Information for record number MWA701:
Late Iron Age/Romano British activity at Barford

Summary A number of Late Iron Age/Romano British features have been identified in an area north of Westham Lane, Barford. The eveidence from cropmarks, finds, geophysics, evaluation and excavation suggests Iron Age/Romano British agricultural activity with some potential settlement.
What Is It?  
Type: Trackway, Enclosure, Ditch, D Shaped Enclosure, Pit
Period: Late Iron Age - Romano-British (100 BC - 409 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Barford
District: Warwick, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 26 60
(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 One 'D' shaped single-ditched enclosure. Two part round-cornered enclosure. Twin ditches straight through site. Romano British pottery found. site number 45.
2 site 78 in survey
3 Perambulated. There are no indication of the marks.
4 site includes trackways, linear features, enclosures, pennanular features.
5 Dating revised to include the Iron Age.
6 A Magnetometry survey was carried out in 2012 which demonstrated the presence of a number of positive linear anomalies, within the eastern part of the site. These correspond to the cropmark features interpreted from aerial photographs as relating to trackways, ditches and enclosures of Iron Age/Romano-British date. The location of cropmarks within the central part of the site were, in 2012, covered by greenhouses, poly tunnels and areas of hardstanding and as such the results from the geophysics were mostly associated with that more modern disturbance. Several discrete and linear positive anomalies were located in the western part of the site, thought to be pit-like and ditch-like features.
7 Evaluation subsequent to the geophysical survey in 2012 recorded several ditched enclosures, mostly aligned northwest-southeast, with some aligned east-west and mostly concentrated in the eastern part of the site. This confirmed existing cropmark evidence and previous geophysical survey results, demonstrating that archaeological features, of probable Iron Age/Romano-British date, were present in the central and eastern areas of the site, likely to represent agricultural enclosures and a possible trackway. Only two features were identified in the western area of the site. Gullies and pits, indicative of potential settlement, were present in the south-eastern area of the site, however the paucity of finds in general made it difficult to be conclusive about settlement in this area. Whilst the presence of settlement was not borne out in the small number of archaeological finds recovered, plant assemblages indicative of crop processing waste suggest settlement in close proximity to the site. A few Iron Age/Romano-British pottery sherds were recovered from the observed features. Two fragments of a possible sandstone quern were also recovered.
 
Sources
Source No: 1
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: Early Settlement in the Avon Valley
Author/originator: Hobley B
Date: 1962
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 7
Source Type: Evaluation Report
Title: Westham Lane, Barford, Warwickshire: Archaeological Evaluation Report
Author/originator: Dransfield, N. and Tibber, J.
Date: 2012
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: Ref 85600.03
   
Source No: 6
Source Type: Geophysical Survey Report
Title: Land north of Westham Lane, Barford, Warwickshire: Magnetometer Survey
Author/originator: Donaldson, Kerry (Archaeological Surveys Ltd)
Date: 2012
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 4
Source Type: Record Card/Form
Title: SMR card : text
Author/originator: JMG
Date:
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Record Card/Form
Title: OS Card 25NE6
Author/originator: Ordnance Survey
Date: 1968
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Serial
Title: Archaeological Journal 1964
Author/originator: Webster G and Hobley B
Date: 1964
Page Number: 22
Volume/Sheet: 121
   
Source No: 5
Source Type: Verbal communication
Title: Aggregates Assessment
Author/originator: Stuart Palmer
Date: 2006
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Images:  
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Glossary

 
Word or Phrase
Description  
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 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 Geophysical Survey The measuring and recording of electrical resistivity or magnetism in order to determine the existence and outline of buried features such as walls and ditches. Geophysical techniques include resistivity survey, magnetometer survey and ground penetrating radar. View Image back
technique Magnetometer Survey A magnetometer survey measures the earth's magnetic field and the effects that structures in the ground may have on it. For example, walls, pits and trenches might display different levels of magnetism than the surrounding ground. These differences can affect the readings taken during the survey. Once the readings have been recorded they are plotted out to produce a plan of features that exist below the ground. See also geophysical survey. 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 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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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 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 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.
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monument SITE * Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible. back
monument ARCHAEOLOGICAL FEATURE * Use only for features assumed to be archaeological but which cannot be identified more precisely without further investigation .Use more specific term where known back
monument SETTLEMENT * A small concentration of dwellings. back
monument TUNNEL * An underground channel with a vaulted roof. Use specific type where known. back
monument FEATURE * Areas of indeterminate function. 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 PIT * A hole or cavity in the ground, either natural or the result of excavation. Use more specific type where known. back
monument LINEAR FEATURE * A length of straight, curved or angled earthwork or cropmark of uncertain date or function. 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 D SHAPED ENCLOSURE * An area of land, in the shape of a D, enclosed by a boundary ditch, bank, wall, palisade or similar barrier. 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 ROUND * A small, Iron Age/Romano-British enclosed settlement found in South West England. back
monument TRACKWAY * A pathway, not necessarily designed as such, beaten down by the feet of travellers. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record