ArchaeoPhysica Ltd on the WWW

Sheinton, Shropshire

Work in 2004 & 2006 has centred around seeking the origins of the village & included magnetic survey of part of a large trapezoidal cropmark enclosure visible as a cropmark. A later set of surveys used electrical resistance techniques to explore a garden and part of an adjacent field prior to some test excavation.

The cropmark was found to be caused by a deep defensive ditch around an Iron Age farm & although the interior has been truncated by ploughing enough remains to indicate its function. The site is situated at the bottom of a slope overlooked by the medieval church and the historic centre of the village so it seems likely that the two locations were linked.

The electrical resistance survey was intended to follow on from an earlier excavation that found a section of ditch containing a large amount of Roman pottery. This was traced in 2006 and found to be part of a complex of features indicating Roman and potentially prehistoric activity within the heart of the village. Subsequent excavations have confirmed this. Other findings include the remains of a walled garden & what appears to be the site of a house demolished to make way for the rectory.

The keyhole nature of the surveys means that an incomplete picture is currently available but it seems likely that the village originated as an Iron Age farming establishment, replaced by a more Romanized settlement before in turn developing into its medieval successor.

If nothing else, this project indicates the potential for Local Heritage Initiative funding to transform our understanding of our villages & towns.

Client

Sheinton Heritage Group