Information for record number MWA8898:
Medieval settlement at Wolvey

Summary The Medieval settlment of Wolvey was held partly by the abbey at Combe. Development of the village centred around the church and the market place.
What Is It?  
Type: Settlement
Period: Medieval (1066 AD - 1539 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Wolvey
District: Rugby, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 42 87
(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 The Medieval settlement at Wolvey can be traced from the Ordnance Survey 6' map.
2 The Medieval settlement at Wolvey is a mixture of planned and unplanned development. Planned development is in evidence around, and to the south of the church. Another, later area of planned development is seen around the market place, which is still called the Square today.
3 Ridge and furrow plotting of the parish.
4 Wolvey is listed in Domesday; in Brinklow Hundred. The Phillimore ed gives a grid ref of SP 4288 whereas the grid ref for this record is 4287. Ref 24,1 Robert of Vessey holds 5 1/2 hides in Wolvey from the King. Land for 8 ploughs. In lordship 2; 4 slaves. 15 villagers with a priest and 2 smallholders have 7 ploughs. Meadow 50 acres; pasture 1/2 league in length and width. The value was £3?; now 50s. Alric son of Margeat held it freely before 1066.
5 Three sherds of residual 13th-14th century pottery were recovered during archaeological observation east of 9 The Square, Wolvey, behind the street frontage (SP 4305 8797). No Medieval features were located.
6 Three phases of occupation were noted during archaeological observation at Altus Windows, church Street. The first phase produced property boundaries and structures defined by gullies and ditches probably related to a small plot fronting church Street. Dated with 12-13th century pottery. The second phase showed a slight realignment to the property with pottery dating to 1250-1300. The final phase appears to have larger ditches cut with evidence from 15th century pottery.
 
Sources
Source No: 3
Source Type: Aerial Photograph Transcript
Title: Wolvey parish
Author/originator: ARI
Date:
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 4
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: Domesday Book Warwickshire incl Birmingham
Author/originator: Phillimore and Co Ltd
Date: 1976
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Map
Title: OS 1:10560 1906 Sht Warks 17NE
Author/originator: Orndnance Survey
Date: 1887
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: Warks 17NE
   
Source No: 5
Source Type: Observation Report
Title: Archaeological Observations on land adjacent to 9 The Square, Wolvey, Warwickshire
Author/originator: Gethin B
Date: 2004
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: Report No 0406
   
Source No: 6
Source Type: Observation Report
Title: An Archaeological Watching Brief on land at Altus Windows, Church Hill Road, Wolvey, Warwickshire
Author/originator: Ramsey, E
Date: 2005
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Unpublished document
Title: Bridging the Gap: Recent Research on Rural and Urban Settlement Forms in Medieval Warwickshire
Author/originator: Lilley K
Date: 1995
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Images:  
There are no images associated with this record.  
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Glossary

 
Word or Phrase
Description  
source Domesday Book The Domesday Book was commissioned in December 1085 by William the Conqueror, who invaded England in 1066. It contains records for about 13,000 medieval settlements in the English counties south of the rivers Ribble and Tees (the border with Scotland at the time). The Domesday Book is a detailed record of the lands and their resources that belonged to the king. It also records the identity of the landholders and their tenants. 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 VILLAGE * A collection of dwelling-houses and other buildings, usually larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a simpler organisation and administration than the latter. back
monument SETTLEMENT * A small concentration of dwellings. 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 FEATURE * Areas of indeterminate function. back
monument CHURCH * A building used for public Christian worship. Use more specific type where known. back
monument ABBEY * A religious house governed by an abbot or abbess. Use with narrow terms of DOUBLE HOUSE, MONASTERY or NUNNERY. back
monument ROAD * A way between different places, used by horses, travellers on foot and vehicles. back
monument PASTURE * A field covered with herbage for the grazing of livestock. back
monument DITCH * A long and narrow hollow or trench dug in the ground, often used to carry water though it may be dry for much of the year. back
monument HIDE * A shelter, sometimes camouflaged, for the observation of birds and animals at close quarters. 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 STRUCTURE * A construction of unknown function, either extant or implied by archaeological evidence. If known, use more specific type. back
monument MEADOW * A piece of grassland, often near a river, permanently covered with grass which is mown for use as hay. back
monument MARKET PLACE * An area, often consisting of widened streets or a town square, where booths and stalls may be erected for public sales. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record