Ringwork 90m south east of Plowden Mill

Reasons for Designation

Ringworks are medieval fortifications built and occupied from the late Anglo-Saxon period to the later 12th century. They comprised a small defended area containing buildings which was surrounded or partly surrounded by a substantial ditch and a bank surmounted by a timber palisade or, rarely, a stone wall. Occasionally a more lightly defended embanked enclosure, the bailey, adjoined the ringwork. Ringworks acted as strongholds for military operations and in some cases as defended aristocratic or manorial settlements. They are rare nationally with only 200 recorded examples and less than 60 with baileys. As such, and as one of a limited number and very restricted range of Anglo-Saxon and Norman fortifications, ringworks are of particular significance to our understanding of the period.

The ringwork 90m south east of Plowden Mill is a fine example of this class of monument. Rectangular ringworks are very rare nationally, the majority being circular or irregular in plan. The form of the ringwork is unusual in that the interior has been been raised above the level of the surrounding land. Within the interior the remains of the structures will survive as buried features, which together with the associated artefacts and organic remains, will provide valuable evidence about the activities and lifestyles of those who inhabited the site. In addition, organic remains preserved in the buried ground surface beneath the raised interior and deposited within the ditches will provide information about the local environment and the use of the land prior to and following the construction of the ringwork.

Details

The monument includes the earthwork and buried remains of a ringwork, situated at the western end of a low ridge above the steep southern valley side of the River Onny. From this location there are extensive views of Onny valley and the surrounding uplands. The ringwork is rectangular in plan measuring approximately 42m north to south by 47m east to west. On the southern and eastern sides, where the ground gently rises, it is defined by a ditch between 7m and 8m wide. The spoil excavated from the ditch has been used to create a steep-sided, flat-topped mound raised by as much as 1.8m on the eastern side and up to 2.8m on the other sides. Along the southern and eastern sides of this raised platform are the remains of an earthen bank. The height of the bank on the southern side is considerably lower than that to the east, averaging 0.5m high. At the south eastern corner the bank stands about 1m high and rises to 2.7m at the north eastern end. Within the interior, which measures approximately 21m by 25m, are slight undulations, which are considered to mark the positions of former buildings.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features, considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

34904

Legacy System:

RSM

End of official list entry

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