Monument record 2411 - Cropmark at Arbury

Possible Prehistoric-Romano-British farmstead. Cropmark enclosure of irregular quadrilateral form, with rounded corners. The site is visible as a dark green mark within a lighter green cereal crop. Measures c.105m N-S by 70m E-W. The placename Arbury, which is first recorded in c.1215 as 'Herdbiri', is derived from the Old English 'eorthburg' meaning 'earth-fortification'. The cropmark enclosure, which is probably a Romano-British farmstead, must have survived as a prominent earthwork into the post-Roman period and almost certainly gave its name to the surrounding township. Cropmarks are visible changes in the growth of vegetation that may indicate a buried feature. These distinctions can usually only be identified from Aerial Photographs.