Historic England research records

Historic England Research Records

Upper Ditchford
Hob Uid: 332751
Location : Gloucestershire Cotswold Blockley
Grid Ref : SP1997736822
Summary : The earthwork remains of a medieval settlement built into the slope of a south west facing hillside in the Cotswolds. At the centre of the settlement is a broad street and village green, with house platforms and side streets flanking it. The platforms are 0.5 metres to 0.75 metres high. In the north east part of the site is a large depression which represents the site of the village pond. Surrounding the settlement on all sides is evidence of medieval agriculture in the form of ridge and furrow with ridges about 4 metres wide and 0.3 metres high. Documentary evidence indicated that the village was deserted by the end of the 15th century. Scheduled.
More information : SP 200368 DMV Upper Ditchford. (1) The villages of Ditchford Tres (see also SP 23 NW 1 and 10), now partly in Warwickshire (2), were noted in 1491 by John Rous, a priest of Warwick, to have become ruinous in his lifetime (3). One of the hamlets lay around the present Upper Ditchford Farm (4) ("Neighbrook" is described as "Upper Ditchford" on the OS 6" of 1924), and a clear pattern of earthworks is visible on APs (5 & 6). (2-6) The site of the village of Upper Ditchford is indicated by an area of banked and ditched enclosures, some 200.0m by 170.0m across, and centred at SP19953682, situated upon a SW-facing pasture slope. The banks, generally reduced to outward or downhill-facing scarps, are 0.3 to 0.7m in height, the ditches, up to 0.3m in depth. Amongst the enclosures, about five house platforms are recognisable, whilst upon the NE uphill side of the site are four larger terraces which may have accommodated a number of buildings. The village was surrounded by rig and furrow cultivation. Surveyed at 1:2500. (7) Upper Ditchford: published aerial photograph of deserted village earthworks taken 27-JAN-1969. (8) SP 200 368. Upper Ditchford listed in review of deserted medieval villages in Gloucestershire. (9) The earthworks described by the previous authorities have been mapped from aerial photographs.(11-12)

Sources :

Source Number : 1
Source : Medieval Village Research Group annual report
Source details : Appendix C
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Vol(s) : 7, 1959

Source Number : 2
Source : Lost villages of England
Source details :
Page(s) : 351
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Source Number : 10
Source : Scheduled Monument Notification
Source details : 16-Nov-98
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Source Number : 11
Source : Oblique aerial photograph reference number
Source details : NMR SP 1936/1 (21071/01) 16-NOV-2000
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Source Number : 12
Source : Oblique aerial photograph reference number
Source details : NMR SP 1936/2 (21071/02) 16-NOV-2000
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Source Number : 3
Source : Medieval England : an aerial survey
Source details :
Page(s) : 17
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Source Number : 3a
Source : VIRTUAL CATALOGUE ENTRY TO SUPPORT NAR MIGRATION
Source details : Rous, BM Cot Vesp A XII, fols 73-4.
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Source Number : 4
Source : Birmingham and Midland Institute, Birmingham Archaeological Society transactions, excursions and reports
Source details :
Page(s) : 90
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Vol(s) : 66, 1945-6

Source Number : 5
Source : Aerial photograph
Source details : APs (J K St Joseph AFH 64, LT 76-78).
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Source Number : 6
Source : Vertical aerial photograph reference number
Source details : APs (RAF CPE/UK/1926, 16-JAN-1947 2166-7, 5165.
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Source Number : 7
Source : Field Investigators Comments
Source details : F1 ASP 05-APR-73
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Source Number : 8
Source : Archaeology in Gloucestershire from the earliest hunters to the industrial age : essays dedicated to Helen O'Neil and the late Elsie Clifford
Source details :
Page(s) : 285
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Source Number : 9
Source : Glevensis : Gloucestershire and District Archaeological Research Group review
Source details : M Aston and L Viner
Page(s) : 25
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Vol(s) : 15, 1981

Monument Types:

Monument Period Name : Medieval
Display Date : Medieval (Deserted at end of C15)
Monument End Date : 1499
Monument Start Date : 1055
Monument Type : Deserted Settlement, House, Road, Village Green, Pond, Ridge And Furrow
Evidence : Earthwork

Components and Objects:

Related Records from other datasets:

External Cross Reference Source : Scheduled Monument Legacy (National No.)
External Cross Reference Number : 28852
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : Scheduled Monument Legacy (County No.)
External Cross Reference Number : GC 391
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : National Monuments Record Number
External Cross Reference Number : SP 23 NW 9
External Cross Reference Notes :

Related Warden Records :

Associated Monuments : 1472020
Relationship type : General association

Associated Monuments : 1472162
Relationship type : General association

Associated Monuments : 1472173
Relationship type : General association

Associated Monuments : 1471634
Relationship type : General association

Associated Monuments : 1471666
Relationship type : General association

Associated Monuments : 1471682
Relationship type : General association

Related Activities :

Associated Activities : FIELD OBSERVATION ON SP 23 NW 8
Activity type : FIELD OBSERVATION (VISUAL ASSESSMENT)
Start Date : 1973-04-05
End Date : 1973-04-05

Associated Activities : ENGLISH HERITAGE: GLOUCESTERSHIRE NMP (NORTH COTSWOLDS AND FOREST OF DEAN)
Activity type : AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH INTERPRETATION
Start Date : 2002-01-01
End Date : 2006-12-31

Historic England Research Records

Upper Ditchford