Wootton Wawen

Description

Detailed fieldwork in an area of c one Sq Km to the south of St Peter's Church revealed many well preserved relict features. These included a very small motte and bailey castle, which had been considerably altered and enlarged to form a rectangular manorial enclosure, surrounded on three sides by an extensive pond (now dry). Elsewhere investigation of the complex system of water control needed to feed this and another pond was begun. (PastScape)

An area of relict features, many in a very good state of preservation. Chief among them is what appears to have been a very small motte and bailey castle. This sat at the front of a gently sloping promontory between the River Alne and a tributary, taking advantage of a long steep bluff along the W edge of the Alne's flood plain. Most of the motte has survived, as has the N part of its ditch. The rest of the ditch was infilled in the Medieval period when the bailey was greatly enlarged to form a rectangular enclosure. This was defended by a bank and ditch to the N and a large bank to the E, S and W. An extensive three-armed pond surrounds the manorial complex on three sides. Within the enclosure there appear to be a number of faint platforms. The chronology of these features is not fully clear. (Warwickshire HER–ref. Bassett)

Comments

St Peter's Church was a Saxon minster. There was also a Benedictine priory founded in late C11 in Wootton Wawen. A castle seems a reasonable suggestion in this high status manor held by Robert de Toeni (who's caput was Stafford castle), although the small size might suggest a symbolic mount, showing Toeni's baronial and military status, rather than a fortification. The site has alternatively been suggested as an ice house or post medieval fishpond.