Information for record number MWA806:
Possible Round Barrows 700m E of Old Town Farm

Summary The site of possible round barrows, mounds that are still visible as earthworks. They would probably date to the Bronze Age, but there is some doubt as to whether they are really round barrows. They are located 1.7km south east of Bishops Itchington.
What Is It?  
Type: Round Barrow, Barrow
Period: Late Bronze Age - Iron Age (2500 BC - 700 BC)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Bishops Itchington
District: Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 39 56
(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 Two mounds are visible in a field known as 'Little Coffin Hill' and a third mound can also be distinguished. All three are in a line. In view of the field name the mounds could be barrows, but since there is no other reference to their existence this is conjecture. The measurements of the lower mound are about 13 by 13m, and those of the middle one about 19 by 15. The upper mound is much the smallest, being almost ploughed out and levelled off. The middle mound is still very pronounced, but all 3 are gradually being ploughed out. There is no sign of further barrows continuing into neighbouring fields, despite the fact that the field to the N is known as Coffin Hill.
3 A field name is not given for this field but the two fields to the W are recorded as 'Little Gofnal' and 'Large Gofnal'.
4 'Coffin Hill' is the name by which these fields are known to the farmer. 'Coffin Hill' may be derived from 'Gofnal'. In addition it is unlikely that the reference to a Coffin would relate to a burial in a round barrow.
 
Sources

Source No: 3
Source Type: Map
Title: 44NE
Author/originator: JMM
Date:
Page Number: 44NE
Volume/Sheet: Annotated Map
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Photograph
Title: SMR Card
Author/originator: PJA
Date: 1979
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: PRN 805
   
Source No: 4
Source Type: Record Card/Form
Title: SMR Card
Author/originator: Hingley R C
Date: 1988
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Unpublished document
Title: SMR Card
Author/originator: PJA
Date: 1979
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: PRN 1234
   
Images:  
There are no images associated with this record.  
back to top

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
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.
back
period Bronze Age About 2500 BC to 700 BC

The Bronze Age comes after the Neolithic period and before the Iron Age.

The day to day life of people in the Bronze Age probably changed little from how their ancestors had lived during the Neolithic period. They still lived in farmsteads, growing crops and rearing animals.

During the Bronze Age people discovered how to use bronze, an alloy of tin and copper (hence the name that has given to this era). They used it to make their tools and other objects, although they continued to use flint and a range of organic materials as well. A range of bronze axes, palstaves and spears has been found in Warwickshire.
more ->
back
period Iron Age About 800 BC to 43 AD

The Iron Age comes after the Bronze Age and before the Roman period. It is a time when people developed the skills and knowledge to work and use iron, hence the name ‘Iron Age’ which is given to this period. Iron is a much tougher and more durable metal than bronze but it also requires more skill to make objects from it. People continued to use bronze during this period.
more ->
back
monument BARROW * Artificial mound of earth, turf and/or stone, normally constructed to contain or conceal burials. Use specific type where known. back
monument SITE * Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible. back
monument COFFIN * A chest made of stone, wood or lead, used to enclose a dead body. back
monument FIELD * An area of land, often enclosed, used for cultivation or the grazing of livestock. back
monument BURIAL * An interment of human or animal remains. Use specific type where known. If component use with wider site type. Use FUNERARY SITE for optimum retrieval in searches. back
monument SIGN * A board, wall painting or other structure displaying advice, giving information or directions back
monument MOUND * A natural or artificial elevation of earth or stones, such as the earth heaped upon a grave. Use more specific type where known. back
monument EARTHWORK * A bank or mound of earth used as a rampart or fortification. back
monument ROUND BARROW * Hemispherical mound surrounded by a ditch (or occasionally two or more concentric ditches), often accompanied by an external (or occasionally internal) bank. Mound and ditch may sometimes be separated by a berm. Use specific type where known. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record