Information for record number MWA5609:
Iron Age linear earthwork

Summary A linear earthwork, possibly Iron Age in date, and forming part of Hobditch, a boundary feature. It is visible in parts as an earthwork and is visible on aerial photographs. It is located 900m south east of Umberslade Park.
What Is It?  
Type: Linear Earthwork, Boundary
Period: Iron Age (800 BC - 42 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Tanworth in Arden
District: Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 14 70
(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 A clear linear bank on a similar alignment to the Merryman's Farm earthwork shows on aerial photographs. In the field the earthwork is under plough, although traces of the earthwork survive. In the SW it is associated with a complex of other earthworks of uncertain origin. It is possible that this linear earthwork curves away from this alignment to the SW. N towards Kemps Green Farm the bank and ditch are more clearly defined. The earthwork is about 12m across and there is about 0.5m difference in elevation between the bottom of the ditch and the top of the bank. The bank appears to have been constructed of clay with stones.
2 aerial photographs.
 
Sources
Source No: 2
Source Type: Aerial Photograph
Title: SP17SW
Author/originator: RAF
Date: 1948
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 42-17SW
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Verbal communication
Title: R.C.Hingley personal comment
Author/originator: Hingley R C
Date: 1989
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Images:  
There are no images associated with this record.  
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Glossary

 
Word or Phrase
Description  
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.
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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 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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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 BOUNDARY * The limit to an area as defined on a map or by a marker of some form, eg. BOUNDARY WALL. Use specific type where known. back
monument FEATURE * Areas of indeterminate function. back
monument FIELD * An area of land, often enclosed, used for cultivation or the grazing of livestock. back
monument LINEAR EARTHWORK * A substantial bank and ditch forming a major boundary between two adjacent landholdings. Most date from the late Bronze Age and Iron Age. 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 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
monument EARTHWORK * A bank or mound of earth used as a rampart or fortification. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record