Mortuary Enclosure 400m SW of Thelsford Farm, Charlecote.

Description of this historic site

A rectangular enclosure, ditches and post holes were found during an archaeological excavation. The site has been interpreted as a long barrow, cursus or a mortuary enclosure. The site appears to date to the Neolithic period and is located 1.3km north of Charlecote.

Notes about this historic site

1 Small elongated rectangular enclosure with elliptical ends and traces of two entrances, orientated N-S.
2 This is a small cursus type enclosure which was investigated by Mrs P M Christie over a fortnight’s work. It proved 71.3m long with parallel ditches enclosing an area 12.1m wide. There was an outer bank. One entrance was excavated. Traces of an interior structure were revealed by post holes. Finds consisted of flints including a fragment of an arrowhead and a few potsherds of Neolithic-Bronze Age date.
3 Site was completely excavated in 1969 in advance of gravel extraction. An elongated rectangular ditched enclosure with elliptical ends measuring 76m by 15m with E and W entrances. Two large post holes in the ends of the ditch at the E entrance. The upcast indicated an interior bank or mound. Pottery of the secondary Neolithic was obtained from stratified fill including fill of Rinyo-Clacton ware.
4 Plan and further information in FI file.
5 Two distinct options for the interpretation of the enclosure: the firstm that if a ploughed out long barrow; the second, a possibly related, but distinctly separate type defined by the open enclosures of Dorchester VIII and Normanton Down. Beaker and collared urn sherds recovered.
6 Excavation report from 1971.
7 Undated plan.
8 Archival material.
9 Correspondence from 1973 about proposed overhead electricity lines.
10 Large scale plan relating to 9.
11 Magnetic survey from 1965.

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