Information for record number MWA3532:
Possible moat 100m N of Grange Farm.

Summary A possible Medieval moat, a wide ditch usually surrounding a building. Originally identified from aerial photographs, the site has now been destroyed by ploughing, although traces of earthworks still remain. The site is located 300m nortth east of Copston Magna.
What Is It?  
Type: Moat
Period: Medieval - Post-Medieval (1066 AD - 1750 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Copston Magna
District: Rugby, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 45 88
(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 On a number of aerial photographs, a couple of fields under pasture (centred on the above NGR) show definite earthworks, which may represent the remains of a moated site and a number of trackways similar to those associated with DMVs. Unfortunately these have since been ploughed away, and the land is now used for fruit-growing so there was no chance to evaluate this site in the field. (From the AP, the moat, at least, seems quite convincing. It was noted in 1959, that uneven ground in this area may indicate the remains of a house. The farmer, when ploughing, also turned up Roman pottery, Medieval and 18th century wall and cobbles in this area (WA 3534) which would seem to support this possibility).
4 RCH did not think that this site was convincing. Re-examination of the APs shows that only on 4588/I is there an indication of a subrectilinear earthwork. The evidence from the photo is not of great quality, and it cannot be certain if the visible earthwork was indeed a moat.
5 Finds made by metal detectors in 1996: This appears to be a key, the shank is hollow rather than solid. The style of the decoration would indicate Medieval date.
 
Sources
Source No: 3
Source Type: Aerial Photograph
Title: SP4588
Author/originator: CUC
Date: 1964
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: SP4588I
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Aerial Photograph
Title: SP4771
Author/originator: JP
Date: 1968
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: SP4771A
   
Source No: 4
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: Bibliographic reference
Author/originator: Hodgson J C
Date: 1990
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 5
Source Type: Museum Enquiry Form
Title: WMEF 3730
Author/originator: Philip Wise
Date: 1996
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: E/3730
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Unpublished document
Title: SMR Card
Author/originator: Thomson D J
Date: 1983
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: PRN 4402
   
Images:  
There are no images associated with this record.  
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Glossary

 
Word or Phrase
Description  
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 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 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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technique Aerial Photograph Aerial photographs are taken during an aerial survey, which involves looking at the ground from above. It is usually easier to see cropmarks and earthworks when they are viewed from above. Aerial photographs help archaeologists to record what they see and to identify new sites. There are two kinds of aerial photographs; oblique and vertical. back
period Roman About 43 AD to 409 AD (the 1st century AD to the 5th century AD)

The Roman period comes after the Iron Age and before the Saxon period.

The Roman period in Britain began in 43 AD when a Roman commander called Aulus Plautius invaded the south coast, near Kent. There were a series of skirmishes with the native Britons, who were defeated. In the months that followed, more Roman troops arrived and slowly moved westwards and northwards.
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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 HOUSE * A building for human habitation, especially a dwelling place. Use more specific type where known. back
monument HOLLOW * A hollow, concave formation or place, which has sometimes been dug out. back
monument SITE * Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible. 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 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 PASTURE * A field covered with herbage for the grazing of livestock. back
monument FIELD * An area of land, often enclosed, used for cultivation or the grazing of livestock. 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 TRACKWAY * A pathway, not necessarily designed as such, beaten down by the feet of travellers. back
monument WALL * An enclosing structure composed of bricks, stones or similar materials, laid in courses. Use specific type where known. 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