Reasons for Designation
Medieval rural settlements in England were marked by great regional diversity
in form, size and type, and the protection of their archaeological remains
needs to take these differences into account. To do this, England has been
divided into three broad Provinces on the basis of each area's distinctive
mixture of nucleated and dispersed settlements. These can be further divided
into sub-Provinces and local regions, possessing characteristics which have
gradually evolved during the past 1500 years or more.
The Tees Valley local region is a rich agricultural lowland, with varied soils
on glacial and alluvial deposits once supporting dense concentrations of
market towns and villages. Depopulation has thinned the numbers of villages,
while enclosure in the 17th and 18th centuries has brought scatters of
isolated farmsteads to landscapes once dominated by great expanses of open,
communally organised townfields.
Details
The monument includes the deserted remains of the medieval village of Barwick,
situated on the left bank of the River Tees. The earliest reference to a
settlement at Barwick, or its earlier form `Berewick', is contained in a
document of 1086 when it formed part of the manor of Acklam. By 1519 it was
known as the manor of Barwick-upon-Tees and was held by the Crown.
The settlement survives as a series of earthworks in three small fields
immediately north east of Barwick Farm. They are visible as a line of up to
five rectangular enclosures or tofts, orientated roughly north to south,
bounded by low earthen banks standing to a maximum height of 0.3m. The most
easterly two tofts measure 12m by 10m and the remaining three are smaller. The
row of tofts is bounded on the north by a more substantial bank which measures
4m wide and stands to a height of 0.5m; this bank is thought to be the
original northern perimeter bank of the settlement. To the east of the tofts
there are a series of slight earthworks thought to represent further remains
of the medieval settlement. A hollow 4m wide and 0.3m deep is associated with
these earthworks.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
28569
Legacy System:
RSM
End of official list entry
