b'above). These are individually described below. Itthe site, i.e. it is substantial and it does not seem to be is worth bearing in mind the assumed objectives: ifa quick infill to gain access at a later date. Although you look at the present-day level of the beck and thesome identify it as an access-point to the site there height of the sides of the fish ponds you will see theis no reason why it could not have served a double extent to which the water level needs to be raised;purpose. There is no doubt that a dam was required this needs to be done by maintaining a steady flowat some point in the moat in order to establish the of water whilst avoiding flooding; also one fish pondwater level required to fill the fish ponds.needs to be separated from the other.The height of the water level required in FishFor the FuturePond 1 dictates the level in the moat such thatIf the Palace site is ever excavated the dam overflow (Dam 2) can continue to supplyarchaeologically, the fish ponds warrant specific and it. The maintenance of the water level in the moatspecialist attention along with the header pond and necessitates the build-up of water in a header pondthe moat.outside the Palace site. Whether or not a dam was required at this point (Dam 1) is not clear although theTwo publications have been referenced in the 1765 map already mentioned does indicate a narrowpreparation of this article:feed into the moat was present then. 1.Medieval Fish, Fisheries & Fishponds Dams 3 and 4 would have controlled the levels ofin EnglandParts (i) & (ii), edited by water in Fish Ponds 1 and 2 respectively. Michael Ashton (later known as Mick, Dam 4 is a special case as it is thought that thereof Time Team fame), BAR British Series would have been access over it to the southern side182 (i & ii) 1988. The publication was of the beck where there was an area of land that wasthe result of a day conference organised within the bounds of the Palace site. To this day at thisin 1984. Individual contributors are point, the water of the beck flows through a brick-builtcredited in the footnotes to this article.archway over which access to the other side would be2.Inland Fisheries in Medieval Ypossible if it wasnt blocked by a fence and a hedge. orkshire If there ever were sluices for the emptying of the10661300 by J. McDonnell, ponds they would have been in dams 3 and 4. Borthwick Papers No 60, 1981.The positioning and purpose of Dam 5 is the most speculative. The moat is blocked at this point by a causeway that appears to be integral with the rest of WWII Protection of CropsFrom a report in the Yorkshire Post, August 12, 1941U nder the heading of Guarding Crops from the Nazidrivers. It was led by Stan Bailey, a joiner, of whom it Bombers. Bishop Wilton Sets a Good Examplewas reported:we learn that the village was at the forefront ofThe days when he takes his men and the pump to agricultural firefighting to counter the effects of the fire- the dam for full-dress rehearsals are days of glory for bombing of crops and its effect on food supplies. the village children and the 60-odd others who have At the time of the report there were 570 people income to live here from target-towns.the village, of which 130 were children and 180 able- Of the dam it is explained:bodied adults already in some form of civil defence. A standing reservoir has ingeniouly been provided Evidently it fell to the Rev. Richard Fawcett asby damming a beck. So far, apart from A.F.S. mens group ARP warden to devise a fire-fighting system andpractices, the resulting dam is mainly the delight of the as the report says: children and the local ducks.What began tonight was a rota of duty for 42 fireFinally in the report we learn about the origin of the patrols and observers. The women wanted to do thefire pump (or trailer pump):job as well, but it has been decided that they shallThe fire-pump with which it is equipped brings have a rota for daylight hours only, and a considerablea rare inspiration to these Wolds villagers, for the number of women have their names down. The duty ofmachine has already been in grim action elsewhere. providing equipment for beating out fires in the fields -The name of the city stencilled on its side - the city besoms, wet-sacking, tin-plate secured to the end offrom which it came - is Liverpool.long handles - rests upon the farmers. We are lucky that a photograph exists of the men Evidently the fire brigade in the village was madeof the fire brigade arranged around the fire pump and up of six men, a trailer pump and three motor cars andeye-witness accounts recall their days of practice.BULLETIN 15 279'