built by the De Bitton family, it was passed on to Sir Thomas Newton in 1485 when it was recorded that a manor house was there.

And less than a century later, it was recorded that a stone-built mansion with a lodge, chapel and drawbridge were in existance there. Fast forward to 1740, and the mansion was recorded as being dismantled with the stone, as already mentioned, being used for the farmhouse, which itself was abandoned in the 1920s.

Excavations of the area have unearthed paving, a wine bottle seal and stoneware pottery dating back to 1687. In the moat, a dove cote from the 15th century was discovered.

Today, a group called The Friends of Barrs Court Moat look after the site. It’s a site with a fascinating history, and well worth a look around after a shop at Asda.

Know any more hidden historical sites? Email [email protected]