Information for record number MWA8252:
Medieval remains in Castle Park

Summary An archaeological excavation in Castle Park revealed evidence of a settlement dating to the Medieval period. Plot boundaries, post holes and three stone lined pits were discovered. Medieval pottery and a leather knife scabbard were among the finds recovered.
What Is It?  
Type: Settlement, Findspot
Period: Medieval (1066 AD - 1539 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Warwick
District: Warwick, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 28 64
(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
Picture(s) attached

 
Description

 
Source Number  

1 During archaeological observation of a new sewage pipe in 1997 (WA 8249) a scatter of 13th-14th century pottery was recovered in Castle Park. Subsequent excavation revealed unexpectedly well-preserved remains of Medieval occupation, including plot boundaries, pits and postholes. Three stone lined pits - a well and two cess pits - contained abundant organic remains. A large collection of finds was assembled, including an important group of 13th-14th century pottery and an unusual decorated 14th century leather knife scabbard, together with fragments of dressed sandstone and of iron.
2 The excavated features were partly visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs before excavation, forming part of a complex of cropmarks east of the old Banbury Road (WA 4615).
3 Four further Medieval items ( a buckle, two fittings and a fragment of a lead seal) were retrieved from the filled in sewer trench. Method of recovery unrecorded.
 
Sources

Source No: 2
Source Type: Aerial Photograph
Title: SP2864
Author/originator: WM
Date: 1992
Page Number: A,B,G,J
Volume/Sheet: 2864
   
Source No:
Source Type: Aerial Photograph
Title:
Author/originator:
Date: 07/01/84
Page Number: D
Volume/Sheet: SP0452
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Museum Enquiry Form
Title: WMEF 4091
Author/originator: WM
Date: 1998
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: E/4091
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Excavation Report
Title: Archaeological Recording of the Heathcote STW Closure and Flow Transfer Scheme: Interim Report and Publication Proposal
Author/originator: Coutts, C & Palmer, S
Date: 1998
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Excavation Report
Title: Medieval Excavation in Castle Park, Warwick, in 1997
Author/originator: Palmer S
Date: 2002
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: Report No 0207
   
Images:  
A stone lined well found in Warwick
Copyright: Warwickshire County Council
Date: 2002
Click here for larger image  
 
A leather knife scabbard found in Warwick
Copyright: Warwickshire County Council
Date: 2002
Click here for larger image  
 
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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 Cropmark Cropmarks appear as light and dark marks in growing and ripening crops. These marks relate to differences in the soil below. For example, parched lines of grass may indicate stone walls. Crops that grow over stone features often ripen more quickly and are shorter than the surrounding crop. This is because there is less moisture in the soil where the wall lies.

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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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technique Aerial Photograph Aerial photographs are taken during an aerial survey, which involves looking at the ground from above. It is usually easier to see cropmarks and earthworks when they are viewed from above. Aerial photographs help archaeologists to record what they see and to identify new sites. There are two kinds of aerial photographs; oblique and vertical. back
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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monument SETTLEMENT * A small concentration of dwellings. back
monument SEWER * A large drain or conduit for carrying away wastes. back
monument STONE * Use only where stone is natural or where there is no indication of function. back
monument CESS PIT * A pit for the reception of night-soil and refuse. 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 FEATURE * Areas of indeterminate function. back
monument FINDSPOT * The approximate location at which stray finds of artefacts were found. Index with object name. back
monument ROAD * A way between different places, used by horses, travellers on foot and vehicles. back
monument CASTLE * A fortress and dwelling, usually medieval in origin, and often consisting of a keep, curtain wall and towers etc. back
monument PIT * A hole or cavity in the ground, either natural or the result of excavation. Use more specific type where known. back
monument WELL * A shaft or pit dug in the ground over a supply of spring-water. back
monument TRENCH * An excavation used as a means of concealment, protection or both. back
monument POST HOLE * A hole dug to provide a firm base for an upright post, often with stone packing. Use broader monument type where known. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record