Information for record number MWA9031:
Bidford on Avon Medieval Settlement

Summary The possible extent of Medieval settlement of Bidford on Avon is suggested by documentary evidence.
What Is It?  
Type: Settlement, Ditch?, Pit?, Market
Period: Medieval (1066 AD - 1539 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Bidford on Avon
District: Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 10 51
(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 possible extent of the medieval settlement, based on the first edition 6" map, 43SW 1886.
2 Aerial photographs show patchy survival of ridge and furrow in the parish, with some to the north and also to the northeast of Bidford where the ridge and furrow extends up to the plots.
3 Market (Letter Close) Tuesdays granted 8 May 1220 by Henry III to Llewellyn Prince of Wales. To be held at the Manor. Day Changed from Tues to Fri on 27th May 1220 Market granted for saturdays 1280 Sept 1291 by Edward I to Robert [Burnell] Bishop of Bath and wells. On 16th Sept 1291 Edward I granted Robert a weekly Market on Fridays at his Manor in lieu of a weekly Market there on Saturdays previously granted to him.
4 There are two entries for Bidford in the Domesday survey. It is listed in Ferncombe Hundred, grid ref 1051. 1,3 (Land of the King). Bidford (on Avon). King Edward held it. 5 hides. Land for... In lordship 5 ploughs; 8 male and 5 female slaves; 28 villagers and 13 smallholders with 16 ploughs. 4 mills at 43s 4d; meadow, 150 acres; woodland 4 leagues long and 1 league wide. 4,5 (Land of the Bishop of Bayeux) in Bidford (on Avon) 2 1/2 virgates of land. Robert d'Oilly holds from him. Arnulf and Arngrim held it; they were free men. Land for … 1 free man, 1 slave and 1 smallholder with 1 plough. meadow, 14 acres; woodland 2 furlongs long and 1 wide. The value was 12d; now 10s.
5 The 1886 map clearly shows plots and lanes. The church has a C13th foundation, and the medieval bridge and market cross have survived. The western end of this monument may be Post Medieval/Imperial.
6 Archaeological observation during the excavation of foundation trenches for a new extension to The Old Vicarage, 13 High Street, Bidford-on-Avon, centred on SP10045183, recorded a large pit or ditch, which contained a single sherd of 13th or 14th century pottery.
7 A worn penny/fourpence and two strap ends, one late medieval, were found in 1987 at SP09755185.
8 Market: Tues; gr 8 May 1220, by K Hen III to Llewellyn Prince of Wales. To be held at the Manor. On 27 May 1220, the day of the Market was changed from Tues to Fri. Another Market on Sat; gr 1280xSept 1291, by K Edw I to Robert [Burnell], bp of Bath and wells. On 16 Sept 1291, K Edw I granted Robert, bp of Bath and wells, the chancellor, a weekly Market on Fri at his Manor, in lieu of a weekly Market there on Sat previously granted to him. Robert first acquired land here in 1280.
9 A number of medieval features, including postholes for timber structures, pits and ditches were recorded during evaluation to the rear of the Anglo-Saxon public house. A number of gully features may belong to the medieval division of this part of Bidford, with burgage plots aligned at right angles to the High Street.
10 Overview article on the development of the town between the seventh and the fifteenth centuries, combining archaeological and historical information.
 
Sources

Source No: 2
Source Type: Aerial Photograph Transcript
Title: Bidford on Avon 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: 5
Source Type: Desk Top Study
Title: Comments on villages and towns in the Medieval Settlement study.
Author/originator: Hester Hawkes.
Date: 2002/3
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 7
Source Type: Museum Enquiry Form
Title: WMEF 814
Author/originator: WM
Date: 1987
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: E/814
   
Source No: 9
Source Type: Evaluation Report
Title: Archaeological Evaluation to the rear of The Anglo-Saxon, High Street, Bidford-on-Avon, Warwickshire
Author/originator: Jones, C
Date: 1998
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Internet Data
Title: Gazetteer of Markets and Fairs to 1516 (Warwickshire)
Author/originator: Institute of Historical Research (CMH)
Date: 2005
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: Warwickshire
   
Source No: 8
Source Type: Internet Data
Title: Gazetteer of Markets and Fairs to 1516 (Warwickshire)
Author/originator: Institute of Historical Research (CMH)
Date: 2005
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: Warwickshire
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Map
Title: 1st edition 6" maps. Medieval settlement evaluation.
Author/originator: Ordnance Survey
Date: 1880s
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Map
Title: 43SW 1:10560 1888 2nd edition
Author/originator: Ordnance Survey
Date: 1888
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 43SW
   
Source No: 6
Source Type: Observation Report
Title: Archaeological Observation at The Old Vicarage, 13 High Street, Bidford-on-Avon
Author/originator: Thompson P
Date: 2002
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: Report No 0243
   
Source No: 10
Source Type: Serial
Title: Warwickshire History: The Journal of the Warwickshire Local History Society
Author/originator: Bearman R (ed.)
Date: 2012
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
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 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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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 MARKET CROSS * A cross found in a market place. back
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 VICARAGE * The residence of a vicar, parson or rector. 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 MILL * A factory used for processing raw materials. Use more specific mill type where known. See also TEXTILE MILL, for more narrow terms. back
monument FEATURE * Areas of indeterminate function. back
monument MARKET * An open space or covered building in which cattle, goods, etc, are displayed for sale. back
monument GULLY * A deep gutter, drain or sink. back
monument CHURCH * A building used for public Christian worship. Use more specific type where known. back
monument FAIR * A site where a periodical gathering of buyers, sellers and entertainers, meet at a time ordained by charter or statute or by ancient custom. 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 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 MANOR * An area of land consisting of the lord's demesne and of lands from whose holders he may exact certain fees, etc. back
monument TRENCH * An excavation used as a means of concealment, protection or both. 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 PUBLIC HOUSE * The public house was a 19th century development, distinctive from the earlier BEER HOUSE by its decorative treatment and fittings. back
monument STRUCTURE * A construction of unknown function, either extant or implied by archaeological evidence. If known, use more specific type. back
monument BURGAGE PLOT * A plot of land longer than it is wide, can include any structures on it. Typical of medieval towns. back
monument MEADOW * A piece of grassland, often near a river, permanently covered with grass which is mown for use as hay. back
monument TOWN * An assemblage of public and private buildings, larger than a village and having more complete and independent local government. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record