Information for record number MWA7169:
Possible site of "Swearing Castle", Willington

Summary The possible site of Swearing Castle dating from between the Post Medieval and Imperial periods. The Castle is known from documentary evidence. Various finds have been recovered from the site, including a buckle. It is located 800m north east of Willington.
What Is It?  
Type: Country House?, House, Castle
Period: Post-medieval - Industrial (1540 AD - 1913 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Barcheston
District: Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 27 39
(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 This is the possible site of "Swearing Castle", which appears on Beightons map of 1725, and it is shown in Dugdale's History of Warwickshire 1730 as a large house. Surface collection recovered metal and other objects. Possibly constructed c. 1540-80, certainly gone by 1839 and probably by 1775.
2 17th century cloth-seal, possibly of continental origin.
3 Folded lead sheet fragment and iron buckle found, both Post Medieval.
4 Clearly not a Castle. Monument type changed.
5An alternative site for 'Swearing Castle' taken from slight earthworks visible on HER lidar layer. The previous, northern, location was entirely covered by ridge and furrow in 1945, as shown on Google Earth 1945 APs.
 
Sources
Source No: 1
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: The Possible Site of Swearing Castle
Author/originator: Warren J
Date: 1994
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Museum Enquiry Form
Title: WMEF 2960
Author/originator: Wise P J
Date: 1993
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 2960
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Museum Enquiry Form
Title: WMEF 3157
Author/originator: Wise P J
Date: 1994
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 3157
   
Source No: 5
Source Type: Internet Data
Title: Google Earth Aerial and Street View
Author/originator: Google Earth
Date: 1945-present
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 4
Source Type: Verbal communication
Title: Pers. Comm. Magnus Alexander
Author/originator: Magnus Alexander
Date: 2006
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Images:  
There are no images associated with this record.  
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Glossary

 
Word or Phrase
Description  
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 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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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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period Imperial 1751 AD to 1914 AD (end of the 18th century AD to the beginning of the 20th century AD)

This period comes after the Post Medieval period and before the modern period and starts with beginning of the Industrial Revolution in 1750. It includes the second part of the Hannoverian period (1714 – 1836) and the Victorian period (1837 – 1901). The Imperial period ends with the start of the First World War in 1914.
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monument COUNTRY HOUSE * The rural residence of a country gentleman. back
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 SITE * Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible. back
monument RIDGE AND FURROW * A series of long, raised ridges separated by ditches used to prepare the ground for arable cultivation. This was a technique, characteristic of the medieval period. back
monument INDUSTRIAL * This is the top term for the class. See INDUSTRIAL Class List for narrow terms. back
monument CASTLE * A fortress and dwelling, usually medieval in origin, and often consisting of a keep, curtain wall and towers etc. 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