Information for record number MWA582:
Ring Motte 100m SE of Morton Bagot Church

Summary The site of a ringwork, a defensive bank and ditch, which is visible as an earthwork. It probably represents the site of a Medieval castle. It is located 100m south east of the church, Morton Bagot.
What Is It?  
Type: Castle, Ringwork, Earthwork
Period: Medieval (1066 AD - 1539 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Morton Bagot
District: Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 11 64
(Data represented on this map shows the current selected record as a single point, this is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent an accurate or complete representation of archaeological sites or features)
Level of Protection National - Old SMR PrefRef (Grade: )
Scheduled Monument (Grade: )
Sites & Monuments Record
Description

  
Source Number  

1 Traces of a moat near Church Farm, Morton Bagot may mark the site of a building described in the 17th century as Lord Carrington's Lodge House, which was then the largest House in the village but has now quite disappeared. When assessed for the hearth tax it had 7 hearths.
2 This is a small ring castle situated in a secluded position and in excellent condition except for beast tread mutilation. The remains are considerable. The interior is occupied by a 17th century timber framed barn that is contemporary with Church Farm (to the immediate NW). There is no surface evidence of an earlier building and the VCH supposition that the earthworks were connected with Lodge House is not feasible.
3 Generally well preserved, although the ditch and outer bank have been damaged in places by the passage of animals and Farm vehicles.
4 Situation of moat close to the Church implies origin in a manorial context. The size and depth of the earthworks suggests that this may be a small ring-motte. The moat itself is oval in shape, with a broad encircling ring-work and hints of an internal bank. The complex measures 80 by 120m, with the internal platform 65 by 45m. The moat is now very silted on the upper side. No documentary material has been found that refers to the site. The barn standing on the site appears to be constructed out of earlier re-used material, so it is just possible that this could have been the site of Lodge House.
8 Two 14th century horse pendants found by metal detector at SP 11 64.
9 Today the arms of the moat are mostly dry except in the northern section where it remains water-filled. Access to the island is via a causeway, thought to be the original entrance. Documentary evidence suggests this was the site of Lord Carrington's Lodge House in the 17th century.
10 Morton Bagot castle was built as a ringwork with an oval shaped rampart and a moat. The castle was located within a manorial centre and like most medieval rural estates were never overly developed, as seen in the ringworks location behind the Church and hidden by the hills.
 
Sources
Source No: 10
Source Type: Article in serial
Title: Symbols of Status in Medieval Warwickshire (1000-1500)
Author/originator: Hook D
Date: 2014
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 117
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: Victoria County History, vol 3, Warwickshire
Author/originator: Salzman L F (ed)
Date: 1945
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 3
   
Source No: 5
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: Moated site, Church Farm, Morton Bagot
Author/originator: Hooke D
Date:
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: Moated Site
   
Source No: 6
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: LBL
Author/originator: DoE
Date: 1985
Page Number: 67
Volume/Sheet: Stratford-on-Avon We
   
Source No: 8
Source Type: Museum Enquiry Form
Title: WMEF 3270
Author/originator: WM
Date:
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 4
Source Type: Plan
Title: Plan
Author/originator: Ordnance Survey
Date: 1968
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 14SE1
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Record Card/Form
Title: SMR card : text
Author/originator: JMG
Date:
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Record Card/Form
Title: OS Card 25NE6
Author/originator: Ordnance Survey
Date: 1968
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 7
Source Type: Serial
Title: WMA vol 30
Author/originator: Hooke D
Date: 1987
Page Number: 48
Volume/Sheet: 30
   
Source No: 9
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: Ring Motte south of Morton Bagot Church
Author/originator: EH
Date: 1995
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Images:  
There are no images associated with this record.  
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Glossary

 
Word or Phrase
Description  
none Scheduled Monument Scheduled Ancient Monuments (SAMs) are those archaeological sites which are legally recognised as being of national importance. They can range in date from prehistoric times to the Cold War period. They can take many different forms, including disused buildings or sites surviving as earthworks or cropmarks.

SAMs are protected by law from unlicensed disturbance and metal detecting. Written consent from the Secretary of State must be obtained before any sort of work can begin, including archaeological work such as geophysical survey or archaeological excavation. There are nearly 200 SAMs in Warwickshire.
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source LBL Listed Building List. Buildings and structures, such as bridges, that are of architectural or historical importance are placed on a list. Buildings placed on the list are protected through various planning and conservation acts which ensure that their special features of interest are considered before any alterations are made to them. The Listed Buildings List is compiled and maintained by English Heritage. It includes details of where the building is, when it was built, a description of its appearance, and any other special features. back
source OS Card Ordnance Survey Record Card. Before the 1970s the Ordnance Survey (OS) were responsible for recording archaeological monuments during mapping exercises. This helped the Ordnance Survey to decide which monuments to publish on maps. During these exercises the details of the monuments were written down on record cards. Copies of some of the cards are kept at the Warwickshire Sites and Monuments Record. The responsibility for recording archaeological monuments later passed to the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historic Monuments. back
source SMR Card Sites and Monuments Record Card. The Warwickshire Sites and Monuments Record began to be developed during the 1970s. The details of individual archaeological sites and findspots were written on record cards. These record cards were used until the 1990s, when their details were entered on to a computerised system. The record cards are still kept at the office of the Warwickshire Sites and Monuments Record. back
source VCH The Victoria County History of the Counties of England. This publication covers the history of each county in England. For Warwickshire, seven volumes were published between 1904 and 1964. They comprise a comprehensive account of the history of each town and village in the county, and important families connected to local history. Each volume is organised by 'hundred', an Anglo-Saxon unit of land division. The Victoria County History also contains general chapters about Warwickshire's prehistory, ecclesiastical and economic history. A copy of each volume is held at the Warwickshire Sites and Monuments Record. back
source WMA West Midlands Archaeology. This publication contains a short description for each of the sites where archaeological work has taken place in the previous year. It covers Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands and Worcestershire. Some of these descriptions include photographs, plans and drawings of the sites and/or the finds that have been discovered. The publication is produced by the Council For British Archaeology (CBA) West Midlands and is published annually. Copies are held at the Warwickshire Sites and Monuments Record. back
source WMEF Warwickshire Museum Enquiry Form. These are forms that are filled in when a person brings an object to Warwickshire Museum to be identified. Amongst the information recorded on the form are details such as a description of the object, where and when it was found, and in some cases a sketch or photographs of it. Copies of the form can be viewed at the Warwickshire Sites and Monuments Record. back
technique Documentary Evidence Documentary evidence is another name for written records. The first written records in Britain date back to the Roman period. Documentary evidence can take many different forms, including maps, charters, letters and written accounts. When archaeologists are researching a site, they often start by looking at documentary evidence to see if there are clues that will help them understand what they might find. Documentary evidence can help archaeologists understand sites that are discovered during an excavation, field survey or aerial survey. back
technique Earthwork Earthworks can take the form of banks, ditches and mounds. They are usually created for a specific purpose. A bank, for example, might be the remains of a boundary between two or more fields. Some earthworks may be all that remains of a collapsed building, for example, the grassed-over remains of building foundations.

In the winter, when the sun is lower in the sky than during the other seasons, earthworks have larger shadows. From the air, archaeologists are able to see the patterns of the earthworks more easily. Earthworks can sometimes be confusing when viewed at ground level, but from above, the general plan is much clearer.

Archaeologists often carry out an aerial survey or an earthwork survey to help them understand the lumps and bumps they can see on the ground.
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period Medieval 1066 AD to 1539 AD (the 11th century AD to the 16th century AD)

The medieval period comes after the Saxon period and before the post medieval period.

The Medieval period begins in 1066 AD.
This was the year that the Normans, led by William the Conqueror (1066 – 1087), invaded England and defeated Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings in East Sussex.
The Medieval period includes the first half of the Tudor period (1485 – 1603 AD), when the Tudor family reigned in England and eventually in Scotland too.

The end of the Medieval period is marked by Henry VIII’s (1509 – 1547) order for the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the years running up to 1539 AD. The whole of this period is sometimes called the Middle Ages.
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monument RINGWORK * A defensive bank and ditch, circular or oval in plan, surrounding one or more buildings. back
monument HOUSE * A building for human habitation, especially a dwelling place. Use more specific type where known. back
monument VILLAGE * A collection of dwelling-houses and other buildings, usually larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a simpler organisation and administration than the latter. back
monument SITE * Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible. back
monument LODGE * A small building, often inhabited by a gatekeeper, gamekeeper or similar. Use specific type where known. back
monument BUILDING * A structure with a roof to provide shelter from the weather for occupants or contents. Use specific type where known. back
monument CHURCH * A building used for public Christian worship. Use more specific type where known. back
monument RAMPART * A protective earthen mound, often the main defence of a fortification. back
monument MOAT * A wide ditch surrounding a building, usually filled with water. Use for moated sites, not defensive moats. Use with relevant site type where known, eg. MANOR HOUSE, GARDEN, etc. back
monument CASTLE * A fortress and dwelling, usually medieval in origin, and often consisting of a keep, curtain wall and towers etc. back
monument HEARTH * The slab or place on which a fire is made. back
monument WELL * A shaft or pit dug in the ground over a supply of spring-water. back
monument CAUSEWAY * A road or pathway raised above surrounding low, wet or uneven ground. back
monument PLATFORM * Unspecified. Use specific type where known. back
monument DITCH * A long and narrow hollow or trench dug in the ground, often used to carry water though it may be dry for much of the year. back
monument BARN * A building for the storage and processing of grain crops and for housing straw, farm equipment and occasionally livestock and their fodder. Use more specific type where known. back
monument ISLAND * A piece of land, sometimes man-made, completely surrounded by water. back
monument FARM * A tract of land, often including a farmhouse and ancillary buildings, used for the purpose of cultivation and the rearing of livestock, etc. Use more specific type where known. back
monument EARTHWORK * A bank or mound of earth used as a rampart or fortification. back
monument TIMBER FRAMED BARN * A barn which is constructed with a timber framework; between the members are panels which are infilled with timber, wattle and daub, plaster, brickwork, stone or other materials. back
monument MOTTE * An artificial steep-sided earthen mound on, or in, which is set the principal tower of a castle. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record