Information for record number MWA5387:
Curtain Wall at the Pleasance

Summary The site of a curtain wall, which was built during the Medieval and Post Medieval period. The stone wall surrounded the area inside the moat at the Pleasance, situated 1km west of the castle. The foundations of a building are still visible at the site.
What Is It?  
Type: Defence, Curtain Wall
Period: Medieval - Post-Medieval (1066 AD - 1750 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Kenilworth
District: Warwick, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 26 72
(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 The area within the moat was surrounded by a stone wall. In 1923 two brothers excavated a trench about 3.6m square to a depth of 1.5m at the E corner of the enclosed area. Immediately below the turf a step was found and six more lower down formed a spiral staircase. At a depth of 3.6m the cement floor was found. A room 3m square was disclosed with stone walls 1m thick. An iron staple at the bottom of the steps was presumably where a door was hung. The room was probably the base of a tower placed in the angle of the wall. Depressions near the other corners probably suggest similar towers. At the foot of the steps was a quantity of window leading.
2 Traces of the foundations of a building are visible at the S corner of the moat and sandstone blocks are visible towards the N corner.
4 Scheduled as Warwickshire Monument No 2.
8 The Phelps excavation 'traced the foundations... of the buildings at the four corners...' The building in the SE corner was a chapel and decorated tiles similar to those from Kenilworth Abbey were found.
9 Rescheduled as SM 21557.
 
Sources

Source No: 7
Source Type: Aerial Photograph
Title:
Author/originator: J Pickering
Date: 1962
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: SP4489 C/D/E/X
   
Source No: 6
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: Moated Sites Research Group
Author/originator: JEC
Date: 1983
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: Card
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: TBAS vol 49
Author/originator: Phelps W
Date: 1923
Page Number: 61-2
Volume/Sheet: 49
   
Source No: 8
Source Type: Newspaper/Magazine Article
Title: Curtain Wall at the Pleasaunce, Kenilworth
Author/originator:
Date: 1922
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: Newspaper Cutting
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Plan
Title: OS Card, 35NE5
Author/originator: Ordnance Survey
Date: 1968
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 35NE5
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Record Card/Form
Title: OS Card 27SE11
Author/originator: Ordnance Survey
Date: 1968
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 27SE11
   
Source No: 5
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: SAM List 1983
Author/originator: DoE
Date: 1983
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 9
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: SAM County List 1994
Author/originator: English Heritage
Date: 1994
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 4
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: AM7
Author/originator: DoE
Date:
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Images:  
There are no images associated with this record.  
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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
technique excavation Archaeologists excavate sites so that they can find information and recover archaeological materials before they are destroyed by erosion, construction or changes in land-use.

Depending on how complicated and widespread the archaeological deposits are, excavation can be done by hand or with heavy machinery. Archaeologists may excavate a site in a number of ways; either by open area excavation, by digging a test pit or a trial trench.
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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 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 STONE * Use only where stone is natural or where there is no indication of function. back
monument FLOOR * A layer of stone, brick or boards, etc, on which people tread. Use broader site type where known. back
monument TOWER * A tall building, either round, square or polygonal in plan, used for a variety of purposes, including defence, as a landmark, for the hanging of bells, industrial functions, etc. Use more 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 ABBEY * A religious house governed by an abbot or abbess. Use with narrow terms of DOUBLE HOUSE, MONASTERY or NUNNERY. back
monument CASTLE * A fortress and dwelling, usually medieval in origin, and often consisting of a keep, curtain wall and towers etc. back
monument DEFENCE * This is the top term for the class. See DEFENCE Class List for narrow terms. back
monument TRENCH * An excavation used as a means of concealment, protection or both. 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 SQUARE * An open space or area, usually square in plan, in a town or city, enclosed by residential and/or commercial buildings, frequently containing a garden or laid out with trees. back
monument PLEASANCE * An area attached to a house, or part of an estate used for pleasure and recreation. back
monument STEPS * A series of flat-topped structures, usually made of stone or wood, used to facilitate a person's movement from one level to another. back
monument CURTAIN WALL * A wall between two towers or pavilions, usually surrounding a building, and often forming a major part of the defences. 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