Possible undated cemetery

Description of this historic site

Circumstantial

Notes about this historic site

Site of possible cemetery.

1 Sir William Dugdale, in a letter to Mr Anthony Wood dated 23rd August, 1677, brought to his notice a very recent discovery reported by a late visitor to Colonel Archer in Tanworth. This visitor ‘…saw a notable discoverie in Tanworth Lordship, by the digging of marle to manure Mr Archer’s Land, viz. a camp of about a mile in circumference, wherein are now growing divers great old oaks; and within, or near it, about six feet deep from the surface of the ground, a trench of about eighteen foote wide and 55 yards in length wherein the bodies of a multitude of men have been buryed (he thinks two thousand) for the blacknesse of the earth occassioned by the putrefaction of the flesh with the bones is (as he says) about four foot in depth. Amongst them they have found a speare head of iron, much eaten with rust; and in this digging, have taken up divers potsherds, some of large magnitude, and about two inches thick….’
2 Warwick, Coventry and Birmingham Museums were contacted but had no information relative to this report, nor could a reference be found in other literature. Dugdale himself makes no mention in his historical writings and it would seem that the account should be treated with reserve.

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