North Gloucestershire Cotswolds NMP

The North Gloucestershire Cotswolds NMP survey forms part of the broader programme of NMP mapping projects within Gloucestershire and covers the top part of the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire down to a line running east-west from Cheltenham.

A number of Late Prehistoric and/or Roman period settlement enclosures in the Vale of Evesham are visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs (left) and have been mapped as part of the contextual area to the Gloucestershire NMP project. Many contain numerous domestic pits and internal building structures. The sites are linked by trackways and extend along the gravel terraces on the northern side of the Carrant Brook, Worcestershire. Many of these sites have been destroyed in the last 30 years through extraction of the gravel, and the modern pattern of reclaimed agricultural land shows a very different field pattern to that before the extraction took place.

The new settlement enclosure just south of Ashton under Hill was previously hidden by ridge and furrow (the furrow lines can still be seen crossing the site) and a plantation. Other probably contemporary settlements are partially visible, both to the north and south of the Carrant Brook, and more sites and detail may be revealed as ploughing continues in the area.

Recent work in the project area has examined the remains of various elements of animal husbandry, which has highlighted the importance of sheep to the Cotswolds as well as tracing the remains of arable farming. This work has also discovered traces of more recent activity in the form of military remains from the Second World War.

Mapping for the project area is nearly complete and a report should be produced in the near future highlighting the main findings from the survey.

North Gloucestershire Cotswolds - Interim results

Key findings from early analysis of the mapping from the North Cotswolds NMP project
Agriculture in the North Cotswolds

The remains of various forms of previous agricultural regimes are visible from the air for large parts of the North Cotswolds
Animal husbandry in the North Cotswolds

The various remains of features related to animal husbandry in the North Cotswolds, an activity that was of great importance to the area.
Military remains in the North Cotswolds

The North Cotswolds had numerous sites related to military activity but many that were visible on aerial photographs are no longer tracable on the ground.

The images used on this page are copyright English Heritage unless specified otherwise. For further details of any photographs or other images and for copies of these, or the plans and reports related to the project please contact the NMR English Heritage's public archive.

For further information on a project or any other aspect of the work of the Aerial Survey team please contact us at: AerialSurvey@english-heritage.org.uk.

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