Great Wolford Village Ditch

In the civil parish of Great Wolford.
In the historic county of Warwickshire (Modern Authority of Warwickshire, 1974 county of Warwickshire).

Village, well-placed on a triangle of land above the junction of two little streams, was formerly defended by entrenchments running all round it; these probably enclosed an area of about 9.1 ha. In the memory of people still living the ramparts virtually encircled the village, but they have now been practically levelled, except upon one side, to the E and SE. Here too they have been considerably mutilated in places. The extant defences show formidable double ramparts with intervening fosse, placed on top of a steep decline; they are perhaps best preserved in the SE corner, where water still lies in a ditch which is 4.6m wide. The vallum at this point is 7.6m high and the inner bank 6.5m high, the enclosed village being on a level with the top. There are no records of antiquities. The main feature is a large ditch, now 6-7.6m at the bottom; this was designed to be fed by a spring, and is still wet. Most of the upcast is on the outer side, making a bank 2.4m high above the ditch; the 'inner' bank is very slight. The field to the E has been ploughed with ridge and furrow. 1968: Possibly erected as a wolf defence. PastScape dates to Civil War.

This site has been described as a;
Urban Defence.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Questionable.
Nothing visible remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SP25153450

PastScape number; 332778

Web site links

http://timetrail.warwickshire.gov.uk/detail.aspx?monuid=WA1837

Books

Beresford, M.W. and Hurst J.G., 1971, DMVs of England p43
Doubleday, H.A. and Page, Wm (eds), 1904, VCH Warwickshire Vol1 p234-5

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Great Wolford Village Ditch

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SP25153450

Sources of information, references and further reading