Information for record number MWA4199:
Lower Smite Deserted Medieval Village

Summary The Medieval deserted settlement of Lower Smite. The settlement is known to have existed from documentary evidence. It was situated 800m north east of Coombe Countryside Park.
What Is It?  
Type: Deserted Settlement
Period: Medieval (1066 AD - 1539 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Combe Fields
District: Rugby, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 41 80
(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
Description

 
Source Number  

1 Upper and Lower Smite may be Warwickshire's oldest lost villages. The foundation of Coombe Abbey in 1150 created pasture where formerly two villages had stood. The old parish name is retained in Smite Brook, Smeeton Lane and Smite Hall. Lower Smite must be associated with the remains of St Peter's Church (PRN 3722) incorporated in Peter Hall. There are 'suspicious markings' in the field S of Peter Hall, leading down to Smite Brook, although the land is now ploughed.
2 Poor archaeology (C), period of desertion known but documentary evidence inferior in quantity.
3 Scheduled as Warwickshire Monument No 112.
5 Scheduling information.
6 Smite was a Medieval village and manorial complex which was eclipsed by the Cistercian monastery founded within its bounds. Today it survives only in the naming of the Smite Brook.
7 Archaeological observation during the erection of an extension at SP4180 in 1998 revealed no features or finds associated with the Medieval settlement, or indeed predating the construction of Fairview Cottage itself. This part of the site may have been disturbed or destroyed by ploughing.
8 Descheduled 17/04/2001.
 
Sources

Source No: 6
Source Type: Evaluation Report
Title: Combe Abbey, Coventry, Warwickshire. An archaeological assessment.
Author/originator: Coventry Museum
Date: 1991
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 7
Source Type: Observation Report
Title: Arch Obs at Fairview, Peter Hall Ln, Combe Fields
Author/originator: Coutts, C
Date: 1998
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 4
Source Type: Record Card/Form
Title: OS Card 14NE9
Author/originator: Ordnance Survey
Date:
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 14NE9
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Serial
Title: TBAS vol 66
Author/originator: Beresford M W
Date: 1945
Page Number: 99
Volume/Sheet: 66
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Serial
Title: DMVRG vol 6 1958
Author/originator:
Date: 1958
Page Number: Appendix B
Volume/Sheet: 6
   
Source No: 5
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: SAM list
Author/originator: DoE
Date: 1985
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: SAM list
Author/originator: DoE
Date:
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 8
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: Site of Deserted Village of Lower Smite
Author/originator: English Heritage
Date: 2001
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Images:  
There are no images associated with this record.  
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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.
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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 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
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 SITE * Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible. back
monument SETTLEMENT * A small concentration of dwellings. 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 ARCH * A structure over an opening usually formed of wedge-shaped blocks of brick or stone held together by mutual pressure and supported at the sides; they can also be formed from moulded concrete/ cast metal. A component; use for free-standing structure only. 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 PASTURE * A field covered with herbage for the grazing of livestock. back
monument DESERTED SETTLEMENT * An abandoned settlement, usually of the Medieval period, often visible only as earthworks or on aerial photographs. back
monument FIELD * An area of land, often enclosed, used for cultivation or the grazing of livestock. back
monument CISTERCIAN MONASTERY * An abbey or priory of Cistercian monks. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record