Information for record number MWA1840:
Possibly Iron Age fort at Wappenbury

Summary The site of a hillfort, possibly dating to the Iron Age. Ditches and ramparts are still visible as earthworks in places. The site is located at Wappenbury.
What Is It?  
Type: Hillfort, Rampart, Ditch
Period: Iron Age (800 BC - 42 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Wappenbury
District: Warwick, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 37 69
(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
Picture(s) attached

  
Description

  
Source Number  

1 The village was formerly well-nigh enclosed by extensive entrenchments enclosing an area of about 6 ha. The earthworks are now much denuded and altered in form and are almost indistinguishable in places. On the E side of the village no remains whatever are shown on the OS 1:10560, but a plan made 60/70 years ago (in Rugby Library) shows an earthwork on this side. The interior of the camp is raised above the neighbouring ground level. Traces of a bank exist on the N and W side, although the ditch has probably been filled up. It has been suggested that the works are Roman, although no certain discoveries of antiquities are recorded.
2 The fort is close to two river fords and is protected on three sides by streams. It is an irregular rectangle with NE and SW corners truncated and the rampart almost ploughed out on the E, while the S has been destroyed by the river. The ditch is only visible to the E and, for a short section, to the SW. There are ?modern causeways to the N, E and W. There is an entrance at the SW where a deep, narrow, inturned entrance faces a break in the ditch. A section across the N rampart and ditch. This indicated a clay revetted bank sealing an occupation layer. Outside this was a ditch. The silt of the ditch contained quantities of Roman pottery wasters (PRN 5507). A long period of further silting was followed by the overthrowing of the rampart, probably followed by farming activities in the 13th century. Pottery from the occupation layer under the rampart included pottery with 'Belgic' influence. Other finds included a spindle whorl, an oblong bone dice, a bone weaving spear and a bronze object.
4 The E rampart is quite small and falls amid Medieval and later disturbance. On the SW side the ditch is visible as a slight berm.
8 The site occupies a prominent position on a natural knoll. The defensive earthworks include intermittent traces of a single rampart and a ditch that has been mostly infilled. Along the northern edge of the site, the rampart is visible as a distinctive break in slope and is thought to have been levelled by ploughing. The asssociated ditch has become infilled but it can be traced as a slight depression and will survive as a buried feature. The western edge of the site is defined by a scarp bank, marking the location of a rampart which remains visible at the northern end of the scarp. A break in the western bank is thought to be part of a drainage channel. The best preserved section of the hillfort's defences is situated along the eastern edge of the site, the ditch is visible as an 8m wide depression. The rampart is visible on the ground but in a reduced state.
9 Archaeological recording during the construction of a dwelling and garage established the position of and entrace way into the ditched enclosure. A foundation trench was hand dug through the end of the ditch, producing an assemblage of Iron Age and early Romano-British pottery. Description of pottery.
10 Described as an Iron Age settlement and a Romano-British settlement, but not as a hillfort.
11 Correspondence about demolition and building at the site.
12 Correspondence from 1998.
13 Early undated discussion of the vulnerability of the site.
14 Letter from 1977 about a planning application.
15 Correspondence from 1977 about agricultual threat to the site.
16 Correspondence about a planning application in 1978.
17 Letters about unauthorised ploughing.
18 Discussion of the difficulties of dating the 'Belgic' pottery found by the Stanleys at Wappenbury. Re-evaluated in 1987, much of this pottery would seem to give a terminus post quem for the ramparts of early Roman date.
19 Brief report on damage observed by members of the Leamington Spa Archaeological Group in October 1981. Deep ploughing had taken place which had drastically reduced the rampart and an old field boundary had been removed, causing disturbance to occupational deposits. AT the south end of the site by a lane a circular object was found which appears to be a lead armlet of D-shaped section decorated with two wavy lines incised round the centre of the outer surface. It may have come from a native shrine and adorned a cult statue or an arm and, when carefully polished, would have given the appearance of silver; another possibility is that it may have been a votive deposit.
 
Sources
Source No: 7
Source Type: Aerial Photograph
Title:
Author/originator: J Pickering
Date: 1962
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: SP4489 C/D/E/X
   
Source No: 19
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: TBAS vol 91
Author/originator: Webster G
Date: 1981
Page Number: 46-7
Volume/Sheet: 91
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: Victoria County History, vol 1, Warwickshire
Author/originator: Doubleday H A & Page W (eds)
Date: 1904
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 1
   
Source No: 11
Source Type: Correspondence
Title: Wappenbury Camp
Author/originator: EH
Date: 1996-7
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 12
Source Type: Correspondence
Title: Wappenbury Camp
Author/originator: EH
Date: 1998
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 14
Source Type: Correspondence
Title: Wappenbury Camp
Author/originator: WM
Date: 1977
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 15
Source Type: Correspondence
Title: Wappenbury Camp
Author/originator: WM
Date: 1977
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 16
Source Type: Correspondence
Title: Wappenbury
Author/originator: various
Date: 1978
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 17
Source Type: Correspondence
Title: Wappenbury
Author/originator: WM
Date:
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 9
Source Type: Excavation Report
Title: Archaeological Recording at Riversmeade, Wappenbury, Warwickshire
Author/originator: Palmer S
Date: 2003
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: Report No 0304
   
Source No: 5
Source Type: Plan
Title: OS Card, 38NW1
Author/originator: Ordnance Survey
Date: 1967
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 38NW1
   
Source No: 4
Source Type: Record Card/Form
Title: OS Card 29NE1
Author/originator: Ordnance Survey
Date: 1967
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 29NE1
   
Source No: 18
Source Type: Serial
Title: Transactions of the Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society (TBAS) Vol 96
Author/originator: Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeology Society
Date: 1991
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 96
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Serial
Title: TBAS vol 76 (1958)
Author/originator: Birmingham Archaeological Society
Date: 1960
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 76
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: Wappenbury Camp
Author/originator: DoE
Date:
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: AM7
   
Source No: 6
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: SAM list
Author/originator: DoE
Date: 1985
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 8
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: Wappenbury Camp univallate hillfort and medieval settlement remains
Author/originator: EH
Date: 1994
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 13
Source Type: Unpublished document
Title: Wappenbury
Author/originator: Stanley, B
Date:
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 10
Source Type: Verbal communication
Title: Aggregates Assessment
Author/originator: Stuart Palmer
Date: 2006
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Images:  
Iron Age hillfort, Wappenbury
Copyright: Warwickshire County Council
Date: 1996
Click here for larger image  
 
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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.
 		back
source OS Card Ordnance Survey Record Card. Before the 1970s the Ordnance Survey (OS) were responsible for recording archaeological monuments during mapping exercises. This helped the Ordnance Survey to decide which monuments to publish on maps. During these exercises the details of the monuments were written down on record cards. Copies of some of the cards are kept at the Warwickshire Sites and Monuments Record. The responsibility for recording archaeological monuments later passed to the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historic Monuments. back
source SAM List Scheduled Ancient Monument List. A list or schedule of archaelogical and historic monuments that are considered to be of national importance. The list contains a detailed description of each Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM) and a map showing their location and extent. By being placed on the schedule, SAMs are protected by law from any unauthorised distrubance. The list has been compiled and is maintained by English Heritage. It is updated periodically. back
source TBAS Transactions of the Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society is a journal produced by the society annually. It contains articles about archaeological field work that has taken place in Birmingham and Warwickshire in previous years. Copies of the journal are kept by 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 Modern The Modern Period, about 1915 AD to the present (the 20th and 21st centuries AD)

In recent years archaeologists have realised the importance of recording modern sites. They do this so that in the future people will be able to look at the remains to help them understand the events to which they are related.
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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.
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period Roman About 43 AD to 409 AD (the 1st century AD to the 5th century AD)

The Roman period comes after the Iron Age and before the Saxon period.

The Roman period in Britain began in 43 AD when a Roman commander called Aulus Plautius invaded the south coast, near Kent. There were a series of skirmishes with the native Britons, who were defeated. In the months that followed, more Roman troops arrived and slowly moved westwards and northwards.
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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 modern About 1915 AD to the present (the 20th and 21st centuries AD)

In recent years archaeologists have realised the importance of recording modern sites. They do this so that in the future people will be able to look at the remains to help them understand the events to which they are related.
more -> 		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 SITE * Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible. back
monument LIBRARY * A building, room or suite of rooms where books, or other materials, are classified by subject and stored for use by the library's members. back
monument SETTLEMENT * A small concentration of dwellings. back
monument BUILDING * A structure with a roof to provide shelter from the weather for occupants or contents. Use specific type where known. back
monument SHRINE * A place where worship is offered or devotions are paid to a deity or saint. back
monument FEATURE * Areas of indeterminate function. back
monument DWELLING * Places of residence. back
monument UNIVALLATE HILLFORT * A hilltop enclosure bounded by a single rampart, usually accompanied by a ditch. back
monument DITCHED ENCLOSURE * An area of land enclosed by one or several boundary ditches. Double index with a term to indicate the shape of the enclosure where known. back
monument FORT * A permanently occupied position or building designed primarily for defence. back
monument RAMPART * A protective earthen mound, often the main defence of a fortification. back
monument WELL * A shaft or pit dug in the ground over a supply of spring-water. back
monument DEFENCE * This is the top term for the class. See DEFENCE Class List for narrow terms. back
monument CAUSEWAY * A road or pathway raised above surrounding low, wet or uneven ground. 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 BERM * A horizontal surface separating the base of a rampart or earthwork from an associated ditch or moat. Can also refer to a continuously sloping bank of earth against a wall, as in a fortified city wall. back
monument FIELD BOUNDARY * The limit line of a field. back
monument ROUND * A small, Iron Age/Romano-British enclosed settlement found in South West England. back
monument HILLFORT * A hilltop enclosure bounded by one or more substantial banks, ramparts and ditches. Use more specific type where known. back
monument STREAM * A natural flow or current of water issuing from a source. back
monument GARAGE * Use only for buildings which house motor vehicles. Includes garages for vehicle repair. For petrol sales use PETROL STATION. back
monument EARTHWORK * A bank or mound of earth used as a rampart or fortification. back
monument STATUE * A representation in the round of a living being, allegorical personage, eminent person or animal, etc, sculptured, moulded or cast in marble, metal, plaster, etc. back
monument WORKS * Usually a complex of buildings for the processing of raw materials. Use specific type where known. back
monument SCARP * A steep bank or slope. In fortifications, the bank or wall immediately in front of and below the rampart. back
monument SPA * A medicinal or mineral spring often with an associated building. back
monument FORD * A shallow place in a river or other stretch of water, where people, animals and vehicles may cross. back
monument OCCUPATION LAYER * A layer of remains left by a single culture, from which the culture can be dated or identified. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record