Medieval settlement remains 100m south east and 150m south west of Oldlands Farm, Tinsley Green

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 last 1500 years or more.

The monument at Tinsley Green lies in the Western Weald region of the Weald sub-province, which is characterised by high densities of dispersed settlements giving a countryside of farmsteads and associated fields of medieval foundation, intermixed with cottages, medieval moated sites and hamlets bearing the names `green' and `dene'. Medieval dispersed settlements, comprising hamlets of up to five dwellings or isolated farmsteads, were scattered throughout the parish or township. Often occurring in more densely wooded, less intensively farmed areas, or associated with a centre of medieval industry, the form and status of dispersed settlements varied enormously. When they survive as earthworks, the most easily distinguishable features of dispersed settlements include roads and tracks, platforms on which stood houses and other buildings such as barns, and the enclosed fields or irregular field systems with which the dwellings were associated. These rural settlements can also be represented by below ground deposits. Higher status dwellings, such as moated residences or manorial complexes, may have well- defined boundaries and planned gardens. In the western and south eastern provinces of England, dispersed settlements were the most distinctive aspect of medieval life, and their archaeological remains are one of the most important sources of understanding about rural life in the five or more centuries following the Norman Conquest.

The medieval settlement remains 100m south east and 150m south west of Oldlands Farm at Tinsley Green represent the predominant, dispersed form of medieval rural settlement within the Western Weald sub-province. However, unusually, this settlement is partly deserted and it survives well in the form of earthworks and buried remains. Deserted and partly deserted medieval settlements with earthwork remains are very rare in this area.

The Tinsley Green settlement will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to the nature and date of the settlement and its subsequent development and abandonment. Part excavation has shown that the remains illustrate the continuity between medieval and post-medieval settlement in this area of Sussex and its relationship with the nearby iron working centre at Forge Farm.

Details

The monument, which falls into two separate areas of protection, includes the remains of part of a dispersed medieval settlement situated on the Upper Tunbridge Wells Clay to the north east of Crawley. It represents the original focus of Tinsley Green, known as Tyntesle in the medieval period, and survives in the form of earthworks and associated buried remains.

Part excavation in 1998 showed that this part of the settlement was occupied from the 12th century and continued in use into the 18th century. Finds recovered during the excavation included pottery and iron slag. The earthworks incorporate a roughly north east-south west aligned hollow way flanked by associated building platforms. These represent at least three homesteads which survive as roughly rectangular, north west-south east aligned earthworks, up to around 0.5m high. Further buried remains are likely to survive in the areas around the building platforms. To the south east are associated rectangular plots, visible on aerial photographs taken in 1969, which are included in the scheduling. Further buried remains of the dispersed medieval settlement may survive beyond the area of the scheduling, in the areas of early post-medieval building at Tinsley Green and to the north of Radford Road.

Modern development in the area of Forge Farm, and the construction of Little Radfords and cottages to the east and west of the monument, will have caused significant disturbance to any earlier buried remains, and these areas are therefore not included in the scheduling.

The concrete block, identified as a drain head, in the south eastern part of the monument, is excluded from the scheduling although the ground beneath is included.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

31219

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Title: Rocque's Map of Surrey Source Date: 1768 Author: Publisher: Surveyor:
Title: County Map of Sussex Source Date: 1795 Author: Publisher: Surveyor:
Title: Tithe Map Source Date: 1842 Author: Publisher: Surveyor:
CgMs Archaeology and Environmental Consultant, Report of a Preliminary Archaeological Evaluation..., 1998,
CgMs Archaeology and Environmental Consultant, An Archaeological Desk Based Assessment, (1997)
Meridian 3969 219-221, (1969)
CgMs Archaeology and Environmental Consultant, An Archaeological Walkover Survey, (1997)

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.