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 a well preserved farmstead of medieval date situated in
a sheltered position on a south-facing slope between two hills, now on the
edge of a roadstone quarry. A main rectangular enclosure measuring 48m east to
west by 43m north to south lies within strong stone and earth banks 4m across
and 0.6m high. An entrance leads into the enclosure at the centre of the south
wall where there are clear foundations of several rectangular buildings, the
most prominent of which measures 10m by 14m. Attached to the south-eastern
corner of the large enclosure is a rectangular annexe measuring 26m by 25m
with walls of similar proportions to the main enclosure. An entrance lies in
the centre of the south wall and within the annexe there are platforms of
rectangular buildings. A length of bank 22m long is attached to the south-
western corner of the large enclosure. Immediately to the south of the
farmstead are two strip lynchets formed by cultivation of the sloping ground.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
20931
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals 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
