Reasons for Designation
Farmsteads, normally occupied by only one or two families and comprising small
groups of buildings with attached yards, gardens and enclosures, were a
characteristic feature of the medieval rural landscape. They occur throughout
the country, the intensity of their distribution determined by local
topography and the nature of the agricultural system prevalent within the
region. In some areas of dispersed settlement they were the predominant
settlement form; elsewhere they existed alongside, or were components of, more
nucleated settlement patterns. The sites of many farmsteads have been
occupied down to the present day but others were abandoned as a result of, for
example, declining economic viability, enclosure or emparkment, or epidemics
like the Black Death. In the northern border areas, recurring cross-border
raids and military activities also disrupted agricultural life and led to
abandonments. Farmsteads are a common and long-lived monument type; the
archaeological deposits on those which were abandoned are often well-preserved
and provide important information on regional and national settlement patterns
and farming economies, and on changes in these through time.
Details
The monument includes the remains of a farmstead of medieval date situated
upon gentle east facing slopes above the River Alwin. It is visible as four
irregular contiguous enclosures and the remains of two rectangular houses. The
enclosures are bounded by earthen banks 4m wide which stand to a height of
0.7m. The largest of the four enclosures measures a maximum of 17m by 21m and
the smallest 8m by 6m. The rectangular houses are attached to the outside of
the most easterly enclosure and measure 4m by 6m.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
25021
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Other
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
