A partially destroyed enclosure of uncertain function and date (most likely Iron Age to Roman). Radiocarbon dating results have largely confirmed this chronology.
A double ditched enclosure site discovered from the air by A Baker in 1959. Excavated in advance of the construction of a reservoir by BUFAU in 1980. The ditches of the cropmark enclosure were shown to have survived to a depth of about 3m. A 55m length of the enclosure defences was excavated on the west side and found to consist of an inner ditch 3m deep, dug in straight contiguous sections probably indicating gang-work, an outer ditch which carried water streamwards. Patches of redeposited clay marked the position of ploughed out ramparts most clearly between the two ditches. No entrance was visible on the aerial photograph, and none was located. Evidence for occupation revealed by careful examination of the interior was extremely sparse…Salvage operations in the south east corner of the enclosure revealed a scoop terraced into natural, together with pits, one large post-hole 1.2m in diameter, and a hearth of burnt clay, associated with spreads of charcoal and fragments of very coarsely- tempered orange pottery. The pottery has been identified as briquetage from salt containers…Other finds were few and preservation poor. A limited geophysical survey was undertaken by Dr Roy King, University of Birmingham. <3>
Most of the site is now under the balancing reservoir. <5>
An archaeological evaluation was carried in 2008 out at the Castle Farm Campus of the University of Wolverhampton, in advance of the proposed development of the site. Five trial trenches were excavated within the boundary of the SM, with two located to investigate cropmarks visible on aerial photographs possibly associated with the destroyed double ditched Iron Age enclosure. No archaeological features, deposits or finds were identified. It is possible that the presence of the cropmarks could be explained by variations in the natural geology observed during the evaluation. <13>
Subsequent to the 2008 evaluation (see <13>), a watching brief was undertaken during the excavation of two geotechnical test pits at Castle Farm Campus, within the Iron Age enclosure; no archaeological finds or features were recorded. <14>
Subsequently, later in 2008, a precautionary archaeological watching brief was undertaken at the Castle Farm Campus of the University of Wolverhampton, Priorslee, Telford and Wrekin, Shropshire (centred on NGR 724096) during September and October 2008. This watching brief recorded a ditch which may have been associated with cropmarks depicted in aerial photographs of the area. It is possible that the ditch represents part of this cropmark, although rather than turning to the southwest as indicated in the aerial photography here the ditch continues to the north and out of the Scheduled Monument area. ->
-> The cropmarks noted may be explained by differential drying patterns observed between the natural gravel subsoil in the west of the area and the clay substrate in the east of the area. <15>
A series of radiocarbon dates were submitted to the Ancient Monuments Laboratory in association with the excavation of the ditch on this site by BUFAU [<3>]. Only one of three dates submitted was considered reliable; HAR-5118; 2290 +/- 100 BP; calibrated to 760-100 BC calibrated to 2 sigma. This sample comes from a working hearth or hollow on the eastern side of the enclosure. This is considered to be slightly earlier than expected from the pottery recorded on the site, but represents the expected Late Iron Age/Roman date of the feature. HAR-5116, taken from the first phase of disuse of the Late Iron Age/Roman ditch produced a calibrated date in the 3rd millennium BC, considered to be too early for the type of feature - more dates were considered necessary for this type of feature. HAR-5117 produced a calibrated date of 32800-299900 BC and clearly derives from a natural deposit. <16>
Descheduled in July 2016. The site was considered to have been substantially destroyed; no archaeological features or deposits of national importance were identifed in those areas not affected by construction of the reservoir. Although isolated pockets of below-ground archaeology may survive, they are not considered to be of such significance as to be nationally important. <17>
Full report on 1980 excavation of this site prior to destruction/indundation underneath a reservoir (see interim report <3>). The site was interpreted as a curvilinear single-ditched enclosure, putatitvely of Iron Age date, which appeared to be unfinished and largely unoccupied. It was refortified in the Roman period with another ditch on a similar alignment. <18>
Aerial photographic evidence of this site assessed in 2020. <19>
| [00] | SSA20722 - Card index: Shropshire County Council SMR. Site and Monuments Record (SMR) cards. SMR record cards. SMR Card for PRN SA 00281. |
| [01] | SSA1320 - Card index: Ordnance Survey. 1975. Ordnance Survey Record Card SJ70NW5. Ordnance Survey record cards. SJ70NW5. |
| [02] | SSA16387 - Oblique aerial photograph: Baker W A. 1959. WAB 1085. Black and white. |
| [03] | SSA1318 - Article in serial: Ashton-Cooper W M A et al. 1980. Excavation and Survey at Castle Farm Shifnal. W Midlands Archaeol. Vol 23. p41-51. |
| [04] | SSA1322 - Field Monument Warden Report: Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission (HBMC). 1989-Aug-21. Scheduled Monument Report on SAM 35272 (21/08/1989). |
| [05] | SSA22421 - Vertical aerial photograph: Cartographical Services Ltd. 1983. Set of vertical aerial photographs, 1983 (Carto Services). Black and white. 1:10000. Frame 8738. |
| [06] | SSA1321 - Scheduled Monument notification: Ministry of Public Buildings and Works. 1963. Map of Scheduled area, 1963. |
| [07] | SSA1319 - Correspondence: West Midlands Rescue Archaeology Committee. 1976. Correspondence, 1976. English Heritage. |
| [08] | SSA1316 - Aerial photograph transcription: Baker W A. 1992. AP Plot of Site 109 on Fig 9.54. Site 109 on Fig 9.54. |
| [09] | SSA12790 - Oblique aerial photograph: Tyler Alan W. 1980-Sep. zSMRF 110/00-01 & zSMRF 110/18-42. Black and white. 35mm. |
| [10] | SSA12791 - Photograph: Tyler Alan W. 1981-Jan/Feb. Castle Farm. Black and white. 35mm. |
| [11] | SSA1315 - Aerial photograph transcription: National Monuments Record (NMR). 1977. NMR AP sketch plot. |
| [12] | SSA1317 - Aerial photograph transcription: Burrow Ian. 1977. AP plot. 1:2500. |
| [13] | SSA23178 - Excavation report: Mann P. 2008. Castle Farm Campus, Priorslee, Telford and Wrekin, Shropshire: Archaeological Evaluation. Birmingham Arch Rep. PN 1805. |
| [14] | SSA30659 - Watching brief report: Bishop E. 2008. Castle Farm Campus, Prioslee, Telford and Wrekin, Shropshire: an archaeological watching brief 2008. Birmingham Arch Rep. 1766. |
| [15] | SSA30660 - Watching brief report: Mann P. 2008. Castle Farm Campus, Telford and Wrekin, Shropshire: a precautionary archaeological watching brief. Birmingham Arch Rep. 1852. |
| [16] | SSA24022 - Monograph: Bayliss A et al. 2012. Radiocarbon dates from samples funded by English Heritage between 1981 and 1988. English Heritage Archaeological Monographs. p247-48; HAR-5116; HAR-5117; HAR-5118. |
| [17] | SSA29019 - Scheduled Monument documentation: Historic England (Designation). 2016-Jul-29. Case Name: Descheduling: Site revealed by aerial photography N of Castle Farm. Case Number: 1436945. Casework. 1006274. 29/07/2016. |
| [18] | SSA29981 - Article in serial: Roe Annette. 1991. Excavations at Castle Farm, Shifnal, 1980. Trans Shropshire Archaeol Hist Soc. 67. pp.63-83. |
| [19] | SSA31290 - Archaeological specialist report: Cox C and Willis C. 2020. Land East of Priorslee, Telford, Shropshire: assessment of aerial imagery for archaeology. Site 1. |