Information for record number MWA2233:
Guy's Cave

Summary A natural cave in a cliff which has been enlarged by human activity. The cave is reported as being an Early Medieval Hermitage possibly occupied by Guy of Warwick. The cave is 400m south east of the Saxon Mill public house.
What Is It?  
Type: Hermitage (Religious)
Period: Early medieval (801 AD - 1065 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Leek Wootton and Guys Cliffe
District: Warwick, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 29 66
(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 A small cave, perhaps partly natural but enlarged by the hand of man. This, in comparatively early times, was occupied by a hermit who may have been the actual Guy of Warwick. Cut on the back wall of the cave is a Saxon inscription which has been translated: 'Cast out, thou Christ, from thy servant this burthen, Guhti'.
2 A small cave, known as Guy's cave, in the face of a sandstone cliff; the entrance is a small opening 13m from the base of the cliff. The cave originally appears to have been natural, is oval in shape and 2m high, 4m long and 2m at its widest part. The inscription is on the back wall opposite the entrance.
4 Rous asserts that St Dubricius chose the spot as a place of devotion and that in Saxon times a hermit lived in a cave there. A hermit was living there in 1334. The hermitage became the property of St Sepulchre's Priory, but was given to the Earl of Warwick by 1422. In 1423 a chantry was founded on the site (see PRN 2232). Doubt has recently been cast on the supposed Saxon inscription.
5 There is doubt over the transcription and interpretation of the inscription and M Farr who visited the site was unable to recognise more than one or two letters.
6 Scheduled Monument Information.
7 Revised scheduling.
 
Sources
Source No: 4
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: Victoria County History, vol 8, Warwickshire
Author/originator: Pugh R B (ed)
Date: 1969
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 8
   
Source No: 5
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: The Buildings of England: Warwickshire
Author/originator: Pevsner N and Wedgwood A
Date: 1966
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: Warwicks
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Record Card/Form
Title: OS Card 39SE2
Author/originator: Ordnance Survey
Date: 1951
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 39SE2
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Serial
Title: TBAS vol 50
Author/originator:
Date: 1924
Page Number: 64
Volume/Sheet: 50
   
Source No: 7
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: Guy's Cliffe hermitage and other rock cut chambers at Guy's Cliffe.
Author/originator: EH
Date: 1999
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 6
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: SAM list
Author/originator: DoE
Date: 1985
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: Chapel of Guy's Cliffe House, and rock-cut chambers
Author/originator: DoE
Date:
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 7
Source Type: Unpublished document
Title: Guy's Cliffe
Author/originator: Wood, A., County Archivist
Date: 1951
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Images:  
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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 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 SAM List Scheduled Ancient Monument List. A list or schedule of archaelogical and historic monuments that are considered to be of national importance. The list contains a detailed description of each Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM) and a map showing their location and extent. By being placed on the schedule, SAMs are protected by law from any unauthorised distrubance. The list has been compiled and is maintained by English Heritage. It is updated periodically. back
source TBAS Transactions of the Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society is a journal produced by the society annually. It contains articles about archaeological field work that has taken place in Birmingham and Warwickshire in previous years. Copies of the journal are kept by the Warwickshire Sites and Monuments Record. back
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.
more -> 		back
monument HOUSE * A building for human habitation, especially a dwelling place. Use more specific type where known. back
monument SITE * Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible. back
monument CAVE * A subterranean feature entered from a hillside, cliff face, etc. A cave may have been used for occupation, storage, burial, refuse, or as a hide-away. Index with site type or objects 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 MILL * A factory used for processing raw materials. Use more specific mill type where known. See also TEXTILE MILL, for more narrow terms. back
monument PRIORY * A monastery governed by a prior or prioress. Use with narrow terms of DOUBLE HOUSE, FRIARY, MONASTERY or NUNNERY. back
monument CHAPEL * A freestanding building, or a room or recess serving as a place of Christian worship in a church or other building. Use more specific type where known. back
monument PUBLIC HOUSE * The public house was a 19th century development, distinctive from the earlier BEER HOUSE by its decorative treatment and fittings. back
monument ROCK CUT CHAMBER * A manmade chamber cut into a rockface. back
monument WALL * An enclosing structure composed of bricks, stones or similar materials, laid in courses. Use specific type where known. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record