NHER 63025 (Monument record) - Medieval pit and undated features

December 2018. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site.
Archaeologically significant remains were limited to a large pit, a small pit or post-hole, several linear features and a probable tree-throw hollow. The pit was a substantial feature that could only be partially excavated, although hand augering suggested that it was at least 1.18m deep. The exposed portion of the pit had a thick clay lining, leading to the suggestion that it had been a tanning pit. It produced small amounts of Late Saxon and early medieval pottery indicating that it most likely open during the latter part of the 11th century AD. Other finds included a single Middle Saxon pottery sherd, a possible Roman tile fragment and small amounts of animal bone and fired clay.
The four probable ditches exposed was all aligned roughly north-north-east to south-south-west. Although they produced no finds it was noted that samples taken from these features produced ranges of material similar to that seen in a sample taken from the large pit.
In the southernmost trenches there was also evidence for some form of large pond-like feature, the upper fills of which appeared to overlay a substantial earlier feature of an uncertain nature. A sample taken from the black fill of this earlier feature proved to be particularly rich in carbonised remains, which included large numbers of hulled barley grains and free-threshing type wheat. Samples taken from the dark overlying fill of the possible pond produced a large number of waterlogged plant remains, along with a range of other material.
No unstratified finds were recovered.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 12 November 2018.