Information for record number MWA2910:
Medieval Fishponds 200m SW of the Kennels

Summary Medieval fishponds used for the breeding and storing of fish, probably connected with the Medieval Abbey of Stoneleigh. There is documentary evidence for them from the 18th century. They are situated 1km southwest of the present Abbey.
What Is It?  
Type: Fishpond, Earthwork
Period: Medieval (1066 AD - 1539 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Stoneleigh
District: Warwick, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 32 70
(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: )
Sites & Monuments Record
Description

  
Source Number  
Earthworks of Medieval fishponds.
1 fishponds marked.
2 fishponds marked.
3 1979: An area of ground around the old stew ponds was cleared. The intention was to clear the two ponds and possibly also the culvert between the ponds.
4 These fishponds probably belonged to the Medieval Abbey at Stoneleigh. A site visit indicated that the sluices of these ponds have been extensively altered and repaired in comparatively recent times.
5 These ponds are not shown on the 1597 Goodwin estate map although they do occur on those of 1749 and 1766. The evidence for a Medieval date is unclear although this is a possibility. If they are Medieval they could have been fishponds or served as part of the water management system for Grange Mill. Alternatively they may be 17th century or early 18th century in date.
 
Sources
Source No: 5
Source Type: Archaeological Report
Title: Stoneleigh Abbey: The Kennels and Cunnery sites - A Preliminary Archaeological Survey
Author/originator: Palmer N
Date: 1993
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 4
Source Type: Correspondence
Title: Stoneleigh Abbey Fishponds
Author/originator: Maclagan H M
Date: 1980
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Map
Title: Map 1749
Author/originator:
Date: 1749
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: Z141\4
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Map
Title: Estate Map
Author/originator: M Baker
Date: 1766
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: CRO Z142
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Unpublished document
Title: Stoneleigh Abbey Ponds
Author/originator: Pike C
Date: 1980
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Images:  
There are no images associated with this record.  
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Glossary

 
Word or Phrase
Description  
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 GRANGE * An outlying farm or estate, usually belonging to a religious order or feudal lord. Specifically related to core buildings and structures associated with monastic land holding. Use specific term where known. back
monument SITE * Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible. back
monument FISHPOND * A pond used for the rearing, breeding, sorting and storing of fish. back
monument CULVERT * A drainage structure that extends across and beneath roadways, canals or embankments. 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 POND * A body of still water often artificially formed for a specific purpose. Use specifc type where known. back
monument ABBEY * A religious house governed by an abbot or abbess. Use with narrow terms of DOUBLE HOUSE, MONASTERY or NUNNERY. back
monument KENNELS * A house or range of buildings in which dogs are kept, eg. hunting hounds. back
monument SLUICE * A dam which can be raised or lowered to regulate the flow of water. back
monument EARTHWORK * A bank or mound of earth used as a rampart or fortification. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record