Information for record number MWA3363:
Site of Possible Early Medieval Settlement to W of Church on Bridge Street

Summary Documentary evidence states that the kings of Mercia used to visit their royal estate at Wellesbourne in the Early Medieval period. Finds of pottery from this period have been made which suggest the site of a settlement, Church Street Wellesbourne.
What Is It?  
Type: Settlement, Palace
Period: Early medieval (801 AD - 1065 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Wellesbourne
District: Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 27 55
(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  

1 Visits by the kings of Mercia to the royal estate at Wellesbourne are recorded on a number of occasions in the 9th century. Wellesbourne was a major royal estate in the Warwickshire section of the Anglo Saxon kingdom of the Hwicce. It is likely that a notable building or palace existed upon the estate at this time. Finds of Anglo Saxon pottery from a meander of the River Dene (PRN 1143) appear to have been dislodged by bridge-building operations in Wellesbourne and to have come from an Anglo Saxon occupation site nearby. Dog Close, adjacent to the bridge at Wellesbourne, is perhaps the most likely site for the palace.
2 Negative archaeological observation at Church St. (2780 5540).
 
Sources
Source No: 1
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: Development Proposal for Dog Close, Wellesbourne
Author/originator: Hooke D
Date: Unknown
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Serial
Title: WMA vol 37 (1994)
Author/originator: White, R (ed)
Date: 1995
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 37
   
Images:  
There are no images associated with this record.  
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Glossary

 
Word or Phrase
Description  
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
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
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 SITE * Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible. back
monument SETTLEMENT * A small concentration of dwellings. 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 PALACE * A substantial house in a town or the country (particularly associated with medieval London). Use more specific monument types where known. back
monument BRIDGE * A structure of wood, stone, iron, brick or concrete, etc, with one or more intervals under it to span a river or other space. Use specific type where known. back
monument OCCUPATION SITE * A site showing some signs of occupation but evidence is insufficient to imply permanent settlement. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record