Summary

Prehistoric and Roman remains 190m west of Bridge House.

Source: Historic England

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 21 May 2015. This record has been generated from an "old county number" (OCN) scheduling record. These are monuments that were not reviewed under the Monuments Protection Programme and are some of our oldest designation records. As such they do not yet have the full descriptions of their modernised counterparts available. Please contact us if you would like further information.

This monument, which falls into two areas, includes the remains of a prehistoric and Roman settlement located on a moderate south facing slope overlooking the River Avon. The settlement is known from cropmarks visible on aerial photographs and survives as seven ring ditches, five sub rectangular enclosures, two rectangular enclosures and a long, narrow double ditched curvilinear enclosure with linear features. All the features on the site are located to the west and north of the narrow double ditched enclosure. The ring ditches are situated at the southern end of the site and the largest is approximately 30m in diameter. The five sub rectangular enclosures are up to 85m long and 30m wide, one of which has internal sub divisions. Two rectangular enclosures are located to the south and east. The largest is approximately 150m by 60m and has a ring ditch at its northern boundary. The double ditched curvilinear enclosure is orientated north to south and is approximately 300m long and 4m wide. The enclosure terminates at a ring ditch at its southern end. Several linear features are located within the site. Romano-British artefacts have been found on this site.

Further enclosures and archaeological features survive to the south, east and south east of the monument, but are not currently protected because they have not been formally assessed.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Although they can frequently only be located through aerial photography. All homestead sites which survive substantially intact will normally be identified as nationally important. Romano-British aggregate villages are nucleated settlements formed by groups of five or more subsistence level farmsteads enclosed either individually or collectively, or with no formal boundary. Most enclosures, where they occur, are formed by curvilinear walls or banks, sometimes surrounded by ditches, and the dwellings are usually associated with pits, stock enclosures, cultivation plots and field systems, indicating a mixed farming economy. In use throughout the Roman period (c.43-450 AD), they often occupied sites of earlier agricultural settlements. In view of their rarity, all positively identified examples with surviving remains are considered to merit protection. Despite the introduction of the railway and a metalled track, the prehistoric and Roman remains 190m west of Bridge House survive comparatively well. The monument has been ploughed and the archaeological remains survive exclusively as buried features or remains. The monument is significant individually and as part of a wider archaeological landscape of prehistoric and Roman settlements on both sides of the River Avon. The substantial nature and distinct layout of the settlement make it dissimilar to the other archaeological remains in the vicinity. The settlements’ relationship with a long established communication route known as Salters Way enhances the importance of the monument. The enclosures, linear features and ring ditches will have potential for remaining layers and deposits that will contain important archaeological information relating to the use, construction and occupation of the monument in addition to providing environmental evidence.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
Hancox, E. & Russell, O. 2009, Recent Changes to Scheduled Monuments in Worcestershire. Worcestershire Historic Environment and Archaeology Service
Pastscape Monument No:- 117991, 117989, 117994, 970425 & 1361687

Source: Historic England