Information for record number MWA7226:
Garden Remains at Astley Castle

Summary The remains of gardens at Astley Castle which were laid out during the Imperial period. The garden features are visible as earthworks and are situated immediately north and east of the Castle. Recommended for inclusion on the Register by Lovie.
What Is It?  
Type: Garden
Period: Imperial - Industrial (1751 AD - 1913 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Astley
District: North Warwickshire, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 31 89
(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 Immediately to the north and east of Astley Castle moated site are the earthwork remains of garden features thought to have been laid out during the 19th century and probably contemporary with the remodelling of the house c.1820. The features to the north comprise an earthwork avenue which is approximately 30m long and is bounded by yew trees. The avenue runs between the bridge across the north-east arm of the moat, and a small pond situated to the north. The pond is bounded by earthwork banks and is now dry. There are raised platforms on either side of the avenue which are also planted with yew trees. To the east of the moated site is a raised platform with indications that it was surrounded by trees, one large cedar of Lebanon remains. These earthworks represent the most recent phase in the historical development of the site.
2
3 house with small pleasure grounds set in substantial moat; lake to SE in former park. Lovie states that early C19th regarded as picturesque site with entrance through "ruined" arch. Planting survives. Future uncertain.
 
Sources
Source No: 2
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: Warwickshire Register Review Data Tables (North Warwickshire, Nuneaton & Bedworth, Rugby)
Author/originator: Lovie, Jonathan
Date: 1997
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: Warwickshire Register Review Report & Recommendations
Author/originator: Lovie, Jonathan
Date: 1997
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No:
Source Type: Building Survey
Title: Astley Castle, Outline Analysis
Author/originator: Morriss R K
Date: 1996
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: Astley Castle moated site, fishponds, garden remains and Astley College
Author/originator: EH
Date: 1994
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
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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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 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 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 FISHPOND * A pond used for the rearing, breeding, sorting and storing of fish. back
monument LAKE * A large body of water surrounded by land. back
monument PARK * An enclosed piece of land, generally large in area, used for hunting, the cultivation of trees, for grazing sheep and cattle or visual enjoyment. Use more specific type where known. back
monument ARCH * A structure over an opening usually formed of wedge-shaped blocks of brick or stone held together by mutual pressure and supported at the sides; they can also be formed from moulded concrete/ cast metal. A component; use for free-standing structure only. back
monument FEATURE * Areas of indeterminate function. back
monument GARDEN FEATURE * Unspecified landscape feature. Use more specific type where known. back
monument POND * A body of still water often artificially formed for a specific purpose. Use specifc 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 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 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 PLATFORM * Unspecified. Use specific type where known. back
monument COLLEGE * An establishment, often forming part of a university, for higher or tertiary education. back
monument GARDEN * An enclosed piece of ground devoted to the cultivation of flowers, fruit or vegetables and/or recreational purposes. Use more 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