Information for record number MWA3776:
Shrunken Medieval Settlement at Coughton

Summary The site of a shrunken village at Coughton dating to the Post Medieval period. The remains of the settlement are visible as earthworks.
What Is It?  
Type: Shrunken Village
Period: Post-medieval (1540 AD - 1750 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Coughton
District: Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 08 60
(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 Abandoned house sites and tofts are revealed by earthworks in the field in front of Coughton Court. Their removal was probably connected with the landscaping of parkland adjoining the court. Again the regular pattern of the tofts betrays the planned nature of the settlement.
2 Plan shows position of abandoned houses dating to c1695 and 1746.
3 No medieval features were recorded during the construction of a cycleway through the village. 18th-19th century pottery and ashy layer (thought to be a result of landscaping) were observed.
4 During trial trenching associated with flood alleviation schemes, a medieval ditch feature was recorded, together with a medieval ploughsoil. It is suggested that the evidence in trenches H and I relates to the shrunken medieval settlement.
 
Sources

Source No: 4
Source Type: Evaluation Report
Title: Coughton Court, Warwickshire: Archaeological Evaluation
Author/originator: Hewitson C and Burrows B
Date: 2009
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: Report No 1939
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Observation Report
Title: Archaeological Observation of a new Cycleway at Coughton
Author/originator: Bryn Gethin
Date: 2001
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: Report 0103
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Plan
Title: Coughton Deserted Medieval Village
Author/originator: WMA vol 24, Hooke D
Date: 1981
Page Number: Fig 17
Volume/Sheet: 24
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Serial
Title: WMA vol 24
Author/originator: Hooke D
Date: 1981
Page Number: 64
Volume/Sheet: 24
   
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 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 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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period Post Medieval About 1540 AD to 1750 AD (the 16th century AD to the 18th century AD)

The Post Medieval period comes after the medieval period and before the Imperial period.

This period covers the second half of the reign of the Tudors (1485 – 1603), the reign of the Stuarts (1603 – 1702) and the beginning of the reign of the Hannoverians (1714 – 1836).
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monument LAYER * An archaeological unit of soil in a horizontal plane which may seal features or be cut through by other features. 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 SETTLEMENT * A small concentration of dwellings. back
monument TOFT * The place where a house stood or had once stood, often adjoining a garth or croft. back
monument SHRUNKEN VILLAGE * A settlement where previous house sites are now unoccupied, but often visible as earthworks, crop or soil marks. back
monument FEATURE * Areas of indeterminate function. back
monument FIELD * An area of land, often enclosed, used for cultivation or the grazing of livestock. back
monument TRENCH * An excavation used as a means of concealment, protection or both. 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 EARTHWORK * A bank or mound of earth used as a rampart or fortification. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record