Abandoned routeway/ holloway
The route of an abandoned road or hollow way dating from the Medieval to the Imperial period. It ran from Ullenhall Lane towards Oldberrow and survives as an earthwork.
1 A road runs northwards through the parish from the former settlement of Warnap (WA 1245) at SP12 64, towards the road from Gorcott Hill to Ullenhall. It joined the latter near Oldberrow Lane Farm (SP0968). The road is clearly shown on all 19th century maps, and can still be followed on the ground. Holloways can be seen to the south of Bishops Farm at SP12 65, and to the North of the Outhill-Oldberrow road at SP10 66. The deepest holloways are at SP11 65, where the road is joined by another from Morton Bagot (WA 1241), and in Cadborough Coppice at SP11 66, where the road runs as a double holloway for a short distance. To the north of the present Outhill-Oldberrow road a footpath follows the line of this road, and there was a former roadside settlement at SP10 67 (WA 1236). At this point, laid stones have been observed along the line of the road.
2 Ecological management document, contains maps and photographs.
3 Part of this route running along the Oldberrow/ Morton Bagot boundary may be referred to as the ‘ealde weg’ (old way) in an Early Medieval charter (dated AD 709, though date probably spurious), though this reference could also be to the road running NE from Outhill, which it crosses. The road seems to have been the one called Stonie Lane in 1617.
4 Map illustrating the section of the route identified in 3.
- For the sources of these notes, see the
- Timetrail record
- produced by the Historic Environment Record.
Comments
I have wondered for many years whether this old lane may have been in part created as a route from what looks like a quarry close to Pooles Wood near Cadborough Coppice which may have been used in the construction of the minster church at Wootton Wawen. From the top of the hill by Pooles Wood the deep eroded trackway appears to head directly towards Wootton Wawen. The deep erosion suggests to me heavily laden traffic, i.e. stone carrying wagons going from the possible quarries. I note that one of your references refers to ‘Stonie Lane. Della Hooke’s History of Morton Bagot refers to the area near the possible quarry as Stanberries which she interprets as Stone Berrow, and calls the old trackway, Bablake Lane.
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