Information for record number MWA1994:
Medieval features, Swan Street, Warwick.

Summary Wells, pits, post holes and ovens of Medieval date were discovered during an archaeological excavation. The finds included fragments of pottery and a bronze ring. The site is at the junction of Swan Street and High Street, Warwick.
What Is It?  
Type: Well, Pit, Post Hole, Oven
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
Description

  
Source Number  

1 1972: Excavation before development. Five trial holes cut by the developers revealed two wells. well A was cut into bedrock and was unlined. well B was Post Medieval (PRN 5659). In addition two areas were chosen for Excavation, but had been disturbed in recent times. Area 2 produced a number of features: pits, some of which produced 12th century St Neots ware, post holes and a pillar base, traces of three ovens. The area was badly damaged by cellars etc. It would appear that it was occupied by the 12th century when metalworking was being carried out. The presence of rubbish pits and outdoor ovens suggests that this part of the High Street frontage was not built over during the early development of the town. The post holes attest the later infilling of buildings. Finds included pottery, tile, daub, animal bone, a bronze ring and iron items.
2 Plan.
 
Sources
Source No: 2
Source Type: Plan
Title: TBAS vol 88
Author/originator: HCM
Date: 1976
Page Number: Fig 6
Volume/Sheet: 88
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Serial
Title: TBAS vol 88
Author/originator: various
Date: 1978
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Images:  
There are no images associated with this record.  
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Glossary

 
Word or Phrase
Description  
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 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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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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monument SITE * Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible. back
monument OVEN * A brick, stone or iron receptacle for baking bread or other food in. 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 RUBBISH PIT * A pit where domestic waste material is deposited. back
monument FEATURE * Areas of indeterminate function. back
monument CELLAR * A room or group of rooms usually below the ground level and usually under a building, often used for storing fuel, provisions or wines. 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 TOWN * An assemblage of public and private buildings, larger than a village and having more complete and independent local government. 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