Scheduled MonumentsEnglandWretchwick deserted medieval settlement

Wretchwick deserted medieval settlement

England
List entry 1015549
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1015549
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
4.38 hectares
Grid reference
SP 59569 21307, SP 59785 21505
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

Wretchwick is a deserted medieval settlement located in Oxfordshire, England, designated as a scheduled monument. The settlement comprises the earthwork remains of a medieval village, preserving ridge-and-furrow field systems and the structural outlines of former dwellings and associated buildings. The site dates to the medieval period, with evidence suggesting occupation and agricultural use spanning several centuries before its eventual desertion. These earthwork remains provide valuable archaeological evidence of rural settlement patterns and land management practices characteristic of medieval England.

Wretchwick deserted medieval settlement is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1015549. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Wretchwick deserted medieval settlement?

Wretchwick is a deserted medieval settlement located in Oxfordshire, England, designated as a scheduled monument.

Who is responsible for protecting Wretchwick deserted medieval settlement?

Wretchwick deserted medieval settlement is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1015549.

What other scheduled monuments are near Wretchwick deserted medieval settlement?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Ambrosden churchyard cross (2 km), Alchester Roman parade ground, access road and marching camp (2.1 km), Alchester Roman site (2.6 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Wretchwick deserted medieval settlement

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Wretchwick deserted medieval settlement's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Wretchwick deserted medieval settlement

Wretchwick deserted medieval settlement stands on Kellaways Formation And Oxford Clay Formation (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Oxfordian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.