Information for record number MWA3869:
Site of Undated Enclosure 300m N of Whitchurch Farm

Summary Three sides of an enclosure are visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs. The enclosure, which is irregular in shape, is of unknown date. It is located 500m east of Wimpstone.
What Is It?  
Type: Enclosure
Period: Unknown
Where Is It?  
Parish: Whitchurch
District: Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 22 48
(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  

2 Three sides of what appears to be an irregular enclosure show on aerial photographs. It is possible that the absence of a fourth side is the result of a change in geology.
3 Fieldwork indicated a spread of ?natural patinated flint over the N part of the field, also a very thin scatter of ?worked flint (PRN 6023) which does not appear directly related to the enclosure. About ten pieces of ?burnt stone could relate to the enclosure. Its date is uncertain.
4 A possible Prehistoric discontinuous curvilinear enclosure is visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs north of Park House Farm, Whitchurch. The enclosure is defined by three curving sides which are made up of four ditched segments. The gap in the eastern side looks to be an entrance but the two gaps in the north side, one of which is slightly overlapping, may also be entrances. The south side is not visible which may be due to a change in the geology or later quarrying. Two well defined rectangular pits are also visible to the southeast of the enclosure, but these may not be associated or contemporaneous. Mapped as part of the South-East Warwickshire and Cotswold Hills HLS National Mapping Programme.
 
Sources

Source No: 1
Source Type: Aerial Photograph
Title:
Author/originator: J Pickering
Date: 1962
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: SP4489 C/D/E/X
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: Whitchurch
Author/originator: Hingley R C
Date: 1985
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: Field Survey Form
   
Source No: 4
Source Type: Desk Top Study
Title: SE Warwickshire and Cotswolds NMP Project
Author/originator: Amanda Dickson
Date: 2010-2012
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Record Card/Form
Title: SMR Card
Author/originator: Hingley R C
Date: 1988
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Images:  
Three sides of an enclosure near Wimpstone
Copyright: Warwickshire County Council
Date: 1979
Click here for larger image  
 
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Glossary

 
Word or Phrase
Description  
source SMR Card Sites and Monuments Record Card. The Warwickshire Sites and Monuments Record began to be developed during the 1970s. The details of individual archaeological sites and findspots were written on record cards. These record cards were used until the 1990s, when their details were entered on to a computerised system. The record cards are still kept at the office of 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 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 Prehistoric About 500,000 BC to 42 AD

The Prehistoric period covers all the periods from the Palaeolithic to the end of the Iron Age.
This is a time when people did not write anything down so there is no documentary evidence for archaeologists to look at. Instead, the archaeologists look at the material culture belonging to the people and the places where they lived for clues about their way of life.

The Prehistoric period is divided into the Early Prehistoric and Later Prehistoric.
The Early Prehistoric period covers the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods.
The Later Prehistoric period covers Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age times.
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monument FIELDWORK * A usually temporary earthwork or fortification, the latter constructed by military forces operating in the field. Use more specific type where known. back
monument HOUSE * A building for human habitation, especially a dwelling place. Use more specific type where known. back
monument CURVILINEAR ENCLOSURE * A monument consisting of an area of land enclosed by a ditch, bank, wall, palisade or similar barrier, where the boundary follows an irregular curving course. back
monument STONE * Use only where stone is natural or where there is no indication of function. 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 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 FIELD * An area of land, often enclosed, used for cultivation or the grazing of livestock. back
monument ENCLOSURE * An area of land enclosed by a boundary ditch, bank, wall, palisade or other similar barrier. Use specific type where known. back
monument FARM * A tract of land, often including a farmhouse and ancillary buildings, used for the purpose of cultivation and the rearing of livestock, etc. Use more specific type where known. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record