CBA SMA\SMA 2000.PDF - Council for British Archaeology

SOUTH MIDLANDS ARCHAEOLOGYThe Newsletter of the Council for British Archaeology, South Midlands Group (Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire,Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire)NUMBER 30, 2000CONTENTSPageEditorialBedfordshire 1Buckinghamshire 9Northamptonshire 33Oxfordshire 43Publications 90Review 90Index 91Notes for Contributors 100EDITOR: Barry Home CHAIRMAN: Ted Legg'Beaumont'17 Napier StreetChurch EndBletchleyEdlesboroughMilton KeynesDunstable, BedsMIC2 2NFLU6 2EPHON SEC: Shelagh Lewis TREASURER: Jon HitchcockOld College Farmhouse75D Princes Street2 Magdalen Close DunstableSyreshamBeds.NorthantsLU6 3ASNN13 5YFTypeset by Barry HomeISSN 0960-7552

EDITORIALThis volume, number 30, the last one of the century and of the mffiennium, has even more contributors than any previousvolume as the publication continues to chronicles the work carried out in our region.When we reached volume 20 a cumulative index was produced, since then each volume has had its own index. Now wehave reached the milestone of number 30 we are going to produce another cumulative index of all volumes to date. Weprinted off hundreds of copies of the previous index and still have a good many left so this time we are going to take fulladvantage of the technology available and put it up on the World Wide Web. For those who do not use the web, but havea computer, we will make a floppy disk copy available if people send a disk and a stamped addressed envelope. For thosewho wish to have a paper copy we will make them available at cost.In conclusion I would like to thank all those who sent in reports and ask that they, and anyone else, send in articles forSMA 31. Please send a note, however short, of any work carried out in the four counties.Copy date for SMA 31 is 31st March 2001; please refer to Notes for Contributors.Barry Home AIFAThe CBA Spring Conference was held on 15th April 2000 at the Community Hall, Woodstock, Oxfordshire.The subject of this year's spring conference was "Death and Burial in the South Midlands". An introduction from TedLegg, the new chairperson, followed opening cups of coffee, tea and biscuits. Five speakers gave short, but excellenttalks accompanied by slides and overheads. Barry Home told the audience about "Skeletons I have known"; AndyChapman spoke about "The Bronze Age Barrow Cemetery at Gayhutst, Buckinghamshire"; Mark Holmes talked aboutthe "Excavations adjacent to Wing Churchyard ". This was followed by lunch. Angela Boyle then started the afternoontalks with "What can we learn from Human Remains"; Colin Clarke spoke on the subject of "Death and Burial in RomanWallingford"; followed by Andy Chapman again, this time telling us about "Two Burial Sites in Northamptonshire".Each speaker answered questions from the audience after their individual talks. The afternoon finished with closingremarks from Ted Legg, followed by tea, coffee and biscuits for anyone who wished to stay.The conference was attended by approximately 70 people, including 10 members of the committee.auis Edbury

BEDFORDSHIREBEDFORDSHIRE COUNTY ARCHAEOLOGYSERVICEBedford, Cutler Hammer Sportsground (FL 0203 4737)Mike Luke and Gary EdmondsonArchaeological evaluation comprised geophysical survey(undertaken by West Yorkshire Archaeology Service) andtrial excavation over a 2.2 ha study area.The earliest human activity within the study are,a is indicatedby three Bronze Age ring ditches. The ditches of two of thesewere examined by trial excavation and found to be c 1.6 mwide and 03 m deep. They varied in diameter from 19m to22 m. Although a small number of internal features wereidentified none contained human remains.Residual pottery within later features suggests early-middleIron Age unspecific activity took place within the study area.A number of pits and ditches contained late Iron Age/earlyRoman pottery, which also occurred as residual finds withinlater features. Although no clear focus was discernible it islikely a farmstead of this period was situated within thestudy area.A system of ditched boundaries was established within thestudy area during the Roman period. These form rectangularenclosures and trackways. Although no clear focus wasidentified, the presence of pits, isolated postholes and ahearth suggest these were associated with settlement. It islikely that this is the continuation of the Roman settlementoriginally believed to be centred on ICempston Church End.Biddenham, 43-45 Main Road (FL 0226 4989)Martin Wilson and Matt EdgeworthAn archaeological evaluation carried out in November 1998at a proposed residential development at Biddenham, westof Bedford, revealed a range of archaeological features andan artefact assemblage, indicative of occupation during theSaxo-Norman period. The site was situated within thenorthern perimeter of a large oval enclosure of unknownantiquity (HER 15271).Further investigations were undertaken between Februaryand May 1999, carried out in stages, comprising excavationand watching briefs.Excavation on the new building footprint revealed a largearea of disturbance, understood to be an extraction pit, ofunlmown date, but infilled in recent years. Two east-westaligned parallel ditches, c 63 m apart, were investigated,each containing 12th-13th century ceramics, which couldpossibly have been the footings of a timber-framedstructure. An area of limestone paving laid over one of theseditches and a later cobbled surface demonstrated the re-useof this site in the later medieval period.BedfordshireThe watching brief tmcovered a further extent of stratifiedfeatures and deposits that dated from the Saxo-Normanperiod to the late medieval. Many features of post-medievaldate were also recorded during construction of the siteaccess, some of which may seal earlier deposits.Biggleswade, Stratton Local Centre (FL 2027 4420)Mike Luke, Matt Edgeworth and Rob EdwardsA trial trench evaluation followed by an open areaexcavation was undertaken over a Study Area 0.8 ha inextent. This was located to the north of previously excavatedareas which had revealed extensive Saxon and medievalsettlements.The earliest evidence for human activity comprised apresumed Bronze Age ring ditch, 15 m in diameter. Nodiagnostic artefacts were recovered from the ditch fillsalthoug,h the ditch was truncated by a small pit containingIron Age pottery.Dispersed Saxon settlement features were identified overthe western half of the excavation. These comprised a largewater pit, possible hearth and isolated pits and postholes.The small pottery assemblage contemporary with thisactivity was dominated by shell tempered Maxey-typewares with a single sherd of sand tempered Ipswich ware.Trial excavation to the north suggest this is the most northernextent of the Saxon settlement.The majority of the features dated to the medieval period.These comprised ditched enclosures which contained bothpit clusters, probable water pits and isolated features.Although no buildings were located the quantity of potteryand animal bone in the fills of these, suggests they wereoccupied rather than simply animal compounds. Themajority of the pottery can be dated to the 12th-14thcenturies. Locally manufactured sand tempered fabricspredominate with small quantities of regional imports fromHertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire andEssex. A limited quantity of tile and brick of latemedieval/post medieval date was recovered. These were notpresent in sufficient quantities to suggest a tiled building.In summary the open area excavation has identified thenorthern limit of the Saxon and medieval settlements whicharelatoi.vn to have extended over 10 ha.Dunstable, Grove House Gardens (FL 180 224)Mike Luke and Mark PhillipsA watching brief was undertaken during construction ofsewer manholes and compound. A single pit was observedcontained post-medieval artefacts.1

BedfordshireEggington, Land Off Leighton Road (SP 9631 2587)Matt Edgeworth and Martin WilsonAn archaeological evaluation was carried out in June 1999in advance of the creation of two new lakes, on land to thenorth-east of Eggington, South Bedfordshire. Thedevelopment lay within an area of pasture, containinge,arthwork remains of part of the township's medieval fieldsystem. The surviving ridge and furrow was surveyed.Eight trial trenches were then machine excavated. Noarchaeological features were located. The finds from thetopsoil comprised isolated pottery sherds and a horseshoenail, all of 13th-14th century date.Flitton, Church Of St John The Baptist (IL 059 359)Nick Shepherd, Tony Walsh and Mark PhillipsTwo separate episodes of archaeological recording wereundertaken at the Church of St John the Baptist.The replacement of sections of timber flooring in the naverequired the removal of sub-floor fill. Relatively compactedlayers beneath the fill may derive from earlier phases of useof the church or possibly even pre-date the existingstructure. The pier bases of the current 15th century buildingcut through some of these layers. Disarticulated humanremains were recovered from the fill and from a charnel pitcut into it. The exact date of this grave clearance could notbe established but the find of a coffin fitting suggests a16th-17th century date for at least some of the graves.A watching brief was also carried out during drainage workswithin the churchyard to the north and south of the church.Deposits of both demolition and construction debris wereobserved. Where visible, the foundations for buttressesappeared to be unusually wide. Furthermore, trenching nextto the church did not expose undisturbed geological levels.However, it was not possible to deterrnine whether or notthe wall foundations themselves had been built on"made-up" ground.Potton, Myers Road (IL 224 498)Martin Wilson and Mark PhillipsAn eight week excavation in advance of housingdevelopment was undertaken between July and September1999. The main trench was centred over the greatestconcentration of features located by earlier geophysicalsurvey and trial trenching. Three other smaller trenches werelocated to cover areas between the trial trenches and toexamine a possible palaeochannel identified from aerialphotographs.The earliest features on the site consisted of a number of pits,dated to the Saxo-Norman period. The largest group wasfound in the south-eastem part of the main trench. Here thepits were closely intercut, first appearing in plan as anirregular area of dark soil. When excavated the irregularpatches proved to be a ntunber of intercut pits, usuallyrounded or oval in plan with a shallow profile. The fills weredark, containing a large proportion of charcoal, moderateamounts of daub or burnt clay, and small quantities ofpottery.The medieval period was characterised by a series ofrenewed boundary ditches. Certain smaller elements ofthese formed enclosures in the south-eastem part of the site.A number of pits also dated to this period. Finds evidencesuggests that the enclosure ditches had gone out of use bythe end of the medieval period.Field name evidence indicates that the development areawas formerly imown as The Myres, indicating the presenceof marshy ground. The excavated evidence suggests thatduring the Saxo-Norman and medieval periods itrepresented an intermittently used area of marginal land onthe periphery of the township.Leighton Buzzard, AB Saints' Church (SP 9183 2486)Martin WilsonAn archaeological evaluation and subsequent watchingbrief were carried out during the construction of newsoakaways within the churchyard to the west of the churchitself. Layers of rubble recorded during the investigationsare likely to relate to the demolition of the Prebend Houseof Leighton Buzzard in c 1810. Digitised and super-imposedmap evidence revealed the deposits to be located within thesite of the mansion, whilst pictorial representations andwritten sources provided corroborative evidence for ilsstructural characteristics. Following the evaluation thesoakaways were successfully located away from the inferredpositions of significant structural elements, such as wallsand floors.Pulloxhill, St James' Church (FL 062 338)Tony WalshArchaeological investigation and recording was undertakenduring the construction of a French drain. In particular, itwas hoped that evidence relating to the structure of thechurch, prior to the rebuilding by J T Wing in 1845, wouldbe revealed.The medieval foundations of the chancel were exposed andevidence for two blocked doors was revealed on the southwall. The extension and remodelling of the chancel c 1740was indicated by the exposed base of a corner buttress,which once stood at the west end of the building, and byvariation in the foundations and walling. The remains ofwindows constructed at this time, but subsequently- infilledor partially blocked, were visible on both sides of thebuilding. Buttresses were added at the mid-point of thelengthened wall.2

The foundations of the 1845-6 nave were exposed. Evidencefor the construction of the nave and shortening of the chancelto its present length was clearly visible.Ravensden, All Saints' Church (IL 0777 5431)Gary Edmondson and Martin WilsonA scheme of intermittent archaeological inspection andrecording was undertaken between February and June 1999during a programme of construction. The building worksprincipally comprised a modification and extension to theearly 20th century vestry and improvement of car parkingfacilities fronting the churchyard.Nothing of archaeological significance was present in thecar parking area. In the area of the vestry extension theremains of at least 24 inhumations were encountered in amuch dishuted area. Bones were retrieved for re-intermentin the churchyard. Excavation of wall foundation trenchesrevealed the cobbled raft foundations of the north wall of themedieval church. Subsequent drainage works to thesouth-east of the church produced medieval pottery andceramic roofing tile fragments. The architecturalcharacteristics of the features of a doorway in the north aislewere also recorded in detail during its unblocking andrestoration.Sandy, Land Adjacent To 6 Stratford Road (FL 182 478)Martin WilsonAn archaeological watching brief was maintained during abarn conversion on land adjacent to 6 Stratford Road, Sandy.The site lay to the south of the knoi,vn Romano-Britishsettlement and close to the purported course of a Romanroad. During the groundwork, human skeletal remains wereexposed. Subsequent investigations, largely confined toconstruction trenches, revealed the development area to besituated within an inhumation cemetery that probably datesto the early Romano-British period. 'Thirteen individualgraves were located. Where identifiable, orientation wasgenerally northeast-southwest. A small assemblage (25sherds) of pottery was recovered, ranging in date from theearly-middle Iron Age to the post-medieval period. The sizeof the cemetery could not be fully ascertained, but it isbelieved to extend beyond the development area.The results of the fieldwork have made a useful contributionto knowledge of the southern hinterland of Romano-BritishSandy. They have confirmed the presence of a probableearly Romano-British cemetery, first recorded c 1900(Johnston 1974), between the small town and the site of theford over an un-named minor tributary of the River Ivel.ReferenceJohnston D 1974; "The Roman Settlement at Sandy,Bedfordshire", BAT, 9,41Shefford, Ampthill Road (FL 1383 3885)Mike LukeBedfordshireArchaeological evaluation comprising three trial trencheswas undertaken in advance of a planning application forresidential development. An area of 19th century quarryingwas located extending over at least one quarter of theapplication area. Two archaeological features, both believedto be Roman in origin were identified; a ditch and a posthole.Roman pottery but no other artefacts was recovered. Theevaluation is adjacent to a known area of Roman remainsdiscovered during 19th century quarrying and believed toinclude a cemetery and possible temple. The results suggestthe site is on the periphery of this settlement.Stevington, The Old Vicarage (SP 9904 5360)Man EdgeworthA watching brief was carried out during building work tothe rear of the Old Vicarage in Stevington, situated in anarchaeologically sensitive area, south of St Mary'schurchyard. The work involved the demolition of an existingconservatory and the construction of an extension, togetherwith enlargement of the patio area. As the garden slopeddown towards the house, a considerable volume of soil hadto be excavated. Three pits of post-medieval date and otherfeatures and layers thought to be of recent origin wererecorded. Residual sherds of pottery dated to the 12th-13thcenturies were found but any early features had beendestroyed during the post-medieval period.Yielden, St Mary's Church (FL 011 671)Sean Steadman, Tony Walsh and Jerry StoneArchaeological investigation and recording wereundertaken during the construction of a French drain aroundthe perimeter of the church.The medieval foundations were exposed revealing evidenceof the nature of the relationships between the differentstructural elements of the church. Most of the survivingbuttresses appear to be integral to the wall construction. Inaddition, it is suggested that a former buttress, once centralto the east wall of the chancel, may have been demolished.Tvvo buttresses have been added to counteract the bowingout of the upper storey of the north wall of the nave. At leasttwo phases of construction were recognised in the footingsof the south aisle which might support the suggestion thatthe south aisle was widened at some point. Footings for anearlier structure, possibly also a tomb vault, were exposedbeneath the tomb vault on the south aisle. It is suggested thatthe present external extent of the tomb vault is smaller thanit originally was. The exposed footings of the tower providelittle or no evidence to support the suggestion that it is a lateraddition. However, the buttresses, which are probablyintegral to the construction of the tower, appear to abut thewest wall of the nave.3

BedfordshireCAMBRIDGESHIRE COUNT'Y COUNCILBromham (SP997 507)M Wilson and N ShepherdA desktop study of an area to the south-west of BromhamGrange and the site of a water mill. Features contemporarywith these may extend into the subject area. Maps indicatethe area has been under cultivation since the medievalperiod. No prehistoric or Roman evidence has beenrecovered from the site but a Roman road may tun to theeastern edge and cropmarks and pottery to the north suggestIron Age and Roman settement in the general area.Felmersham (SP 9919 5786)RobertsArchaeological evaluation of 450 sq m of land to the easternend of the churchyard of the parish church in the centre ofthe village. Trenches revealed features includingpost-medieval foundations cut into a large ditch whichcontained Anglo-Saxon and later medieval pottery.Woburn Road, Marston Moretaine (SP 992 412)P Bright and N ShepherdThe desktop study of 6.6 ha of agricultural land was carriedout to map archaeological information from documentarystudy before development of the land. Medieval features,including settlement earthworks, are well Imown in thevicinity. The land is currently under the remnants ofmedieval ridge and furrow agriculture. Archaeologicalinvestigations to the north of the area suggest the ridge andfunow may mask earlier remains. Parts of an Iron Agesettlement may be expected to survive in the northern partof the study area with late Saxon to early medieval remainsadjacent to the moat and settlement earthworks. The site hasbeen pasture since the medieval period with some veryrecent cultivation. Geophysical survey located several are,asof anomalies which may correspond with subsoilarchaeological features.Wooton Village (FL 010 450)M Wilson and N ShepherdA desktop assessment examined three tracts of land in theimmediate vicinity of Wooton village. There are few knownarchaeological sites within the sites studied. A medievalmoat probably survives beneath the more recent building atKeeley Farm in the north, this may represent the site of CulyManor. Aerial photographs in the south show cropmarks thatmay mark the site of a rectangular enclosure, apparentlysubdivided internally. Its form suggests a settlement or stockenclosure of late Iron Age or Roman date. Cropmarks alsoindicate extensive medieval cultivation across the whole ofthe study area and map evidence confirms that the major partof the study lies within the medieval common fields.COTSWOLD ARCHAEOLOGICAL TRUSTBiddenham, Bromham Road (FL 0250 5050)Laurent ColemanA fieldwalking survey was conducted on land to the northof Bromham Road. The majority of the material recovereddated to the post-medieval period and the distribution of thismaterial appeare,d to represent variations in agriculturalpractice. In addition a small assemblage of struck flint wasrecovered, but no significant concentrations were identified.HERTFORDSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICALTRUSTDunstable, Land Off French's Avenue (FL 0073 2291)Tom McDonaldFollowing a geophysical survey, the Trust carried out anarchaeological evaluation of the site. Six trial trenches wereexcavated on the site. The natural chalk strata were revealedin all the trenches. No archaeological features or finds wererevealed, despite the site's proximity to the A5 road (the lineof Roman Watling Street) in an area which has producedextensive evidence for occupation. Modern features relatingto use of the site as a sportsfield were located, and accountfor anomalies recorded during the previous geophysicalsurvey.Hoddiffe, Woburn Road (SP 974 268)David FellSeven trial trenches were excavated on the site, which hadpreviously been used as a car breaker's yard. Some oilcontamination was present in the central part of the site. Anumber of undated pits and ditches were present in thesouthern part of the site, though almost certainly modem inorigin. The northern part of the site had received littledisturbance. Layers of modern building debris occupied thesouthern part of the site, up to a depth of 1 m. Mixed naturalsands and gravels were present in the base of the trenches.LUTON ARCHAEOLOGICAL GROUPLuton, Park Street (FL 098 205)R HudspithIn March 1999, observations on a spoil heap from asoakaway drain, dug in the garden of a property on thecorner of Park Street and Seymour Road, Luton revealednative Belgic and Romano-British sherds of probable 1stcentury date.Further evaluation of the site, with the permission of theowner, showed that the 1 m deep soakaway had cut through4

the edge of an archaeological feature, possibly aRomano-British rubbish pit or shallow ditch (at 0.7 m depthbelow surface) containing potsherds, pot boiler stones,charcoal and dark organic material. Other material from thesite included fragments of tiles, imbrex and flue tile, ironnails and a possible corroded barrel lock as well as animalbone fragments. The finds suggest material from aRomano-British domestic occupation site close by, with thepossibility of a reasonably substantial building with a tiledroof somewhere in the Park Street (Brache Farm) area in theRoman period.Roman pottery was found at Brache Farm in 1858 (Simco1984) and the former site of the Brache farmhouse waslocated immediately south of the current findsite. About 100sherds were recovered, mainly from the spoil heap, with 12sherds found in context, including several conjoiningfragments of 2 cordoned jars. The sherds represent 17different vessels including fragments of a thin walleddecorated beaker (possibly imported) and Samian ware fromGaul. The assemblage may represent domestic materialdiscarded in a pit or ditch over time or a mixture of materialfrom the late Pre- Roman Iron Age and Roman periodsdeposited following site clearance. The style of the potterymay suggest evidence for the continuation of native potteryof Belgic type well into the Roman period.ReferencesSimco A 1984; Survey of Bedfordshire: The Roman Period,111.MANSHEAD ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETYOF DUNSTABLEThe Dunstable Millennium Clock (TL 0190 2175)Dave WarrenThe brief was to observe and record any features and findsthat might be revealed during the removal of a raisedflowerbed and the excavation of foundations for the'Millennium Clock' on the old Market Square in High StreetSouth.No Roman Remains or features were found. There were nowalls, postholes, pits or ditches within the areas excavated.However, in both the hole for the clock base and nearbysoakaway a succession of surfaces and deliberate build-upsof level were seen. The lower two surfaces and interveningchalk layer are probably medieval. Later levels are perhapspost-medieval to certainly Modern. Thanks are due toDunstable Town Council and Project Design Company fortheir encouragement and assistance.Field SurveyR HudspithStudhamModern Studham contains several areas of piecemealdevelopment, around the original 'village' location. ArableBedfordshirecrops include wheat, barley and oil seed rape and there isprobably as much, if not more, woodland now than in 1905.Bridleways and footpaths now follow many of the principalpost-medieval trackways and boundaries (Fig 1).Observations alongside footpaths around Studham(TL0116/7) revealed evidence of small scatters ofNeolithic/Bronze Age worked flints and fire fractured flintsindicating prehistoric activity (at various times) across thispart of the clay-with-flints-covered Chiltern Hills (Fig 1).This area, on the truncated plateau, to the east of the chalkscarp slope could have been densely wooded (with someareas of clearance) into the later prehistoric period and theoccasional artefact finds may well represent woodland craftand hunting activities (Home 1996).Several of the observed hedgerows were wide (in effectstrips of woodland) a feature noted to the north of Kensworth(Hudspith 1996).A footpath alongside the Whipsnade Zoo fence, formerlythe line of a trackway (shown on the 1st OS map of 1834)has a wide hedge containing mature coppiced treesincluding ash, holly & hazel with three pollarded oaks of5 m, 5 m and 3.8 m girth (c 1.6 m and 1.2 m diameter). Thelarge coppiced and pollarded trees indicate intensivewoodland management in the past (Rackham 1986) alonghedges of probable pre-enclosure date.The trackway, or holloway, shows as a 5 m wide ditch withattendant hedgerow bank between Longspoons Wood andMason's Plantation. The footpath, on the north side ofMason's Plantation (woodland planted in the 20th Century)follows the course of another former trackway or holloway,flanked by a line of old coppiced trees (including ash, hollyand hornbeam) set on a hedgerow bank.Other hedgerows which included coppiced oak, beech andhazel were noted alongside the Zoo fence and aroundWhipsnade Golf Course.At several places, steeply sloping (southerly facing)hedgerow banks were noted and appear to represent afeature of cultivation in this area.Chalton Cross (Houghton Regis and Toddington Parishes)Some limited fieldwalking was carried out at Chalton CrossFarm (TL0325) during the wet winter of late 1998. Theknown Romano-British site, subject of intensive fieldworksurveys in 1995 (Hudspith 1995) again yielded several kgof pottery as well as evidence for ironworking. Severallocalised scatters of material were noted, perhaps indicatinga range of buidings and/or different activity sites.Other finds included a large amphora sherd, at least 30fragments of Roman tile: tegulae, brick tile and imbrex(including shell grit types) and a fragment of tile, possiblyshaped into a tessera cube.5

BedfordshireKEYN/ BA workedflintsFMFired flintsMedievalSherds/ / / / Modernwoodland- - - - Former trackFig 1. Studham. Artefact scatter.Finds elsewhere included a few Mesolithic flint blades,Neolithic/Bronze Age worked flints and towards the M1(east of the modern farmhouse) a fewRomano-British/medieval sherds, perhaps indicatingmanuring scatters.Billington (SP9322)A scatter of potsherds was seen to extend down the hillslope,alongside the footpath to Slaptonbury Mill (Fig 7 inHudspith 1998). The sherds were mainly of late IronAge/Romano-British and Medieval date.The late Iron Age/Romano-British sherd scatter may wellrepresent evidence for domestic occupation or, morespeculatively, the site of a cremation cemetery.The hilltop burials recently found on the excavation site atBillington and the recorded finds of skeletons from`Aldbury' field (Gurney 1915) possibly indicates somecontinuity of burial practice on the hilltop.In Saxon times this may have been because of the still visibleprehistoric and Roman features in this area (Williams 1997).A few worked flints, including a Mesolithic blade andbladelet c.ore were also noted.Caddington (Blows Downs. TL0321)A few sherds of Roman and prehistoric pottery were notedon the eroded edge of the chalk quarry at Blows Downs(Fig 2).Worthington Smith (1904) reported that eight 'British huts'were destroyed by challc quarrying at Blows Downs in 1888.Cropmarks, perhaps indicating enclosures and otherfeatures are visible in fields along the scarp slope at BlowsDowns on an aerial photograph taken in 1969.Caddington (Dunstable Road Allotments: TL0619)A small scatter of Medieval potsherds was identified onallotment land and a proposed development site, atCaddington (in an area once known as Green Close offDunstable Road/Folly Lane - Fig 2: Coleman, 1985).Neolithic/Bronze Age flints and post Medieval sherds havealso been found across the allotments.Houghton Regis (Mill Road: TL013238)Observations on house foundation trenches alongside thefootpath at Mill Road (final phase development) revealedno identifiable archaeological features.Streatley (New Roundabout drainage works: TL073287)Observations along the course of drainage channelsprovided for the recently altered road junction on the A1081at Streatley revealed at least two (undated) ditches in sectionand a small scatter of (c 3rd Century) Roman sherds as wellas Neolithic/Bronze Age worked flints.ReferencesColeman S R 1985; Caddington and Kensworth, BedsParish Surveys, No 4Gurney F0 1915; Noteboolcs in Luton MuseumHome B J 1996; "Will the lea Neolithic please stand up",Manshead Journal 36, p22-39Hudspith R 1995; Manshead Journal 35, p27-29Hudspith R 1996; Manshead Journal 36, p14Hudspith R 1998; MansheadJournal 38, p29Williams H 1997; "Ancient Landscapes and the Dead: TheReuse of Prehistoric and Roman Monuments as EarlyAnglo-Saxon Burial Sites", Med Arch XII

BedfordshireKEYIron AgesherdsRMRoman SherdsMedievalSherdsPrehistoricHuts/ / / / Modernwoodland- Former trackoFig 2. Caddington (Blows Downs).11CMNORTHAMPTONSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGYReport for 1999 compiled by Andy Chapman and PatChapman, illustrations by Steve Morris and Mark RoughleyTempsford (FL 1630 2537)Anthony MauII, with Steve Morris and Rob AtkinsAn area of 0.9 ha, taking in approximately half of a medievalmoated enclosure and adjacent land to the north and southwas excavated in advance of a new highway at TempsfordPark, adjacent to the Al. The site lies immediately to theeast of the confluence of the rivers Great Ouse and Ivel, andhad been identified following evaluation in 1993 (SMA 24,(1994)).Evidence of Neolithic and Bronze Age activity comprisedan assemblage of worked flint and a single sherd of Neolithicpottery, all residual in later features. The Roman and earlyto middle Saxon period was defined by shallow, linear andcurvilinear ditches, but in both instances the main focus ofoccupation lay outside the excavated area. In the late Saxonperiod there was a major reorganisation of the landscape,with the creation of a series of rectangular plots defined bylinear boundary ditches. Any associated buildings again laybeyond the excavated area, but recutting and realignment ofthe boundaries continued through the 12th and into the early13th century.In the early 13th century a moated enclosure wasconstructed over, but with respect to, the existing plotsystem. The wall slot, post-pads, day floor and mortar andtile hearths of a timber-framed manor house comprising ahall, parlour, cross-passage and service wing lay fully withinthe excavated area (Fig 3). It is likely to be the documentedManor of Brayes. A gravelled yard lay to the west of themanor, and the other ancillary buildings are presumed to liewithin the unexcavated eastern half of the enclosure. Themanor house had been abandoned and demolished by thelater 15th century.The moat itself was broad and U-profiled, and up to 2.3 mdeep, but any medieval deposits had been removed by laterrecutting. This probably occurred in the 18th and 19thcenturies after it had been en-parked within the ground ofTempsford Hall by Sir Gillies Payne.A stylised chess piece from the masted enclosure atTempsford (FL 1630 2537)Andy ChapmanA bone chess piece, the first from the county, was recoveredfrom a soil horizon in an external yard contemporary withthe 13th to 15th century manor house (see above). As chesswas a game played only by the educated, this piece helps toconfirm the manorial status of the site.The piece is fashioned from a single rectangular block ofbone, standing 42 mm high, and the characteristicV-notched top identifies it as a rook (Fig 4). The bone hasnot been identified but it must come from a large animal,and could possibly be whalebone. All four faces aredecorated with the same pattern; comprising a combinationof single and double ring-and-dot motifs, some withhorn-like projections. The corners are well rounded and thesmoothing and polishing of the surfaces by frequenthandling has partially worn away, the decoration. Thecurving upper surfaces of the notch are also decorated witha combination of double and single ring-and-dot motifs.7

- - . .Fig 3. Tempsford, the 13-15th century Manor House.There are only a few similar pieces in bone from England.The closest comparison in terms of form, size and decorativecomplexity is provided by a rook fashioned in antler fromLondon (Egan 1998, 292 & Fig 222, piece 960). There area further two rooks from London (MacGregor 1985, 138 &Fig 73b) and another from Woodperry, Oxon, all fashionedfrom oval-sectioned lengths of long bone and with relativelysimple patterns of ring-and-dot motifs. There are also rooksin jet from Rievaulx Abbey, Yorkshire; Grimes Graves,Norfolk and York.ReferencesEgan 1998; The Medieval Househole4 Daily Living c 1150 -c 1450; Medieval Finds from Excavations in LondonMacGregor 1985; Bone, Antler, Ivory and Horn; TheTechnology of Skeletal Material since the Roman Periodo5cmFig 4. Tempsford, the stylised chess piece, a rook.8

BUCKINGHAMSHIREARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES ANDCONSULTANCY LTDReport compiled by David Fell, Project Officer.Archaeological Services and Consultancy Ltd (ASC) wasestablished in 1995 in order to promote archaeology in theregion and to provide a high quality archaeological serviceto developers and others who require the services ofarchaeologists. Since establishing a base in Milton Keynesin 1998 ASC has undertaken a varied range ofarchaeological projects across the region, and its staffcomprise established local archaeologists, who are membersof both the CBA and the Institute of Field Archaeologists,and who have wide interests throughout the area andbeyond.Castlethorpe, 6 The Chestnuts (SP 797 444)Bob ZeepvatAn archaeological evaluation was undertaken adjacent tothe motte and bailey castle at Castlethorpe prior to theconstruction of a bungalow, in order to ascertain whether theouter earthworks of the castle extended across the site. Noarchaeological features or finds were recovered.Castlethorpe, Makings Field (SP 799 442)Bob Zeepvat and Justin NealAn earthwork survey and archaeological evaluation wereundertaken on the north side of the railway line and c 300msouth-east of Castlethorpe motte and bailey castle. Theprincipal feature on the site was a hollow way (Fig 1). Thisoriginally extended from the medieval village and wasprobably the main mute from Casllethorpe to the village ofCosgrove, prior to the construction of the railway in the 19thcentury. A headland, with well-defined ridge and furrow layto the east of the hollow way. Seven trial trenches were cutacross the hollow way and headland. The base of the hollowway was c 750mm below the surrounding ground level andwas c 12m wide. Traces of rough cobbling were found inTrench 1, but no other archaeological features wererecorded.Fenny Strafford, Fenny Marina (SP 884 340)Bob ZeepvatAn evaluation was undertaken on the east bank of the GrandUnion Canal, to the west of the Roman town ofMagiovinium, south of Watling Street. A number ofskeletons, associated with Roman coins had been found inthe area. A substantial linear feature was partially located atthe south end of the trench. It aligned north-east tosouth-west, and its northern edge was formed by a line ofwooden stakes. The feature was filled with an homogenousBuckinghamshiredeposit of greyish-brown loamy day, and is interpreted aspart of a former canal basin.Great Brickhill-Stoke Hammond Pipeline(SP 881 296 - SP 905 302)Bob ZeepvatASC undertook a desk-based assessment of the route of awater pipeline between Stoke Hammond and GreatBrickhill. The east and west ends of the route pass throug,hthe medieval villages of Great Brickhill and StokeHammond respectively. The route crosses the valley of theRiver Ouzel where there is potential for archaeologic,a1discoveries, although little archaeological work has beencarried out and no archaeological sites are imown.Monkston, Chetwode Avenue (SP 894 384)Bob ZeepvatA watching brief was maintained during construction of anew house, 700 m south of Milton Keynes village. Noarchaeological features were present.Newport Pagnell, Bury Street (SP 874 437)Bob ZeepvatAn archaeological evaluation was undertaken on the southside of Newport Pagnell, prior to construction of a newclassroom building. A single trench was excavated withinthe footprint of the proposed building: with the exception ofthe footings of a 19th century school toilet block, the onlyfeature of archaeological interest was a single post-medievalpit.Newport Pagnell, James' Yard (SP 874439)Bob ZeepvatA watching brief was undertaken during the construction ofa car park extension, on the north side of the medieval town.No archaeological remains were encountered.Newport Pagnell, Riverside House (SP 877438)Bob ZeepvatA watching brief was undertaken during construction atRiverside House, on the west side of Newport Pagnell towncentre, adjacent to Tickford Bridge. No significantarchaeological features or finds were present.North Crawley, Gumbrills Farm (SP 929 454)Bob ZeepvatA watching brief was undertaken during the construction ofa house, but no features or finds of archaeologicalsignificance were noted.9

, IIIBuckinghamshireTBM 97.89m OD0Old Tiffield Road _--------'1-1:_-_rel.]I I 1\ \1 1 ir"" 11I1 4 1'.. 1 L. I '..... -.. 1\ \ \.45.991..-.°.--II\ \ \t---"" \1I .1 I. ---"' \ I \ \\ I \ \\I : -I 1- - I I I11 \ 1\1 i''I' 'I ... Ir"..' 1 I \ \ I/ 1I I- .. . iI\ \\ \ \ \ \ \, dn. -I L.-- 1\ I I I 11--I 11----1 1 i I 1---1 r \ 1 1,, I 1.J 1-- I 110I 1 1I \ \Foundry --- . / - -'95:00- ----- .Tiffield1trench1--197.60-1 4 r Ridge-and-furrow Indistinct- _1 4 1 .93.86_ 1 I/ I II I'. 1-I I 10 i'.. 1 r ---'-17.1I1I1 ,17=----r192.99 1--- i\11 1 'IIr,,irIiII 1 ' t I 11 io I.4 I--- 1 I 1 I t I\ k I11-- II II1 L_I 1 I 1 I 111 II1 -114. r i\ I I 1I :I 9L29 r- \C? I I i l1 I1 \__, ,-I\\ \ \ I \ \I 1 1 1 , \I.. -1 1--r .-...J 4 \921.00 1.......I 1 0 1 \ I 1 I 1I....1--1 1 \ \1I\II \1III C 1--- \\ \ ' \1 1-- 11 i 4. 1 %I. ---.1 92.06 I-- 1111i I-..=1I9/02 r-i 4.IGATEBrookr-- Plough furrowsStanding tree O Tree stump/pit Possible tree location050metres100Fig 1. Castlethorpe, Matlings Field.10

Shenley Church End, Oaichill Road (SP 8310 3652)Bob ZeepvatSherds of medieval pottery were found on a watching briefduring the construction of a new house.Shenley Lodge, Trevithick Lane (SP 838 363)Bob ZeepvatEleven evaluation trenches were excavated adjacent toTrevithick Lane and Paxton Crescent, prior to theconstruction of a new housing development. A single featurewas identified, containing an assemblage of post-medievalpottery.Stone, 77 Bishopstone (SP 806102)David FellA watching brief took place adjacent to the Wesleyan chapelon the main street in Bishopstone, prior to the constructionof a detached house. No archaeological remains werepresent.Tattenhoe, Rosemullion Avenue (SP 829 335)David Fell and Bob ZeepvatA watching brief was maintained during construction of anew road south of the medieval village of Tattenhoe, but noarchaeological features were present.Winslow Zone Main Trunk Renewal Pipeline(Mursley - Wing)(SP 816 292 - SP 875 216)David Fell and Bob ZeepvatA desk-based assessment, geophysical survey andarchaeological watching brief were undertaken in advanceof and during the construction of this pipeline. Thedesk-based assessment revealed that the route would passclose to a cropmark of Iron Age or Roman date to the westof Wing and that it would traverse a landscape of wellpreserved ridge and furrow cultivation at Stewkley andMursley.The geophysical survey, carried out by OxfordArchaeotechnics, revealed a number of linear anomaliessouth-west of Mursley at NGR SP 824 283. An excavationwas carried out at titis location and two late Iron Age ditcheswere revealed. Work on this project is continuing, andfurther details will be provided in the next edition of SMA.Wolverton, McConnell Drive (SP 820 412)Bob ZeepvatAn evaluation was carried out on the site of the Electroluxwarehouse which spectacularly burnt down in early SummerBuckinghamshire1999. Six trenches were excavated: two to examine the siteof the second Wolverton Station, constructed in 1841, andfour to ascertain the presence or absence of suspectedRoman occupation. All trace of the station appeared to havebeen removed by a series of inspection pits beneath therunning lines in the former carriage shed (later theElectrolux warehouse). No trace of Roman occupation wasfound.BUCKINGHAMSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICALSOCIETYWaddesdon, Waddesdon Estate (NGR withheld)Michael FarleyMembers of the former C,ounty Museum ArchaeologicalGroup (many also being members of BAS), together withmembers who had responded to an earlier note in theSociety's Newsletter, took part in the Society's first'official' fleldwalk, at Waddesdon on 17th October 1999.Fine weather and good soil conditions resulted in the firmidentification of a small Roman-period settlement, probablya farmstead, of second-third century AD date, lying a shortdistance from the course of Akeman Street.FOUNDATIONS ARCHAEOLOGYChorieywood (TO 020 971)lain WilliamsonA geophysical survey and watching brief took place over anarea of 53 ha prior to development as a golf course. Noarchaeological deposits were identified.Berryfields (SP 8000 1620)Mike Napthan and kin WilliamsonA programme of fieldwalking recovered finds of prehistoricthrough to post-medieval date, although few concentrationsof artefactual material were identified.HERTFORDSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICALTRUSTCompiler - Jon MurrayStone, Former Nurses Home, Oxford Road (SP 778 123T McDonaldDuring August and September 1999, a Phase IIarchaeological excavation of land was carried out at theformer Nurses Home, on the north side of Oxford Road,Stone, Buckinghamshire. Phase I revealed a Late Bronze11

BuckinghamshireAge hut gully, .a cremation and two lengths of fieldboundary. A in-cut Roman ditch was also found.Phase II recorded Late Bronze Age and Iron Age features.The majority of the Late Bronze Age features were locatedwithin the northern half of the excavated area. They weregenerally dispersed and comprised pits and post holes. Onepit was remarkable because it contained the remains of twoLate Bronze Age pottery vessels re-used as cremation ums.The Iron Age features were generally not coincident withthe Late Bbronze Age features, being located within thewestern half of the excavated area. The principal feature wasa large ditch, with a second gully continuing southwards.Other Iron Age features comprised three pits and a gully.Finds were sparse.Milton Keynes, Reserve Site 5, Downs Barn(SP 8617 4004)Andrew WealeFollowing an archaeological evaluation at the site, on thewestern edge of the valley of the river Onze!, a second phaseof works was undertaken. This comprised the excavation ofan additional four tzenches along the projected courses ofIron Age ditches recorded during the evaluation, and a smallarea excavation.The investigation revealed a system of linear and curvilinearenclosure or boundary ditches, one in particular containingsubstantial quantities of Late Iron Age pottery. It is likelythat the site lay close to an area of settlement. A substantialnumber of intercutting features were also recorded inassociation with the ditches. Post-dating some of the ditcheswas a surface of carefully laid limestone slabs, which lay inthe vicinity of two areas of burning and a deposit of burntanimal bone. These features may be evidence of ritualactivity associated with the limestone surface. In the'Belgic' phase at Bancroft, 3.5 km to the west, a small areaof limestone cobbling lay on the same alignment as acremation cemetery, while animal remains occurred in someof the graves.JOHN MOORE HERITAGE SERVICESThornton, St Michael & All Angels Church (SP 751 363)Emma SandersonAn archaeological watching brief was undertaken duringexcavation for new drainage within the churchyard. Nothingof significance was located.MICHAEL FARLEY ARCHAEOLOGYAylesbury, Town centre (SP 818 138 area)A watching brief was e,arried out for Bucks County Council,Environmental Services, Miring excavations for risingbollards within Aylesbury town centre which were beinginstalled as part of a new traffic management scheme for thetown. The holes were of limited extent, relatively shallow,and all within existing carriageways. However, sevend weresited in archaeologically sensitive areas. In the event, nosignificant archaeological deposits were recorded, apartfrom a possible pit of medieval or later date, but it wasevident that much of the ground had been subject to veryrecent disturbance. Through negative evidence, however,the watching brief has, indirectly, assisted in defining moreprecisely the course of the Iron Age hillfort ditch, withinwhose circuit the old part of the town now lies.Cholesbury, Cholesbury hillfort (SP 9290 0728)A watching brief carried out during erection of a footpathstile external to the northern defences of the Iron Age hillfortat Cholesbury, for Environmental Services,Buckinghamshire County Council, recorded no significantfeatures apart from recent disturbance probably related to aformer adjacent quarry. Two struck flints recovered duringthe work may have been pioducts of the stile construction.Great Missenden, Prestwood Hoard (NGR withheld)At the request of the County Museum, a field visit was madeto check the findspot and circumstances surrounding thediscovery of two Roman coin hoards by the WeekendWanderers Detecting Club in July 1999 at Prestwood. This'club' operates on a weekly gate-fee basis over much ofsouthern England. The location of the fmdspots was kindlypointed out by the club secretary and plotted, and the generalcircumstances of discovery established. The two finds weremade in adjacent fields. Over 100 people were present in thefields at the time of the initial discovery. Today the findspotslack any obvious geographical features which mightindicate why they were deposited in these positions. Thereis no evidence that the fields were utilised for occupationduring the Roman period. In this respect they are similar tothe 1989 Chalfont St Peter hoards published in Records ofBucks 37 (1995).At a subsequent Inquest both hoards were declared Treasure.The contents of the hoards were described by staff of theBritish Museum. Prestwood A consisted of 110 denarii: daterange 31 BC-AD 220; and Prestwood B a 736 silveredbronze AD 307-317.Medmenham, Medmenham Abbey (SU 8068 8380)The picturesque 'remains' of Medmenham Abbey whichnow front the 'Thames across grassy lawns, were largely acreation of Sir Francis Dashwood in the 1750s. Although thegeneral location of the original Abbey of Medmenham, aCistercian House, is not in doubt, its precise location andlayout have depended largely on, a) interpretation of theexisting house, `Medmenham Abbey' with an adjacent12

single standing column, b) observations made in the 192Asby the Reverend Plaisted, an amazingly energetic andtalented local vicar and, c) recanting carried out by theformer Buckinghanishire County Museum ArchaeologicalService in March 1993 when a heating-pipe trench dugalong the main driveway, encountered several skeletons(interim report only available).A watching brief condition was recently attached to anextensive programme of modernisation being carried out atthe Abbey. After some initial delay a watching brief wascommissioned when further human remains werediscovered. Ultimately, seven east-west burials, or parts ofthem (some intercutting), were recovered duringconstruction of a short length of internal strengthening wallwithin the modem south wing of the Abbey. Artefactualmaterial recovered was minimal, likewise any associatedstructural information. Six burials could be sexed. Four werefemales and two males. Mr T Anderson who kindlyexamined the bones, has noted a 'surprisingly highincidence of pathology'.According to the Reverend Plaisted's reconstruction, theabbey cloister lay on the west side of the existing abbeybuilding and the church lay south of the cloister, fronting theriver. Given this reconstruction the burials would have fallenwithin the southern cloister walk. The character of theburials and absence of clear structural evidence however,has led to slight doubt being cast on cast on thisinterpretation.Subsequent to the initial watching brief a shallowelectric-cable trench was dug along the main driveway, andthen a deeper sewer-trench was dug along the south and eastfronts of the Abbey building which then returned along thedriveway to a main sewer pipe connection in Ferry Lane.These works, which extended into March 2000 andencountered further burials as well as structural remains,will be described in next year's SMA.MUSEUM OF LONDON ARCHAEOLOGYSERVICE (MOLAS)Marlow, Wethered's Brewery, High Street (SU 8497 8638)Stewart Hoad and Elizabeth HoweSummaryThis document reports upon the results of an archaeologicalexcavation at the former Wethered's Brewery, High Street,Marlow, Buckinghamshire. The archaeological work wascarried out during June 1999 by the Museum of LondonArchaeological Service on behalf of Mr R Hawley. Thepurpose of this work was to evaluate the potential forsurviving buried archaeological deposits on the site, and toexcavate and record these deposits as necessary.Previous work in the area of the site covered areas to thenorth and west. This work was undertaken in DecemberBuckinghamshire1996 and in January 1999. An excavation was carried out in1996 by the Buckinghamshire County MuseumArchaeological Service on a site 30 m to the south of thepresent site.The excavation revealed evidence of 17th and 18th centuryhorticulture in the form of a cultivated soil horizon fromwhich numerous fragments of pottery dating from themedieval period onwards were recovered. Features recordedon the site truncating this cultivation layer comprised threecapped wells, two of which were chalk lined, and a possibleconstruction cut for a fourth well, two foundation wallscontaining re-used chalk and flint blocks, and part of a 19thcentury brick drain. These probably all related to the earlyWethered brewery.NATIONAL TRUSTGary MarshallBoastall, Boarstall Tower (SP 62421425)The tower at Boarstall is all that remains of a moated manor,the house itself having been pulled down by Sir John Aubreyin 1777 after the accidental death of his six year old son.Fortunately, a bird's eye engraving of 1695 depicts thehouse in superb detail, together with the tower andsurrounding formal gardens. The site of the house hasrecently been defined by a msistivity survey and many ofthe features on the engraving can be identified on the plot,suggesting the foundations of the building lie preservedbeneath the existing lawn.The tower has recently been the subject of a detailed surveyby Oxford Archaeological Unit Dendro dating by DanMiles has established a date of 1312 for the felling of thejoists of the ground floor ceiling, corresponding preciselywith the date of a licence issued to John de Handlo to fortifyhis manor. Samples taken from the roof joists gave a date of1614. The new roof was just one element in a substantialprogramme of repairs and alterations carried out at this timewhich included the introduction of mullion and transomwindows, the addition of a bay window and entrance arch,and the introduction of a balustrade at roof level. 17thcentury wall paintings have also been found in one of thefirst floor chambers. The evidence suggests that theappearance of the tower was radically altered and itsfunction changed to that of a fashionable banqueting houseand viewing point over the immaculately manicured formalgardens.An archaeological watching brief was also carried out byOxford Archaeological Unit over a trench cut for thepurpose of bringing an electric cable from the main road tothe tower Pl. The trench ran along the south edge of the mainentrance drive and then turned through a dog leg to run alongthe top of the south slope overlooking the moat. No evidencewas found for either a medieval or Civil War period13

SENWNote upper level of loopsIllItoIseIll111 nuu.1111IIIIIIIIIINorth-east elevation0--------------------5- -10mImeemTHE NATIONAL TRUST, BOARSTALL TOWERElevations showing fonner positions of anvw loops (Oxford Ardweologkal Unit)

NWSEHI IIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIII IIIIII IIIIII IIIIII IIIIII IIIIII IIIIII IIIIII IIIIII IIIIII IIIIII IIIIII III0.41.S.Ill 11..'VIIIIIIJJUIIIUIII:IMOlUll 11.111MORIBOOSOBIS IMOMONO PORIUItlImmTHE NATIONAL TRUST, BOARSTALL TOWERElevations showing fanner positions ofarrow loops (Oxford An:haeological Unit)South-west elevation10m

NESWNESWNote upper level of lcopsMIMI&1111111I1111 11111111 11111111 11111111111111111111111I!!III !!!11111111 11111111 11,1111111-----J" 1I ITHE NATIONAL TRUST, BOARSTALL TOWERElevations showing fanner positions of wrow loops (Oxford Aochaeological Unit)North-west elevation - : South-east elevation10m

pallisade on the top of the slope. However, the excavationdid reveal a brick-lined well close to the south-east angletower. It aLso revealed the footings of two brick walls on thetop of the slope overlooking the east end of the moat. Oneof these could be the base of a brick wall depicted on the17th century engraving which contained a gate leading intothe north-east corner of the gardens.ReferencesBoarstall Tower, Boarstall, Buckinghamshire,Archaeological Monitoring During Building Work, R.Tyler, Oxford Archaeological Unit, February 2000.Boarstall Tower, Boarstall, Buckinghamshire,Archaeological Monitoring During Building Work, KBrown, P Blinkhom and J Dalton, Oxford ArchaeologicalUnit, January 2000.Bradenham Manor (SU 82879707)A week-long excavation was undertaken in July with theassistance of a National Trust working holiday group toidentify features revealed by a geophysics surveyundertaken in 1998 and to try and date the construction ofthe garden terraces. Four of the five trenches revealed wallfootings, including a substantial brick footing found closeto the south west corner of the house which would suggestthat the south front is considerably reduced from its originallength.This south front appears to contain elements of a 16thcentury building. It was retained and incorporated into thepresent house dating from the 1650s. Evidence for the earlier16th century building was found in one of the trenches onthe main lawn which revealed a brick footing with a silvercoin from the reign of Henry VIII in the destruction debris.The evidence from the excavations and the geophysicstentatively suggests that this 16th century building may havebeen arranged around a central courtyard, with ranges on itsnorth, south and west flanks 111. Further geophysics and trialtrenches, together with a detailed investigation of the house,will therefore be carried out in 2000 to clarify the situation.Dating of the garden terraces proved to be difficult due tothe absence of dateable artefacts, although an earlier soillevel was found in a trench cut to section the terrace betweenthe main and lower lawns. It would appear that the terracewas re-cut in the late 18th or early 18th centuries, in whichcase there is some justification for disputing the , presentassumption that the garden is the relict of a Jacobean garden.Reference[1] The National Trust, Bradenham Manor,Buckinghamshire, report on the archaeological excavationsand geophysics survey conducted in 1999, G Marshall,March 2000, report no. Brad/3.Claydon House (SP 71922533)Disturbing signs of cracking at Claydon House have beennoticed at Claydon OYU the past few years and the stabilityof these cracks is therefore being monitored. Evidence fromexcavations carried out at the end of 1999 for laying sewerpipes might suggest the cause of this cracking. Deep siltswere observed in these trenches running across the northfront and out across the park. In two of these trenches thewalls of the former Ball Room which was demolished in1792 were found to rest directly on these silts. Clearevidence of bulging in the width of one of these walls wasalso detected and it would therefore appear that the wallshad subsided on these silts.Pottery from these silts ranges from the 10th to 13thcenturies, suggesting that they have a medieval origin andwere formed over a considerable period of time. They wouldappear to indicate the presence of previously undetectedstew ponds, perhaps even a moat surrounding the medievalhouse?Unfortunately, very little is known of Claydon from titisperiod, although the earliest fabric of the Church dates fromthe 14th century. During the excavations several walls oflimestone construction resting on brick footings were foundbeneath the north lawn. These probably date from the late16th or early 17th centuries and relate to buildings arrangedaround a courtyard which appear on a plan of 1654. One ofthese walls was found to lie directly over a substantialrubble-stone wall and titis could therefore be the firstevidence to be found of a medieval building at Claydon ifone excludes the Church.Stowe Landscape Gardens (SP 67503730)BuckinghamshireArchaeological excavations, geophysics and buildingrecording have been carried out on four major restorationprojects during 1999 - the Fane of Pastoral Poetry, LordCobham's Monument, The Gothic Umbrello and Wolfe'sObelisk. Trial excavations around the Gothic Umbrello inthe Fallow Deer Park have produced Roman pottery thoughtto originate from a kiln discovered by excavations in theBourbon Fields in 1990 [11. The pottery has been analysedby Paul Booth of Oxford Archaeological Unit and appearsto have a fabric type known as 'pink grog ware'. This hasbeen found over a large area of Buckinghamshire,Oxfordshire and Hertfordshire, but the site of its productionhas not previously, been identified. Reconciling itsproduction to Stowe therefore repre-sents an importantdevelopment and a report is therefore forthcoming on thediscovery of the kiln and the various forms of pottery whichit produced.Reference[1] The National Trust, Stowe Landscape Gardens,Excavation of a Roman pottery kiln north of Stowe Schoolsports ground A Wainwright, October 1990, report no.Stowe/45.17

0so3coa9/111111111Rosk11111111111 11111111111garp;-.:1Few. orkIllilumNu.MIME2. SOUTH ELEVATION - _Before restorationTHE NATIONAL TRUST, STOWE LANDSCAPE GARDENSklevatIone of the Gothk Umbra& (Conduit House)aurtesylnsgo awl JastOn Airlitedss22. SOUTH ELEVATIONAfter restoration*N.

West Wycombe Park (SU 828947)Located just outside High Wycombe, West Wycombe Parkis a well preserved rococo landscape garden created in the1730s and 40s by Sir Francis Dashwood. The 2nd Baronetwas a founder of the Dilettanti Society and the Hellfire Club.The house was rebuilt in the 1750s around an existing QueenAnne House. Until recently an understanding of therelationship between the two buildings was based uponconjecture but evidence arising from a watching briefcarried out in 1999 has helped resolve this issue.The evidence came to light after 1960s plywood panellingwas removed from tvio of the first floor bedrooms, revealingtwo complete schemes of early 18th century panellingcovering the walls. In one of the rooms the panels haveclearly been re- arranged but nevertheless, it is clear that thepanels were designed for these two rooms. They represent asignificant discovery, firstly, because they confirm thesetwo rooms as forming part of the Queen Anne building andsecondly, because they define the decorative scheme ofthese two rooms.Detailed recording of the construction of the panels hasrevealed a wealth of evidence. They were originally coveredwith a lig,ht yellow paint. This was subsequently concealedby a green paint and eventually, probably in the 1750s, byhessian and hanging papers. Blank areas where the paint ismissing indicate the former position of dado rails andmouldings around the frieze panels. Other areas of blankwood indicate that the original early 18th century doorcaseswere much taller until they were partially in-filled andreplaced by smaller doors, probably in the 1750s. There area number of pencilled arrows on the panels and thesecorrespond with lines of glue where battens were secured tohold the papers flat. Even the graffiti on these panels revealvaluable evidence. Several workmen have pencilled theirnames and trades on the panels and the date of 1852. RobertAllen was the joiner and the 1852 date can be taken as fairlycertainly dating the re-arrangement of the panels in thisparticular room. Also to be found on these panels are thenames of the members of the Estate Cricket Team andFootball Team in 1963. Perhaps valuable evidence for theSocial Historian of the future?West Wycombe Village (SU 829947)Watching briefs were carried out at 41 Church Street and 25High Street. whilst repairs were undertaken on these twobuildings.Dendro sampling at 25 High Street has provided a fellingdate of 1532 for the timbers ill. The building forms a singletenancy but actually consists of two timber framed buildingswith the timbers of the 1532 building butted up against theframe of an earlier building. Unfortunately, dendrosampling failed to date this earlier building but it seemsreasonable to assume a 15th century date for its construction.It would appear to be the surviving wing of a cross wingBuckinghamshirehouse, the main body of the house presumably having beenremoved when the 1532 building was erected. A previoussurvey PI had suggested a 16th century date for the entireconstruction but this evidence puts the date for the earliestconstruction back a century. During the watching brief arolled moulding was discovered on the original 15thcentury. wall plate which now forms a lintel over a groundfloor window facing onto the street.41 Church St was original lz a timber framed building datingfrom the 17th century ("I, the panels vrithin the framein-filled with brick. During the 18th century the buildingwas re-fronted in brick and the front elevation raised. Theroof retains an interesting cruck truss which does not extendto ground level. During the watching brief plastered recesseswere observed in the most southerly truss framing the southend of the building, whilst between the recesses brick pierswere observed supporting the undersides of the roof purlins[4].ReferencesThe National Trust, No 25 High Street, West Wycombe,Archaeological watching brief covering repairs carried outduring May and July of 1999, G Marshall (forthcoming),report No 25 West Wycombe/2.The National Trust, Vemacular Buildings Survey, Nos.23, 25, 24 27, 28 High Street, West Wycombe, and 35Crown Court, Garside, Izzard and Waters, 1994.The National Trust, Vernacular Buildings Survey, 41Church Street, West Wycombe, Garside, Izzard and Waters,1993.The National Trust. No 41 Church Lane, WestWycombe, Archaeological watching brief covering repairscarried out during May of 1999, G Marshall (forthcoming),report No 41 Church Lane West Wycombe/2.THE HERITAGE NETWOFtK LTD.Newport Pagnell, 30 - 32 High Street (SP 8871 4396)David HillelsonIn response to a planning condition placed on buildingworlcs at Nos 30-32 High Street, Newport Pagnell, theHeritage Network was commissioned by the developer toundertake archaeological observation and recording of thegroundworks for the provision of an emergency exit at therear of the building.The excavations were undertalcen by hand by the buildingcontractors and revealed extensive disturbance associatedvrith the 19th century construction of No 30 High Street, andsubsequent alterations. Below the modern disturbance, onefeature of earlier date was exposed. This contained a depositof high organic content, and the pottery associated with itsuggests that it represents the remains of an llth centurycess pit.19

BuckinghamshireFlo.4b Profile Avg fine A41___me moulded beam11711 1111:11hers melon dbey wslrelowIIAMee of bum aimed alterRowing tie and PasterIIII-^1-=4a Elevati7nRbIted domes,2The National Trust, 25 West VVyoombe High StreetElevation of part of the north front Illustratingthe moulded bressumer beamFig 6.25 High Street, West Wycombe.20

NORTHAMIYTONSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGYBroughton Barn (SP 9076 4056)Tora Hylton and Andy ChapmanA programme of archaeological monitoring is beingundertaken prior to mineral extraction following a detailedsite evaluation by trial trenching.Two early Bronze Age cremations were located at thenorth-eastern end of the quarry. Two shallow pits lay 2 mapart. The northern pit contained a plain, undecorated uminverted over a deposit of cremated human bone, with asmall collared urn as an accessory vessel. The second pitcontained a deposit of pyre debris and a mass of crematedbone.Linear ditches of Roman date have been located in the northwesternpart of the quarry, but extraction has not yet reachedthe main area of known Roman activity.Gayhurst, Gayhurst Quarry (SP 853 446)Andy ChapmanAn intensive watching brief was carried out during soilstripping on the areas between the Bronze Age roundbarrows, Iron Age enclosure and pit aligrunents excavatedin 1998 prior to gravel extraction (SMA 29 (1999), 17-20).This work located a further two pits containing un-umedcremation deposits. They lay 2 m apart and 20 m from oneof the previously excavated barrows. In addition, a 130 mlength of a previously unknown pit alignment wasidentified. Later recutting as a continuous ditch hadobscured the nature of its origin as a pit alignment The finalstage of observation and recording will be undertaken in2000.Wing, Victorian School (SP 8807 2254)Mark HolmesAn open area excavation was undertaken prior to theconstruction of new housing at the site of the formerVictorian School, following the location of burials inevaluation (SMA 18 (1998), 23). The development site liesimmediately to the south of the parish church of All Saints,a former Saxon Minster church.The earliest evidence comprised a small quantity ofearly/middle and middle Saxon pottery, although thismaterial appears to be residual in later contexts.The excavation recovered a total of 77 inhumation burials,indicating that the church cemetery had previously occupiedthe land to the south of its current boundary. The burialswere in rows and probably represent an expansion of thecemetery in the early llth century AD. A wide boundaryditch encircled the graveyard. It had been infilled in the 12thBuckinghamshirecentury and this part of the cemetery probably went out ofuse at the same time.Subsequent secular use can be dated to the 13th-14thcenturies. It comprised a small structure containing apitched-tile hearth or oven. There were associated ditches,pits and a well, but the focus of activity probably lay furthereast, towards the street frontage.OXFORD ARCHAEOLOGICAL UNITDorney, Eton Rowing Lake (SU 919/787 to SU 939/774)Tim AllenFourth Interim ReportIn advance of the grading of the sides of the Rowing Lake astrip c 8 m wide and 10 m long was stripped and recordednorth of the Iron Age and Roman enclosure reported inSMA1998, 77. It was hoped that this would cross a large cropmarkditch believed to represent the northern limit of the extendedRoman enclosure.In the event the trench lay beyond this. A line of largeshallow pits containing burnt flint and occasional flintflakes, probably of Bronze Age date, was found on asoutheast-notthwest alignment This was crossed by anotheralignment of similar pits, and a scatter of further pits, onlya few of which were excavated, lay to the south-east. At thesouth-east end of the trench a shallow ditch of probable IronAge date was found again on a southeast-northwestalignment.At the north-west end of the trench the edge of the formerThames channel was found. The first phase of this containeda large flint nodule, burnt flint and pottery of Middle BronzeAge character. When silted up this phase of the channel wascut through by a Roman waterhole containing 2nd centurypottery, in whose bottom a wooden withy-tie was found.The Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton Flood AlleviationSchemePhil Catherall (EA) and Stuart Foreman (OAU)Project backgroundThe route of the Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton FloodAlleviation Scheme cuts a broad transect through the MiddleThames floodplain. Following an evaluation in 1991, aseries of excavations were conducted on behalf of theEnvironment Agency in South Buckinghamshire andnorth-west Berkshire in 1996 and 1997 in advance of thescheme, involving archaeological excavation of some 15 ha.The results of the work to date have been reported in recentnewsletters (see Foreman, SMA 1998, 26-31). During1999/2000 a watching brief was carried out along sectionsof the route of the scheme as well as excavation at AgarsPlough.21

BuckinghamshireWatching Brief on the Maidenhead, Windsor and EtonFlood Alleviation SchemeThe watching brief revealed the extent of Bronze Ageactivity on the outer edge of the floodplain. A number of pitsand/or ditches near Chalvey Ditch confirmed earlier workthat had revealed sporadic features in the evaluation.However, the features were covered by alluvial deposits andwere not visible after the topsoil strip and were onlyrecorded (SU 955 792) where sections had been cut in theoverburden in order to construct a haul road.Late Bronze Age pits containing pottery and bumt flint wereexcavated at Widbrook Common, Cookham (SU 895 838).A flint scatter was revealed close to the excavations atRotmdmoor Ditch but did not appear to be associated withany features.Another two unaccompanied cremation deposits, bothplough-damaged, were discovered immediately to the northof excavations at Marsh Lane (SU 916 803), and could bepart of a much larger dispersed cemetery.On the west of Marsh Lane (SU 914 805) a number of flints,including an early Bronze Age barbed and tanged arrowheadand part of a middle Neolithic discoidal polished flint knife,were found after topsoil stripping, lying on top of an alluviallayer. Inspection of the site during the channel excavationrevealed the remains of a buried ground surface, at least ametre below the stripped surface. However, inspectionfound this to be in poor condition and consequently it wasnot sampled. It appeared to be similar to the Mesolithicburied ground surfaces discovered at the nearby EtonRowing Lake and from the depth of alluvium between theburied ground surface and the surface producing flintworkthis seems probable.Agars Plough excavation (SU 975 785)BackgroundThe presence of a mid-late Iron Age settlement on the AgarsPlough playing fields was clearly demonstrated at theevaluation stage of the archaeological project (workundertaken by Thames Valley Archaeological Services). Ageophysical survey carried out subsequently by theEnvironment Agency Project Archaeologist (P Catherall),indicated the presence of a series of linear botmdariesforming a 'ladder' settlement on a broadly east-westalignment, coinciding with the concentration of featuies andfinds discovered by the evaluation trenching. The resultsindicated a concentration of activity on the Agars Ploughplaying field site with some continuation of linear feattiressuggested to the east and west. The route of the chaimel wasmoved in order to avoid the densest concentration ofarchaeological features, and the 1999/2000 excavation wascarried out to mitigate the impact of the realigned route onthe eastern fringes of the occupation area.ResultsA number of boundary ditches were exposed, running acrossthe excavated areas, forming part of a series of rectilinearenclosures. Comparison with the geophysical survey ofAgars Plough indicates that most of the linear featurescontinue from the ladder settlement centred on the AgarsPlough playing fields. Mid-late Iron Age pottery wasrecovered and, in contrast to the evaluation, there wasevidence for occupation extending into the early Romanperiod.The distribution of finds and features tends to confirm thatthe excavated site lies on the eastern edge of the settlementidentified on the playing field. Features were present in allthe excavated areas, but the majority of the artefacts anddiscrete features, such as pits and postholes, were found onthe west side of the site, closest to Agars Plough. Excavationtowards the east end of the site uncovered mainly linearfeatures containing few artefacts, and revealed the easternterminal of one 55 m wide enclosure. Two parallel ditchescrossing the southem part of the site appear to represent thecontinuation of a track or droveway indicated by thegeophysical survey as following, and possibly defining, thesouthern edge of the occupation area.The depth of overburden varied considerably. Features atthe southern end of the site were found inunediately belowthe topsoil while those to the north were sealed by c 0.30 mof alluvium.Pottery was recovered from 39 contexts, the majority ofwhich are of late Iron Age date with some earlier prehistoric(Bronze Age and possibly middle Iron Age) and some earlyRoman material also present. Given the limited scale ofexcavation the pottery assemblage is comparatively largeand suggests that any future excavation on the Agars Ploughsite would produce a sizeable assemblage. In addition to thepottery, worked flint was recovered (presumed to be residualin later contexts), as well as a few fragments of Roman tileand ironwork. Notable bone deposits include an animalburial, and a single human cremation was found at thesouthern end of the site.The Rediscovery of Taplow Hillfort (SU 907 823)T G Allen and H Lamdin-WhymarkIntroduction and BackgroundTaplow Court sits upon a projecting spur of the BurnhamPlateau on the east bank of the Thames, overlooking theriver and its valley floor on the west and south (Fig 9). Thevisibility of the site was one of the reasons why a Saxon kingchose to be buried here in around AD 650 under TaplowMound (National Monument No. 19050). The top of thespur (at 65 m 0.D.) is a flat plateau, although the groundslopes down gently to the east. To the north the plateau isinterrupted by a natural gully, defining an areaapproximately 6 ha in extent. The underlying geology isBlack Park terrace gravel over Upper Chalk (British22

Geological Survey, 1:50,000 Solid and Drift series, Sheet255).SGI, the charitable Buddhist organisation which ownsTaplow Court, applied for planning permission to build asemi-circular Chanting Hall and adjacent accommodationblock. In order to determine the application anarchaeological evaluation was requested byBuckinghamshire County Council, which was carried outby Wessex Archaeology. The evaluation locatedredeposited Mesolithic flintwork, a Late Bronze Agefeature, an undated curving gully and three large ditches,none of which was dated, but all of which were presumed tobelong to the gardens of Taplow Court in the medieval andearly post-medieval period. Planning permission wasgranted, and the Unit was conunissioned to carry out theexcavation on the site of the proposed Chanting Hall (Fig 7).The excavation and Watching Brief (bar one short length ofservice trench) have now been completed, and a plan of therevealed archaeology is shown in Fig 8. The only postexcavationanalysis that has been carried out is a series ofOSL determinations carried out by E Rhodes at the OxfordArchaeological Research Laboratory, and the summaryoffered below is therefore only an interim statement.Summary of the archaeological evidenceEarly prehistoric evidence was widespread across the site.Struck flint blades, including a notched example ofMesolithic type, were redeposited in a layer towards thesouth end of the area. Neolithic flintwork, including twoflaked axes and parts of two others, was also recovered fromtreeholes. Fragments of Early Bronze Age pottery werefound in a series of intercutting scoops, along withconcentrations of struck flint of similar date. A small lengthof ditch was also found at the south end of the site, possiblyof similar date.Bronze Age enclosure and occupationThe first phase of enclosure is marked by a line of postholesat 1 m intervals running north-south. At the very south endof the stripped area the line turns westwards. This fence linewas overlain by a series of scoops just to the east, and by thelayer containitg redeposited Mesolithic flint at the south endof the site. The fence line was undated, but was succeededby a palisade trench immediately to the west, whichfollowed the same line. Traces of post-impressions werefound in places within the trench. Just west of the palisadewas another line of postholes spaced at c 23 m intervals.This may have been associated with the palisade, perhapssupporting a raised wall-walk, or yet another phase of timberenclosure.The first defensive ditchOver most of the stripped area, any stratigraphy over thegravel had been truncated by the construction of theprevious 1950s buildings on the site, but at the south-westend preservation was better. Here the soil containingMesolithic flint, through which the palisade trench was dug,was overlain east of the palisade by a layer of gravel whichBuckinghamshiresealed the palisade trench and abutted the post-pipes. Thisgravel is interpreted as material upcast from a V-profiledparallel ditch some 4 m to the east, which survived nearly6m wide and up to 2.6 m deep. This ditch followed the lineof the palisade, but terminated at the north end of the site.Wessex evaluation trench 3 (less than 12 m to the north)contained a continuation of this ditch, and the gap waspresumably for an entrance (Fig 9).The timbers of the palisade trench do not appear to have beenpulled out, so their bases presumably rotted in situ. Theupper fills of the trench were backfilled with gravelly soilcontaining Late Bronze Age plain wares. The lower half ofthe V-profiled ditch was filled by a succession of gravellysilts, probably accumulating as a result of erosion of thesides and perhaps some slipping of adjacent upcast. A fewsherds of Late Bronze Age character were recovered fromthese fills, including part of a decorated bipartite bowl fromthe uppermost layer.Interior occupationA few metres west of the palisade the soil changed colourto black. This layer contained a Bronze Age cylindricalloomweight, a saddle quern, much charcoal and much LateBronze Age pottery, and is interpreted as an occupationdeposit. One area, which was bounded by an incompletecircle of postholes, was particularly black, and from this wasretrieved a bronze bracelet of Ewart Park type, provisionallydated by P Northover to the 10th century BC. This may markthe site of a house. The features in the interior of the hillfortare not well-dated, but appear to belong to the Late BronzeAge and Early Iron Age.A second defensive palisade?East of the V-profiled ditch a double line of postholes wasfound. The two lines were not parallel to one another, andprobably represent more than one phase of fence or palisade.Hardly any finds were retrieved from these postholes, butsome were sealed by a distinct silt horizon which formedtwo-thirds of the way up the ditch and ran all the way alongit. At the south end of the site, where stratigraphicpreservation was better, this silt layer continued slightlybeyond the edges of the ditch to east and west, and here itsealed two of the postholes to the east The posthole linesmay therefore represent a phase of palisade preceding theV-profiled ditch, or possibly one contemporary with it. It isalso possible that some of the postholes were later still, andbelong with the U-profiled Iron Age ditch to the east.A phase of abandonment?The silt layer is interpreted as representing a stabilisationphase, possibly lasting for a considerable length of time. Ithas been sampled in three places for OSL dating. At thesouth end of the excavation the silt was divided into twobands, and here only the lower was sampled, Whereas thesamples from the centre and the north end of the ditch werefrom the upper part. The dates from the upper part are 2905± 300 BP (present = AD 2000) and 2690 ± 210 BP, whichoverlap in the range 2900 to 2605, or 900-605 BC (at 95%confidence). This date range is entirely consistent with the23

BuckinghamshireMelMalma mA66291tsMYdalM.NSW1.11k owMSWessex Evfiluation Trenches \) .--f- 0-.°MI0MMo/11,pAu1; ExcavationtrsoojtitiIov:i 01.1;t \ 41\Me{ m.meSte 13MP----0 0Gro1 - ;:;.:1 .-1'.....--_.310'1;-1 0,661Mb). 47...11,1.... ....."-- ...._..........--1..... ...----- ....... ...4-Stn 5 161.640 ItMSSottn 266117TAPLOIIVCOURTdam'11111MS-r65.919akeoMTClisr ParkOUMAMOOitr..'f'.1kgMM.IMP10.M.01myeMN.Ma111111===20 metes1it IIMIMS*MXaileFig 7. Taplow Court.24

artefactual evidence, and indicates either a Late Bronze Ageor earliest Iron Age date for the V-profiled ditch.The later defensive ditch and rampartOverlying the silt layer the top 1 m of the ditch was filledwith redeposited gravel and sands, which are believed tohave derived from the excavation of a second defensiveditch immediately to the east (Fig 8). This ditch wasU-profiled with near-vertical sides and a flat base, andsurvived 8-9 m wide and 2.8 m deep. Like the V-profileclditch, it terminated just before the north end of the site.Rumaing east from the terminal of the U-profiled ditch wasa smaller ditch, which turned at right-angles after only 7-8m and ran north-eastwards across the line of the entrance.This ditch was more than 3 m wide, and is interpreted as ahomwork added to the defences during the Iron Age.The gravel upcast from the U-profiled ditch formed arampart that extended up to and slightly beyond the line ofthe former palisade trench, a width of c 12 m. Where thestratigraphy was not truncated by the buildings, this rampartsurvived c 0.25 m above the level of natural gravel. A smallassemblage of pottery of Late Bronze Age or Early Iron Agecharacter was retrieved from the gravel.The timber-lacingAlong the length of the rampart was a series of reddenedareas where the gravel was burnt, in some cases to the fullsurviving depth of the rampart. In all of these areas lines ofcharcoal, or in some cases preserved chaffed timbers, werefound, and it appears that these are the remains of a corduroyof halved roundwood timbers laid across the silted ditch,with a line of timbers parallel to the Li-profiled ditch,forming timber lacing. Three postholes for upright timberswere also found cut into the silt layer along the middle ofthe V-profiled ditch, one of which contained the remains ofan upright charred timber. All along the inner (west) edgeof the U-profiled ditch were slumped layers of burnt graveland charcoal, and it seems clear that the timber-lacednunpart was fired at some point, and collapsed in part intothe ditch in front.The EntranceAt the north end of the site a massive posthole was cut intothe end of the fills of the V-profiled ditch, and a slot led eastfrom this towards the end of the U-profiled ditch. Thisposthole contained much charcoal, and is interpreted as partof an entmnce structure that was burnt along with the gravelrampart adjacent. A row of closely-spaced postholes wasfound curving between this posthole and the end of theU-profiled ditch, which probably marked the limit of therampart at one phase. Several other burnt features, all ofwhich were partly destroyed by the modern buildings, mayhave been other entrance postholes.Sitting upon the silt layer adjacent to the U-profiled ditch atthe south end of the site was a band of chalk slabs, whichran parallel to the ditch for a distance of 13 m. The chalkwas 0.6 m vride, with larger slabs on the east edge, but wasless than 0.1 m deep. This must have formed part of theBuckinghamshirefacing to the rampart of the U-profiled ditch at some stage,but its relationship to the timber-lacing is at present stilluncertain. At the entrance fragments of chalk were fotmd inthe tops of the curving line of closely-spaced postholes,perhaps indicating that it was a secondary facing.Roman, Saxon and medieval activityThe U-profiled ditch silted up naturally, and a silt layerrepresenting a stabilisation horizon developed halfway up,which contained a sherd of Roman pottery at the top. Asample taken for OSL dating has yielded a provisionaldetermination of 2190 * 220 BP, but the corrected range islikely to be two centuries later.Above this layer a dark soil containing sherds of Saxonpottery and a double-spiral headed pin was found, dating thisdeposit to the mid-late 7th century. In the entrance way atruncated extended inhumation burial accompanied by aniron knife was found, and this too is probably of Saxon date.Just outside the entrance, but within the hornwork, part of atrench-built post structure was found. This was ofsub-rectangular shape, some 3.5 m wide and at least 5 mlong. This is undated, but is tentatively interpreted as aSaxon building.Following the Saxon horizon the top 1 m of the U-profiledditch was filled with an homogeneous gravelly loam,possibly a deliberate backfilling. This material is undated.East of the site the Wessex evaluation uncovered a thirdmajor ditch, which was at least 1.2 m deep. During theWatching Brief east of the excavations a probablecontinuation of this feature, aligned north-south, was found.This was at least 7 m wide and was observed to a depth of1.2 m, but was not bottomed. A single sherd of medievalpottery was recovered from the top of the fill.Conclusions and InterpretationThe excavations have demonstrated the presence of adefensive fortification of several phases on the hilltop,almost certainly beginning in the Later Bronze Age, andstrengthened in the Early Iron Age. The Bronze Age hillfortmay provide a context for the large quantifies of Late BronzeAge metalwork recovered from the river Thames adjacent.The southern limit of this fort has been established by theexcavations, and the northern limit may be indicaftd bysurviving changes in ground level to the north.The excavations did not establish the limits of the Early IronAge defences. These may have continued south as far as thechurch which used to stand north-east of Taplow Mound, asa large ditch was found when the church was demolished inthe mid-19th century. A highly tentative reconstruction ofthe limits of the defences is given in Fig 9.A third phase of probable defensive enclosure, enclosing aneven larger area, has also been found but is at presentundated. The fortifications remained significant earthworkfeatures until at least the Saxon period, and may haveinfluenced the positioning of the Taplow burial mound.Further evidence of Saxon activity approximately25

BuckinghamshireTAP LOVVEXCAVATIONS1999 Palisade trenchV-profiled Bronze AgeitchSaxon burialand ? building°o°.,A%° of/0ofpooO1eb 0 /U-profiled Iron AgeDitchTimbers inbumt ram Ie.1 k, Modern Buildings20 MetresFig 8. Taplow Court excavations 1999.26

Buckinghamshirecontemporary with the mound has also been recovered fromthe excavations, suggesting that scattered Saxon settlementmay have covered a wide area of the hilltop.THAMES VALLEY ARCHAEOLOGICALSERVICESAylesbury-Chalgrove gas pipeline (Buckinghamshiresection -see also entry under Oxfordshire)(SP7165 1835 - SP 6605 0560)ICate TaylorFollowing various phases of preliminary desktop,non-invasive and invasive work carried out by NetworkArchaeology, the watching brief on this 16.5 km section ofthe pipeline revealed three sites in addition to isolatedfeatures and finds from elsewhere along the easement. Thefour sites were stripped of topsoil and subsoil underarchaeological supervision and a plan made of the deposits.Excavation was largely confined to deposits on or close tothe centre line of the pipe trench.Site 20 (SP 6755 1250)The main feature on this site comprised a sub-rectangularenclosure ditch of Late Bronze Age/Iron Age date vrithfurther gullies, postholes and shallow pits. A small quantityof late Neolithic pottery and a few struck flints werere,covered from the enclosure ditch.Site 21 (SP 6755 1235)This site lay approximately 50 m to the south of site 20.Several phases were represented. A ring gully, recut on atleast two occasions was (provisionally) of Bronze Age/IronAge date. Further ditches, pits and postholes of early/middlelion Age date were also found and one ditch was of late IronAge/early Roman date. An undated feature containedcremation burial/pyre debris.Site 25 (SP 6725 0870)Only a small number of feattues were present on this site.The main feature was a 4th century Roman ditch with othershallow pits being undated or of Roman date. One cremationburial/pyre deposit was of Roman date and a secondintercutting burial was undated but probably of Roman date.A third cremation burial/pyre deposit located approximately100 m away from the main focus of activity containe,d asherd of Iron Age pottery and is tentatively assigned to thatperiod.Site 11 (SP 6888 1424)A series of five ditches of Roman date wereexamined/uncovered in the preliminary works on thepipeline route. The watching brief during the pipelinecutting was able to re-examine these features, and one of theditches produced better dating evidence to show it was of4th century date.Chalfont St. Peter, St. Peters Church cm 0005 9089)Joanna PineTwo evaluation trenches were dug adjacent to the churchtower in advance of a proposal to build an extension with abasement The present day church was rebuilt in the 18thcentury after the earlier (Medieval) church fell down.Investigation of the deeper levels on the site was hampereddue to the presence of many post- Medieval inhumations,but a probable robber riench for the earlier church waslocated along with an earlier burial. A few sherds ofMedieval pottery were recovered as residual finds.Fenny Stratford, Fenny Lock (SP 884 347)Steve Ford and ICate TaylorA large evaluarion was carried out on farmland on the westbank of the river Ouzel located to the north east side ofFenny Stratford. Trial trenching by the Milton Keynes Unitto search for a Roman road, and fieldwalking by theBletclaley Archaeological Society in 1975/6 had indicatedthe presence of Roman deposits. The evaluation comprised132 trenches and this revealed extensive areas ofarchaeological interest. Two principal foci were identified,mainly of Roman date but vrith several other periodsrepresented (Fig 10). Subsequent excavation in 1996concentrated on these two areas. Trench A/13 comprised anarea strip of c 1.8 ha which revealed an extensivemulti-period site. The earliest activity comprised stray flintfinds of Mesolithic date, a pit containing (earlier) Neolithicpottery and flintwork, and a pit of early Bronze Age datecontaining most of a small Collared Um but without anycremated bone.More substantial deposits dated to the late Bronze Age/earlyIron Age where pits and post-built structures were revealedwere located towards the south west of the trench. Thestructures comprised two, possibly three, round houses. Thesite developed and expanded in the Middle Iron Age andanother post-built roundhouse was built with four ring gullyenclosures as were four, possibly five, rectangular structures('four posters'). Three hearths, one of which wasconstructed using river cobbles, and a group of intercuttingpits also belong to this occupation site. Also at this time, apit alignment was constructed at the eastern end of the trenchand approximately followed the terrace edge on which mostof the archaeology was found.There appears to be a hiatus in the development of the siteat this juncture as very little Late Iron Age pottery and nofeatures of this period were identified. Activity resumes inthe early Roman period located towards the eastern end ofthe trench with the digging of a large rectilinear enclosureditch, possibly accessed from the south by a very videtrackway. These ditches appear to respect the boundarydefined by the pit alignment Early Roman activity isconcentrated within the enclosure and comprises manyditches and gullies, but postholes and pits are few and nohabited structures were identified. The enclosure continues28

1BuckinghamshireJ3490"6+34800+- ----- -LandfillFormersewageworksLc,3470034600\34500FennyStratford34400+---..... ...............34300+SP88200883000884008850088600887000 200mFig 10. Fenny Lock; showing excavation & evaluation trenchesto be used with further ditch digging into later Roman timesand it is only relatively late in the sequence that furtherpaddocks/enclosures are made which lie outside of theenclosure. The only structural evidence fotmd belongs tothis later period and comprises a stone-footed roundhouse.Early/middle Saxon activity is represented by one, possiblytwo, sunken featured buildings. One of these is locatedadjacent to the site of the Roman stone building but it is notlmown if this represents continuity across the Roman Saxondivide or is merely the fortuitous siting of a Saxon farmadjacent to a distinctive feature (cg the mins of a stonefooted hut) in an otherwise abandoned landscape.Ludgershall, Clovellys (SP6640 7780)John SaundersThree evaluation trenches failed to locate anyarchaeological features but a large quantity of late 15thcentury pottery and tile was recovered. This collectionincludes waster material and suggests the presence of kilnsites in the vicinity. The pottery is of Brill/Boarstall type andLudgershall lies 5 km to the north east of the mainproduction centres recorded so far. This site would appearto extend the geographical and chronological range of thisimportant pottery production centre.The other trench (C) of 0.36 ha was located some 200 m tothe south. It revealed deposits mostly of early Roman date.These comprised ring gullies and a field system.29

Buckinghamshirei,-!:::.:,.....:.-..:.,........;.:..-.......- --oiikiii, i ç,ii. i iiioFig 11. Fenny Lock. Trenches A and B showing all archaeological features including evaluation trenches, plough furrowsand modern disturbances

1702 .N.I 203301:703Ii N0 .2031 /!440m+ 035 \ .iii N \i710 j708711\7121001:0-1;\ \209,211NN. 'N717ss.. ,NN705 \. NN.20042007713Nj20162037714718706 N N.N.N N.N N.NBuckinghamshire0Mid/late Iron Age featuresRoman featuresEarly RomanMiddle Roman features.**".nUndated features50m 50m25m100m+.-............±Fig 12. Fenny Lock. Plan of Trench C.31

BuckinghamshireMilton Keynes, Loughton (SP 839 379)Joanna PineAn earthwork survey and evaluation comprising 32 trencheslocated extensive deposits of Medieval date positioned onthe north eastern margin of (Great) Loughton. A subsequentexcavation in 1997 consisted of nine trenches located in fiveateas and totaling 0.63 ha.The earliest deposits enc,ountered comprised a MiddleBronze Age cremation cemetery comprising fiveburials/deposits of pyre material in four features with afurther six undated burials probably of this period also(Trenchperiod (11th-15th century) and several of the trenchesrevealed a complex stratigraphic sequence. Immediately tothe north of the village at least two rectangular stone-footedbuildings were revealed with metalled yard surfaces nearby(Trenches A and E). A ditch, recut on various occasions,layto the north and demarked the boundary of the village withridge and furrow fields beyond. One of the buildings hadbeen dismantled and isolated dumps of stone were found atseveral locations. This area of the site was partlyover-ploughed in late Medieval times.Within another two trenches (B and 2), the majority of a selfcontainedcroft appears to have been examined. The croftwas defined by ditches and contained extensive areas of38100vNNANII\ ,All.'',O.New Housing/13 8 - - r1379003780037700k od,Wt.*Ilir----idp-- . A I MA \:', 1 P2 I a..lilwach:2±2b-0Loughton,\Milk...,d,0 ;iim0,,iii,kINst.. / / : liAdr=fdfZterv:AL:x»,:441kkek:.s..,.... ,,,-.....,..........Illin,, ......r- i,----- ------ -----; -A- A1-:/ '___e__I-:-.', S, 18 ....%:-.7z-7:z,,,,\-_,, 0NNA.71k.,.'se ''''qq,\Wa- 1116/A11=11!,.,,, ..,,, ,.,,...... ......,-...,, ,-, .,i.:l'...--'r"-_''''. -,'--.''2 , .-4114 sZZ's4`20... .,- . ..::' * /,',Bsus 3...\ .,1 "-' 11 /i4 1, .J111.9NiiL=available Cfr forN4s41141:\\ survey i r,Ano_ lirr -11"...41.1111SP83700 83800 83900 840000 200mFig 13. Loughton. Location of site showing earthworks, evaluation and excavation trenches.32

Area AMI- -EPhasesI Middle Bronze Age3C Late Saxon/early Medieval4A14An Metalling4All4AlnNorthamptonshire}4 Medieval. late 12thto early 13th century1.--1 UndatedArea Emetalled surface557/561 (4A11)o20mFig 14. L,oughton. Phase plan of Bronze Age and early medieval features.metalled yard surface. A hollow-way led towards astone-built structure comprising several rectangular rooms.This part of the site had also gone out of use in late Medievaltimes.Elsewhere (trench C) a circular stone-built structure wasfound that was probably a dovecote although a function asan animal pen such as a pig sty cannot be ruled out. Otherfeatures nearby comprise many ditches and gullies; a fenceand a small ditch with a U-shaped plan. These features mayrepresent structures used for handling stock.NORTHAMPTONSHIREAOC ARCHAEOLOGY GROUPSite SummariesNorthampton, Yates' Wine Lodge at the Ridings(SP 7572 6053)Les CaponAn area of 17 m x 17 m was excavated during anarchaeological evaluation in the footprint of the proposeddevelopment A sequence of medieval dumped deposits wasrecorded, particularly featuring pits filled with demolitionmaterial, in addition to two major foundations.The port-medieval deposits were characterised by stonedrains, made ground and a boundary ditch showing evidenceof the 1675 burning of Northampton. The Victorian periodinvolved the construction of tenements along the Ridingsfrontage. A watching brief is continuing on the site.ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES ANDCONSULTANCY LTDTowcester, Tove Valley Industrial Estate (SP 6509 4951)Bob ZeepvatAn earthwork survey, excavation and watching brief wereundertaken to the north of the Roman town, across the lineof 'The Avenue' leading from Easton Neston to WatlingStreet (A5). The survey recorded prominent ridge andfurrow, and the conspicuous profile of the avenue. A trenchdug across 'The Avenue' showed it to be generally 6-8 mwide and flanked by two ditches. Two small gullies werealso located on a different alignment to the avenue: neithercontained any dating evidence, but they appeared to predatethe earthwork and ridge and furrow.33

NorthamptonshireBuilding 710Building 819o10mFig 15. Laughton. Plan of Trench B showing Building 710; plan of Trench C showing Building 819, dovecote or pigsty.BEDFORDSHIRE COUNTY ARCHAEOLOGYSERVICEDaventry, New Street (SP 5746 6240)Sean Steadman and Rob EdwardsAn archaeological evaluation was carried out on the site ofthe White & Co. Shoe Factory. The proposed developmentarea is located within the medieval town of Daventry, closeto the Parish Church, and coincides with a postulatedmedieval enclosure which is considered to be associatedwith Over Manor. The Stead and Simpson Boot and ShoeFactory, now White & Co. Shoe Factory, was built on thesite in 1854 and subsequently extended and altered.The evaluation was undertaken in two stages. In the ruststage, four trial trenches were excavated outside the factoryand a single test pit was excavated within the factory itselfto test the underlying deposits. Following demolition of thefactory a further four trenches were excavated within thefootprint of the demolished factory. Excavation ofengineering te it pits was also observed and recorded.No surviving archaeological deposits of medieval or earlierdate were discovered in any of the interventions. Evidencefor extensive ground disturbance relating to post-medievalquarrying was encountered in the north of the proposeddevelopment area. Elsewhere the natuml subsoil wasencountered directly beneath the factory floor slab. Brickwalls and drainage runs relating to the development of thefactory buildings were also uncovered. In areas of previousquarrying disturbance the ground appears to have beenconsolidated with brick rubble prior to the insertion of a newconcrete slab to support the wooden factory floor. This wasprobably part of a programme of alterations undertaken inthe 1940s.Kettering, Dryland Street (SP 8668 7868)Sean Steadman and Matt EdgeworthAn archaeological field evaluation, comprising a desk-topstudy and trial trenching was undertaken in advance ofredevelopment on the site of the former Evening Telegraphprintworks.The desk top study identified a sequence of occupation onthe site dating from the late medieval period. Factorybuildings and a workhouse had been built on the site by the18th century and the printworks were constructed in the - -early 20th century. Geotechnical test pitting revealed asequence of demolition rubble and modern surfaces, at least500 mm deep, above the natural geology. Evidence ofpost-medieval cellarage was also encountered34

Trial trenching revealed a similar sequence of depositionacross the site. No trace of the meclieval tenements survivedalthough walls relating to 18th/19th century buildings,possibly one of the southernmost buildings of theworkhouse (built 1717), are shown on a map of 1824. Theseand later developments on the site probably involvedwidespread truncation and levelling, destroying anypre-existing archaeological remains.Little Houghton, Church Of St Mary The Virgin(SP 8033 5963)Mark PhillipsA watching brief was carried out during groundworicsassociated with the provision of new kitchen and toiletfacilities at the Church of St Mary the Virgin.A number of in situ burials were identified, some of thesesuperimposed. Variations in the orientation of burials wereobserved. A large quantity of human bone was recoveredthroughout the trenches and the widespread re-deposition ofbone indicated the intensive use of the graveyard over anextended period, as might be expected.In addition to the burials, two archaeological features werelocated. In a sewer trench, parallel lines of brickworksurrounding an area of loose soil appeared to indicate theremains of a brick-lined vault or grave. A foundation trenchpartly revealed a possible pit containing bands of mortardebris. Its intetpretation is uncertain, but the bands of mortarsuggest the pit was probably related to construction work.No dating evidence was recovered but the presence of aseries of burials above the pit indicated that it was notmodem. It seems likely that it also predates the 19th centuryrebuilding of the church. A small number of sherds ofmedieval and late medieval pottery were found in the soilfrom the trenches.Rockingham, Land Off The Cottons (SP 8665 9187)Martin Wilson and Matt EdgeworthDuring April and May 1999 an archaeological desk-basedstudy and field evaluation was undertaken in advance ofproposed residential development. The development areacomprised two quite distinct plots of land: an enclosedpaddock to the east, containing the low, upstanding remainsof a medieval field system and an area of derelict landfronting onto Main Street.The surviving remnant of medieval ridge and furrow wassurveyed. Trenching in this area revealed a surprising depthof up to 1.1 m from the top of the ridges at ground level tothe base of the furrows. Several sherds of heavily abradedmedieval pottery were recovered, ranging in date from the12th-14th centuries. Immediately to the west of the paddocka possible north-south rumting boundary ditch was located;this also produced 12th-14th century pottery.NorthamptonnhireBeneath the derelict land two pits were discovered, one ofwhich produced domestic waste deposits dating, again, tothe 12th-14th centuries. The other pit yielded four flintartefacts and an undated animal burial in its primary fill.The vestigial remains of an undated wall foundation runningperpendicular to the road were found beneath a latepost-medieval cobbled yard. However, 19th century activityhad considerably affected the survival of archaeologicalevidence on this part of the development area.Towcester, Bury Mount (SP 693 488)Sean SteadmanBury Mount is an earthwork motte castle situated on thenorth- east side of Towcester. It is a Scheduled AncientMonument (National Monument Number 13623) in privateownership. An Archaeological Management Survey,comprising a Desk-top Study and Archaeological Surveywas undertaken by Bedfordshire County ArchaeologyService, in conjunction with Cambridgeshire CountyCouncil Archaeological Field Unit in April/May 1999.The motte probably dates to the early years of William I, butby the time it is first recorded in 1391-2, it had almostcertainly been out of use for over a century and appears tohave been treated as waste land in the late Middle Ages. Bythe 16th century Bury Mount had become a private gardenand by 1610 was planted with cherry trees. During theEnglish Civil War the motte was used as a gun emplacementby the royalist garrison in 1643/4 and it is possible that themotte was steepened as a part of the overall defences.Undoubtedly the profile of the motte has been altered overthe past few centuries. In the 19th century Scots Pines wereplanted on the summit of the motte and two cottages werebuilt into its southern face.The Archaeological Survey concluded that Bury Mount isin a very poor condition. The biggest threat to its long termsurvival is erosion. The motte is not in a stable state ofpreservation and requires pro-active management to ensurethat even a minimal level of preservation is attained.A Monument Management Strategy has been proposedwhich could be employed to:- Prevent further erosion of the earthwork.- Improve the general appearance of the site.- Manage the site for wildlife and nature conservation needs.- Develop the monument within its setting and consider thesite in relation to its surroundings.- Improve access and increase the numbers of bons fidevisitots.35

NorthamptonshireCAMBRIDGESHIRE COUNTY COUNCILFOUNDATIONS ARCHAEOLOGYBoughton, Buckton Fields (SP 743 650)Aileen ConnorA desktop assessment was carried out as part of anarchaeological evaluation of 48 ha in advance of housingdevelopment, using non-invasive techniques. Physicalaccess to the site was limited to 50%. Potentialarchaeological sites were revealed. Features were noted inthe north-west of the area, but dating by geophysical surveyand fieldworldng was inconclusive.Finds recovered duringfieldwalking suggest prehistoric and Roman activity. WorldWar II features were identified in the north-east of the area,together with ring ditches, pits and enclosures of an earlierdate. Quarrying and modern disturbance were also noted.The desktop study suggested target areas for the intrusivestage of evaluation.Towcester, Bury Mount (SP 6856 4915)Bedfordshire County Archaeology ServiceBury Mount (within the Towcester Conservation Area) wasthe focus for a Conservation Area ParMership grant schemejointly funded by English Heritage, SouthNorthamptonshire District C,ouncil and NorthamptonshireCounty Council Heritage Branch. The motte probably datesto the early post-conquest years but had fallen out of use by1391. It was used as a gun emplacement in 1643/4 and mayhave been steepened as part of the defences. In thenineteenth century it was planted with trees, and cottageswere built into the southern face. The monument is currentlyin a poor condition and under continuing erosion anddegradation. Initially a desktop study was carried out andthis was followed by an archaeological survey and anarchaeological conditions survey, together with wildlife andnature conservation studies. A Monument Managementstrategy with recommended options was devised for thestabilisation and protection of the motte.COTSWOLD ARCHAEOLOGICAL TRUSTLong Buckby, Ryehill Farm (SP 6050 6650)Laurent ColemanA geophysical survey and subsequent evaluation wasundertaken of a 42 ha site adjacent to Watling Street. LateIron Age and Romano-British ditches were found,predominantly in the central part a the site, but no evidenceof the postulated minor road running northwards fromBannaventa, c 1 km to the south.Burton Latimer (SP 8950 7560)Mike NapthanExcavation took place on a site 2800 sq m in area. Threephases of activity were identified, but there was little datingevidence.Phase 1: Mesolithic tree clearance. Radiocarbon date of late5th millenium BC.Phase 2: Ditch and gully, probable boundary possibly to anenclosure. Late Neolithic date from radiocarbon. Also oneworked flint.Phase 3: Medieval ridge and furrow.Crick (SP 573 730)In 1998 Foundations Archaeology was commissioned byPremier Hotels pic and the Cuckfield Property Company(Crick) Ltd to excavate an area of land in advance ofdevelopment at the Crick, Northamptonshire. Thearchaeological excavation followed a programme of fieldevaluation undertaken by RPS Clouston and a geophysicalsurvey undertaken by Stratascan. These earlier stages offieldwork revealed significant archaeological deposits andan archaeological excavation was subsequently undertaken.The excavation revealed a complex of enclosures and linearbotmdaries of Iron Age date representing an element of thelarger wide spread settlement excavated by BUFAU atCovert Farm. A very small quantity of Romano-Britishpottery was also recovered, predominantly from thesouthern boundary ditch. The entire site had been truncatedby medieval ploughing.HERTFORDSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICALTRUSTBrackley, Former Cantor & Silver Site, Manor Road(SP 5856 3719)Tom McDonaldDuring October 1999, an excavation and watching brief atthe former Cantor & Silver factory, Bracldey was carriedout. The site is thought to lie within the historic core of themedieval new town of Brackley, with former medievaltenement boundaries projecting into the eastem part of thesite. A preceding evaluation and the subsequent excavationrevealed elements of 19th century and earlier boundaries,and also a small number of medieval features (includingditches and post holes). The original ground surface was36

heavily disturbed, and residual mediaeval pottery was fotmdin many later features.The tnmcated base of a ditch contained 13th-14th centurypottery and adhered to the line of a rear boundary whichappears on the 1760 plan of Brackley. To the west of theditch, the evaluation revealed anextensive cobbled yardsurface, sealed by post-medieval demolition/levellinglayers.ISE ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCHSOCIETYThe Rushton Bath House (SP 849 831)James LookerFurther excavations of the bath house will continuethroughout the 2000 season. The evidence, thus far, wouldsuggest a multi - phased structure, with an occupational dateof mid third century to mid fourth century.Over the Easter Bank holiday, (2 - 4 April) 1999, the societyundertook a survey of the field situated to the north of thebath house, (SP 849 832), with the purpose of triing toestablish an occupational area for which the bath house wasconstructed. The survey area covered 40 m x 30 m and byand large was a success, deposits of building debris beingrecorded and quantities of pottery sherds recovered. Thepottery fragments range from the late Iron Age throug,h tothe post medieval period. The results are to be quantified ata later date by enlarging the survey area and obtainingpermission from the land owner for the provision of severalevaluation trenches to be placed.In September 1999, whilst excavating a ditch closelyassociated with the bath house, an early 4th centuryChristian font/tank was recovered. The font/tank is highlydecorative and displays a `Chi Rho' motif, dated toc 339 AD (Thomas 1981, 86). The font/tank is currentlybeing conserved at Leicester University and will beeventually displayed at the Kettering museum.ReferenceThomas C, 1981; Christianity in Roman Britain To AD 500,LondonNORTHAMPTONSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGYReport compiled by Andy Chapman and Pat Chapman,illustrations by Mark Roughley and Alex ThorneBracidey, The Elms (SP 5878 3747)Rob AtkinsA medieval building located in evaluation was excavatedprior to development for housing on land at The Elms, lyingNorthamptonshireon the High Street to the north of the present town centre.The building was preceded by groups of pits, dated1150-1250, which probably lay within a plot to the mar ofdomestic buildings fronting onto the High Street. In the midto late 13th century a stone built "L"- shaped building, adetached bakehouse and kitchen, was constructed on therear of the plot (Fig 1). A metalled tmck ran from thebuilding towards the street Later a square malt oven wasinserted into one room. A nearby stone-lined well waslocated in a watching brief during the early stages ofdevelopmentThe malthouse/bakehouse was demolished in the secondhalf of the 14th century and its walls were partly robbed.The northern part of the building was largely lost within anextensive stone quarry. Subsequently the area became agarden for the early 17th century almshouses fronting ontothe High Street.This sequence of activity has been confirmed by thewatching brief. This has located further pits and two circularovens, dating to around the 13th century, and six largequarry pits containing pottery as late as the 16th century indate, and probably relating to the expansion of Bmckley inthe 16th/17th centuries.Braybrooke, Firs Farm (SP 7652 8427)Joe PrenticeA desk-based survey and trial excavation suggested that apotential development site was outside the area thought tobe West Hall, as known from an historic document. A smallgroup of features comprising a ditch, two gullies and twopost-holes were found. The ditch and one of the gulliesproduced single sherds of medieval pottery, perhapssuggesting limited activity during that period.Brigstock Camp, Pill box (SP 935 863)Peter Masters, Michael Webster and Chris BurgessPrior to the development of this camp, formerly for theunemployed in the 1920s and later for the army, one of thethree surviving pillboxes was surveyed in detail.Daventry, Borough Hill (SP 5875 6210)Mark HolmesAn archaeological watching brief was carried out duringgroundworks for the installation of two newtelecommunication dishes at Daventry TransmittingStation, Borough Hill, the site of an Iron Age hillfort, partof which is protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument(SAM No. 40). The development site, situated within thecompound of the Transmitting Station and located towardsthe southern defences of the hillfort, is not scheduled.37

Northamptonshireo 1 0 111- - - - -Fig 1. Brackley, The Elms, the medieval malthouse/bakehouse.Previous archaeological fieldwork during the laying of thecompound fencing in 1992 revealed no archaeologicalfeanues (SMA 23(1993), 46) and none were found this time.Daventry, Golding Close (SP 5738 6273)Rob AtkinsAn archaeological watching brief was undertaken duringproposed development for shops, housing and a car park. Asingle medieval ditch, dated to the 13th-14th centuries, maybe a further length of an enclosure ditch excavated 30m tothe east in 1995. The watching brief seems to confirm theresults of evaluation trenches excavated in 1994, in findingthat occupation in this area was sparse, perhaps due to thesteeply sloping ground.Daventry, 2 Sheaf Street (SP 571 625)Joe PrenticeA building survey was carried out in the yard of this GradeII listed building to record the ground plan of the 19thcentury conservatory, of which only half survives, togetherwith the underground chamber, and the "grotto" wall. Afabric survey was later conducted to provide informationconcerning blocked and covered features within thebuilding.Daventry, Moot Hall (SP 5740 6264)Joe PrenticeTrial excavation to the north of the Moot Hall located a large17th century pit and the footings of an 18th century wall.No medieval or Saxon levels were found.38

Daventry, Middlemore Farm (SP 565 648)Rob Atkins and Erlend HindmarchAn archaeological evaluation was carried out before aproposed housing development. A fieldwalking surveyrecovered no concentrations of archaeological material;only three flint flakes, a very thin spread of abraded Romanpottery, a couple of medieval sherds and a littlepost-medieval pottery were recovered. A magnetometersurvey found no archaeological anomaly other than thesurviving ridge and furrow earthworks.Fawsley, St Mary's Church (SP561 566)Joe PrenticeA watching brief was carried out during the excavation of acable trench between Fawsley Hall and St Mary's Churchto see if any remains of occupation associated with thedeserted village would be encountered. None was found andit is likely that the area around the edge of the former villagewas used for cultivation, but has more recently been underpasture.Holdenby House (SP 69166780)Joe PrenticeAn archaeological evaluation in the kitchen garden revealednineteenth century planting pits along with an undatedfeature, but no features relating to the gardens of theElizabethan mansion were located.Laxton (SP 976 994)Dennis JacksonAn archaeological watching brief was carried out whilst anew water main was being laid along the verge of the A43trunk road in the Laxton area. The trenching revealed thatthe known iron working and Roman settlement area wasmore extensive than previously recorded. The line of thewater main was altered at one location in order to avoiddamage to a large Roman iron smelting furnace, where aseparate excavation subsequently took place.ReferenceJackson DA and Tylcote R F 1988; Two newRomano-British iron working sites in Northamptonshire,Britannia, 'WC, 275-98.Northampton, Brackmills Link Road (SP 772 573)Rob AtkinsAn archaeological evaluation comprising trial trenching andgeophysical survey was carried out on the line of a proposednew road. It confirmed the existence of a sub-circular ringditch, previously known from cropmarks. It enclosed an areaNorthamptonshire22m in diameter and the V-shaped ditch was 2.8 m wide by0.8 m deep. No finds were recovered, but a sample of oakcharcoal from the ditch has given a radiocarbon date centredon 1620 cal BC (1745-1485 at 2 sigma, Beta 132789);confirming that this was a ring ditch surrounding a ploughedout round barrow.Northampton, Church of the Holy Sepulchre(SP 7540 6093)Alex ThorneAn archaeological recording action on groundworks at thejtmction of the round church and the north aisle recordedstructural remains which appeared to predate the mid 12thcentury phase of building. A thick layer of mortar andrubble, which was exposed in the majority of the trench, mayhave derived from the demolition of the gallery andclerestory of the round church, possibly in the 14th century.In addition, two drains were recorded, both post-dating thedemolition layer.Northampton, St Peter's Church (SP 7498 6038)Rob AtkinsAn archaeological watching brief undertaken at St. Peter'schurch during the excavation of drainage trenchesuncovered mostly grave earth of unknown date. Thefoundations of a limestone wall were found 0.45 m from thesouth wall of the church, but a modern drain obscured theirrelationship. A probable medieval layer or feature was foundto the north of the church. To the north-east two pits orgraves were seen cutting the natural subsoil.Northampton, St James End, Travis Perkins(SP 7445 6034)Mark HolmesA watching brief was carried out during redevelopment ofthis site, following earlier trial excavations in 1996 (SMA 27(1997), 38). However, as the ground was raised noarchaeological deposits were exposed or affected.Northampton, Southbridge (SP 755596)Alex Thome and Joe PrenticeAn archaeological evaluation on proposed redevelopmentland at Southbridge revealed considerable destruction by19th century foundations and drains but no medieval layers.Any medieval archaeology that may survive must be at adepth which will be unaffected by the proposeddevelopment. Three buildings were recorded prior to theirre-development or demolition; The Granary, a Gradelisted structure, the Transhipment Sheds and the RailwayOffice building.39

NorthamptonshireNorthampton, Wootton Fields Roman Villa (SP 766 563)Andy ChapmanA previously unknown Roman villa was located duringmonitoring of groundworks on a new housing development.The exposed building remains were cleaned and plannedbefore they were backfdled for long-term preservation. Theinitial cleaning was undertaken over a weekend by a largeteam of volunteer help, and subsequent recording wassponsored by English Heritage. An adjacent area containingcut features of both Iron Age and Roman date was excavatedprior to road construction (Fig 2).A rotmdhouse ring gully and a scatter of pits are dated fromthe mid-lst century BC to the mid-lst century AD. Theysuggest that there may have been continuity of occupationfrom the late Iron Age.The main villa building was probably a simple strip buildingwith front and rear corridors. A room at the northern endcontained a channelled hypocaust and had been decoratedwith painted wall plaster. M the opposite end a pillaredhypocaust had supported the opus signinum floor of a hotroom, but the remainder of this small bath suite was notexposed. The pottery and coins spanned the later 1st to 4thcenturies AD, but 2nd and 3rd century materialpredominated. The size of the building and the paucity ofdomestic and personal items suggests that the villa was notof exceptionally high status.Geophysical survey and limited excavation demonstratedthat the main building stood within a 70 m square ditchedenclosure with a number of phases of recutting; the earliestincluding a timber palisade. A series of hearths andovens/furnaces to the immediate north of the villa representa final phase of industrial usage following the abandonmentof at least parts of the main building.Orlingbury, Dovecote (SP 8615 7232)Joe PrenticeA watching brief during work to lay a gravel path aroundthe dovecote revealed a brick floor associated with the 19thcentury toilets. No other archaeological remains wereencountered.Oundle, Glapthorn Road (FL 033 890)Anthony Maull and Peter MastersThe excavation of a small Roman farmstead was carried outin advance of housing development, about 1.2 kmnorth-west of the Saxon core of Oundle and 1.4 km west ofAshton Roman town. Fieldwalldng had produced evidenceof a concentration of Roman pottery (SMA 27 (1997), 39)and a later evaluation comprising geophysics, metaldetecting and trial trenching indicated the presence of aRoman farmstead.Excavation exposed much of the plan of the farmstead,including a sequence of overlapping square enclosures withassociated late Iron Age round houses, two Roman aisledbuildings, a stone-lined well, water pits and hearths (Fig 3).Part of the main complex of Roman buildings lay to the westof the excavated area.Part of an early Saxon cemetery was revealed along the northside of the site, and it possibly extended under the housesand gardens of an earlier development. Nine inhumationburials, aligned north-south and east-west were excavated;and the range of grave goods include bone combs, glassbeads (notably a large polychrome melon bead), several ironknives, and a fine oval bone plaque with a central hole andring-and-dot decoradon, which may have been an amulet.Potterspury, 19 Woods Lane (SP 7603 4320)Erlend HindmarchA watching brief noted the presence of a large medievalditch or pit, dated to the 13th to 15th centuries, in the trenchfor the footings for an extension to the property. The remainsof a much later stone wall, probably related to a ruined barn,were recorded in a service trench for drains.Stanford on Avon (SP 589 788)Chris JonesAn archaeological watching brief was carried out during theinstallation of two lines of underground cabling within boththe village and the adjacent Deserted Medieval Village ofStanford on Avon (Scheduled Ancient Monument No 145).No archaeological features were found.Towcester, Meeting Lane (SP 6931 4858)Rob Atkins and Charmian WoodfieldAn archaeological watching brief was carried out along thelength of Meeting Lane, where extensive early Romanfeatures were found and a few sherds of 3rd and 4th centurypottery.An early Roman road, branchingoff the Alchester Road wasfound. This had gone out of use when it was cut by a wgdl.The surviving foundations were 2.8 m wide and 0.35 m high,and the wall would have formed part of the south-westcorner of Towcester's later 2nd century defensive circuit,which may have run parallel to Richmond Road. Anindustrial stone-built feature post-dated the road butpre-dated the bank.A thick layer of dark earth, of the 3rd and 4th centuries,overlay the tail of the bank, and increased in depthnorthwards along Meeting Lane as the natural groundsurface fell away. Several Roman pits were sealed below thedark earth and cut the natural subsoil, which may imply thatthey were no later than late 2nd century in date.40

NorthamptonshireFig 2. Northampton, Wootton Fields, Iron Age settlement and Roman villa41

NorthamptonshireEarly Saxon cemetery,o400,f- - - - - -- ''--- - - - - -0Qometalledentrance wayHamledII building. tiAIH -6aisledbuildingWelloowalls050mHWhearthswater pitsFig 3. Otmdle, Glapthom Road, The Iron Age and Roman seulementWeldon, 17 Chapel Road (SP 9241 8971)Steve MorrisThe site, fronting Chapel Road, lay within the medievalvillage of Little Weldon. Excavation produced a series ofarchaeological layers and features, including a hearth, whichdate to the 13th to 15th centuries; but a single pit containedlate Saxon pottery. The site appears to have been levelled atsome stage, altering the medieval topography and truncatingthe archaeological remains.OXFORD ARCHAEOLOGICAL UNITAynho, College Farm (SP 5115 3331)Ian ScottThe Unit carried out a field evaluation at College Farm,Aynho, Northamptonshire, for Berry Morris CharteredSurveyors on behalf of Mr and Mrs Oakley, the landowners.The evaluation comprised 7 trenches, 4 sited in the mainfarmyard and the remainder located to the south and west ofthe farmyard. The archaeological evidence from within the42

farmyard was limited, and comprised a small number offeatures on the south side of the yard. Prominent amongthese were two rectangular settings of stone slabs. Theabsence of datable finds, particularly of medieval material,is worthy of note and suggests that the present farmbuildings were the first structures built on the site.The remaining trenches investigated the walled orchard tothe south-west of the farmyard and confirmed that the wallaround the present garden is almost certainly the originalwall of the orchard shown on early maps. Part of a waterchannel, which is probably the artificial waterc.ourse shownon early maps, was uncovered. Within the garden a robbertrench was located which may mark the line of the originalwest wall of the orchard.THE HERITAGE NETWORK LTD.Wollaston (SP 9062)David HillelsonAs part of a planning application for the development of landto the south of the town, the Heritage Network wascommissioned to undertake an archaeological evaluation, inOxfordshireorder to assess the level of archaeological risk faced by thedevelopmentDesk-based research indicated that archaeological finds orfeatures, dating from the Neolithic to the Medieval periods,could be pre,sent on the site. Two phases of field evaluationwere undertaken to clarify this risk. The first phase, acrossthe northern half of the site, revealed the presence of Saxonremains. Features included pits and post-holes and, notably,a sunken featured building or grubenhaus. Pottery found inassociation with these features suggested a date range foroccupation between the 5th and llth centuries.A second phase of evaluation work was required on thesouthern half of the development site to clarify the extent ofthe Saxon settlement Three linked trenches were alignedwith the proposed access road for the development Theyrevealed fifteen archaeological feature,s which are allconsidered to be modern and associated with the previoususe of the site.The fieldwork is ongoing and will be more fully reported ata later date.OXFORDSHIREABINGDON AREA ARCHAEOLOGICAL ANDHISTORICAL SOCEETYSutton Courtenay, 18 The Green (SU 50340 93954)John WalfordA small trench measuring 1 x 2.3 m was opened in the southwest corner of the back garden of this house. The upper fillswere associated with an existing compost enclosure underwhich, in the west end of the trench lay a mortar surface (3)of fairly recent date. Lower down and in the east end of thetrench was a rough surface of cobble, brick and stone (5),believed to be of 19th century date. The extent of this surfacewas not discovered.Adjacent to and beneath these cobbles lay a thick, fairlyhomogeneous layer of dark ploughsoil-like deposits (4,7,10and 11) containing medieval pottery throughout but withpost-medieval pottery restricted to the upper half. Thenatural consisted of a chalky clayey gravel at a depth of1.8 m below the surface.In general the main findings of this site were that there wasa large accumulation of ploughsoil in this vicinity and thatthe pottery, although it has not be,en fully analysed, wouldappear to have more earlier medieval pottery than latemedieval.layer finds (pottery sherds)Prehistoric medieval post-medieval bter12 4384 13 33 105 7 36 1 29 17 310 1 1 211 1 2No Roman pottery was found.Mr J. Carter and Mrs J. Smith have looked at the deeds ofthis property and bave found that there have been buildingson this site since at least the middle of the eighteenth century.The finds will be deposited with the house owners and acopy of the site archive with the Oxfordshire CountyCouncil Museums Department at Standlalce.The Society would like to thank the owners, Mr and Mrs GM Davies for facilitating this excavation and the memberswho carried out the work.43

Oxfordshire51.871 m O.D.L.4 - 4VI.52vGround Surface3-vv.4v '. ..7t.t. 410_.1 Stone'.mil=ww=em50 emsFig 1. Sutton Courtenay, 18 The Green. Section.AOC ARCHAEOLOGY GROUPAbingdon, Caldecott County Primary School, BlacknallRoad (SU 4890 9645)Imogen Grundon and Darryl PalmerTen trenches were excavated during an archaeologicalevaluation in advance of an extension to the existing schoolbuilding. Only one feature with secure dating evidence wasencountered, a ditch with a single sherd of Romano-Britishpottery. The trenches were littered vrith pits and post holes,none of which provided any dating material. It may be thatthese are associated with the Roman ditch, but may alsorelate to later use of the site as an allotment area.Benson, St Helen's Church (SU 6151 9164)Imogen GrundonAn archaeological watching brief was conducted during thegroundworlcs for an extension to the existing church, aGrade Hs listed building with 12th century and laterfeatures. The ground works revealed the remains of theearlier foundation wall for the western church tower, whichwas rebuilt in the 18th century. It is possible that the remainsof an earlier, perhaps medieval, foundation wall wereobserved, but there was no associated dating evidence tosubstantiate this conclusion. Although numerousinhumation burials were encountered during the course ofthe works, these were all of a post 18th century date, andwere reburied without further analysis.Kingham, Smithy's Yard, West Street (SP 2595 2420)Diccon HartA three trench archaeological evaluation was undertaken tothe north of the medieval village of ICingham, adjacent tothe Scheduled Ancient Monument of a medieval three sidedmoat (SAM 255). All of the trenches revealedarchaeological features, although a lack of dating evidenceprecluded any detailed conclusions about the site. It wouldappear, however, that ditches encountered in two of thetrenches may represent a series of botmdaries delineatingindividual properties of the original village. One of thetrenches, in the southwest corner of the development area,revealed a stone wall numing parallel to West Street, thatmay represent a boundary wall or a building feature. Thiswall was cut into a stone surface which may represent a largefoundation pad, as it appaus to be structural in nature. Tilerecovered from this surface was dated to between the 13thand 16th centuries.Oxford, Site of the Old LMS Station (SP 5063 0630)Imogen GrundonA watching brief was carried out on the site during groundreduction for a new road scheme. During the course of theworks a 12 m wide ditch and associated banking materialwere observed, which have been identified as part ofOxford's Civil War defences. Although them was no datingevidence from within the bank itself, the overlying depositwas firmly dated to the 17th century on the basis of potteryand day pipe evidence, and the site corresponds withcontemporary map evidence (de Gromme and Logpn)which makes this determination almost certain. Whilst theCivil War defences have been excavated more ftdlyelsewhere in Oxford, this is the first instance where the bankfor the ditch, surviving to approximately 0.5 m high and 8m

in width, has been observed, in this instance at the extremesouthern end of the site. Also noted was the barmkin, the flatplatfomi between the base of the bank and the eastern edgeof the ditch.Remains of the station's drainage system was also seen,including several cast-iton stanchions.oOxfordshireTaddey, Sturdy's Castle Public House (SP 4620 1930)Les CaponA five trench archaeological evaluation was conducted onthe above site, in advance of proposed development. Nofeatures of archaeological interest were encountered duringthe works.ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES ANDCONSULTANCY LTDMerton, Manor House Nursing Home (SP 578 179)Bob Zeepvat and Justin NealAn archaeological evaluation comprising three trialtrenches was carried out, prior to the construction of anextension to the nursing home. Two limestone walls, on anorth-east to south-west alignment, and a solidlyconstructed surface of pitched limestone and limestone slabswere revealed, north of the existing buildings (Fig 2). Nodating evidence was forthcoming, but the features arethought to be former garden features in front of the manorhouse. A third trench, across the car park to the north of thepresent buildings, contained no archaeological features orfinds.COTSWOLD ARCHAEOLOGICAL TRUSTBurford, The Old Ropery (SP 2510 1210)Mark BrettA watching brief was carried out during development oftenement plots to the rear (and west) of High Street, Burfordand recorded a number of rubbish pits and postholes. Potteryrecovered from some of the pits suggests domesticoccupation dating from the 12th or 13th century when it isthought that Burford assumed its current planned form.Significant amounts of building rubble and roof tilesoccurring in other pits suggest building work or structuralalterations were taking place nearby in the 15th and 18thcenturies.oFig 2. Merton. Manor House Nursing Home. Trench 2,detail plan.45

OxfordshireLittle Faringdon (SP 230 005)David KenyonEvaluation of land to the south-west of the village wasundertaken as part of a planning application for gravelextraction. Dated archaeological features were identified inonly one trench, on the line of the proposed access road atthe extreme north-west of the site. A medieval pit and ditchwere uncovered, as well as a series of undated postholeswhich may be contemporary with these medieval features,or possibly earlier in date. Over the remainder of the site aseries of palaeochannels were identified, marldng formercourses of the river Leach, as well as numerous smallerirregular features which were interpreted as natural hollows.Over Norton, Reservoir Outlets (SP 345 285)Franco VartucaA watching brief carried out during topsoil stripping for theinsertion of a water pipeline revealed a small number ofunstratified pieces of worked flint, including a serrated knifeblade.FOUNDATIONS ARCHAEOLOGYBegbroke, Begbroke Rising Main (SP 474 018 - 476 141)A watching brief was undertaken during the laying of sewerpipes. No archaeological feattues were encountered.Bicester, Bicester Sewage Treatment Works(SP 580 210)A programme of archaeological evaluation was undertakenat Bicester Sewage Treatment Works for Mike Lang Hall onbehalf of Thames Water. The evaluation consisted of fourcruciform and two 'T'-shaped trenches in order to test thepresence/absence of archaeologically sensitive deposits.All six evaluation trenches proved to be sterile ofarchaeological features, with the exception of faint furrowmarks in trenches C and D. Three sherds of Romano-Britishpottery were recovered from atop the natural substrate inTrench E. The results of the excavation suggest thatRomano-British activity associated with the town ofAlchester did not extend into the study area. The furrowmarks indicate that during the medieval period the site wasunder arable cultivation. Remnants of ridge and furrow arepresent in nearby fields.Ledwell (SP 4340 2840)Kevin BeachusA watching brief was carried out on behalf of ThamesWater. No archaeology was identified, although evidencewas found for small scale post-medieval quarrying.JOHN MOORE HERITAGE SERVICESAbingdon, Abbey Car Park(SU 49995 97072 - SU50104 97093)John MooreAn archaeological watching brief was undertaken during thelaying of new services in Abbey Close Car Park which iswithin the Scheduled Ancient Monument of AbingdonAbbey. The pipeline followed the footpath along the southside of Abbey Close from the south-east corner of the carpark, by the bridge leading to the swimming pool andrecreation area south of the Abbey Stream to the drive toThe Coseners House from where it was excavated throughthe carriageway to a box at opposite the drive to 14 AbbeyClose. Mostly the work was confined to deposits recentlydisturbed by laying of services or 19th and later centuryroads. Residual finds of Romano-British date were foundwhich indicate that occupation of a relatively high status waspresent in this area of Abingdon. One sherd of St Neots Ware(10th-llth century) was recovered from a deep depositadjacent to the river.Remains and indications of walls found suggest thatevidence of Abbey buildings lie c 0.5 m below presentground level within the Abbey Close Car park and underAbbey Close.Banbury, 21 Horsefair (SP 4535 4050)Imogen GrundonAn historic building investigation and impact assessmentwas undertaken on 21 Horsefair in advance of proposals torefurbish the building.21 Horse Fair, Banbury, was built as a yeoman's privatehouse in the 17th century. In 1716 it was bought by thePresbyterians as a house for their Minister. The PresbyterianMeeting House was situated to the west of the house, wherethe Baptist Church now stands. In 1797, the incumbentMinister founded a school that later became the BanburyAcademy, and from then on 21 Horse Fair housed theHeadmaster, his flintily, staff and boarders. It remained as aschool until 1908, expanding in 1856 with the addition ofthe main northern extension, and other buildings now gone.Bicester, 17 Causeway (SP58395 22315)Imogen GrundonPlanning permission has been granted to redevelop the siteof No 17 Causeway by demolition of the existing structuresprior to the construction of ti.venty-four flats for the elderlywith associated communal facilities. Due to the listed status(Grade II) of No 17, Causeway, a condition was attached tothe Permission requiring that a photographic record be madeof the building prior to demolition.46

The site lies between two areas of Saxon settlement whichlater became the medieval centres of King's End and MarketEnd. Causeway links these two centres and is thought to dateback at least to the 14th century.No 17 Causeway was found to be largely built of brick andtimber. Its gable ends consist of the walls of theneighbouring buildings, No 19 Causeway to the west andNo 15 to the east. The latter was demolished some time ago,but its west wall had to be left for No 17 to remain standing.The south part of the cottage is dated to 1886, ten years aftera building of similar size and proportions is illustrated onthe OS 1st Edition map. However, there is a stronglikelihood that the cottage was a single build, so the datestone may commemorate the completion of a whole seriesof improvements on this site. These improvements may haveincluded the partial rebuilding of Vine Cottages to the south,additional scullery/privy units to serve these, following thedemolition of earlier privies, No 17's back yard, and thebuilding of a glass lean-to at the rear of No 17.There is little evidence to suggest who was responsible forbuilding No 17 or the Vine Cottages, but a strong candidateis the owner of No 19, whose property was re-faced in brickat about the same time.Bicester, Vine Cottages, Causeway (SP 5841 2226)John MooreThe 03 ha site includes 17 Causeway, land to the rearstretching southwards to Priory Lane and incorporates VineCottages and other derelict structures. It is the intention todevelop the site by the demolition of existing structures andthe construction of twenty four flats for the elderly withassociated communal facilities. For this reason anevaluation of the site was undertaken.The site lies between two areas of Saxon settlement whichlater became the medieval centres of King's End and MarketEnd. The Causeway linking the two areas is thought to be atleast 14th century in date.The evaluation proved that this area of land to the west ofthe present stream was low-lying until the post-medievalperiod when the land was raised by the import ofconsiderable amounts of material. A trench suggests that thestream flowed further to the west than at present, or wasconsiderably wider.The findings suggest that the northern part of the site wasreclaimed earlier. The early post-medieval material wasfound at a higher level than further south. It is probable thatdevelopment along the Causeway at an earlier datenecessitated the need for raising of the land for bothbuildings and associated gardens.The evaluation has proved the presence of a low-lying areabetween the medieval and earlier settlements of Kings EndOxfordshireand Market End. This area was marsh-like and prone toflooding. This also explains the name Causeway which wasobviously constructed to span thi.s wet area and to link thetwo areas of setdement.Bicester, Chapel Street (SP5845 2230)John MooreAn evaluation was undertaken on a plot of land to the rearof 1 Causeway which fronts onto Chapel Street. The site ofproposed development is located on the west side of ChapelStreet, Bicester just south of where the Town Brook forms adog-leg to the west. The evaluation proved that c 86% of theapplication area has been truncated by the course of thestream that had been much wider and by a half cellar of acottage that stood on the southern part of the site.An Anglo-Saxon ditch orientated north-south was found inthe north-eastem part of the site underlying possiblehorticultural deposits of medieval date.Chinnor, 2 Station Road (SP 7523 0117)Emma SandersonAn investigation was carried out on the site oftwo proposedbungalows. The proposal area is located on the junction ofMill Lane and Station Road, Chinnor. The work that wascarried out was within the garden of the existing dwelling.The site lies adjacent to, or possibly over, a probableAnglo-Saxon cemetery. Some years before 1933 humanburials were found in the grounds of a bungalow at a placewhere the lower Icknield Way peters out and the modemroad turns sharply southeast. This location clearly describesthe junction of Mill Lane and Station Road. In 1933 morebones were found, including the skulls of a man and women.Later another burial was found 50m away.Topsoil was stripped off the area proposed for new building.No graves were present showing that the cemetery does notextend into this site.Oxford, Oxford Science Park, Grenoble Road(Phase 2 area SP 5390 0210 centred, Phase 2a area SP 54150240 centred)John MooreFollowing an evaluation by the AOC Archaeology Group inJune 1999 an excavation and watching brief was undertakenby John Moore Heritage Services on behalf of the AOCArchaeology Group.Remains of an Anglo-Saxon village were found. Thisincluded 6 sunken featured buildings and pits lying onCorallian Formation Beckley Sand just below the crest of arise on the south side of the Littlemore Stream valley. A deepearly (?medieval) ploughsoil had removed the remains of47

Oxfordshireshallower features including post holes of suspected timberframed structures and fence lines. Peat deposits found on theslope of the valley side seem to indicate that the stream hadbeen clogged by vegetation during the Anglo-Saxon periodforming a wide marshy area.Analysis of the pottery shows that the occupation was of the6th century, not carrying on much beyond the early 7thcentury. There are similarities with the material from RadleyBarrow Hills and Eynsham Abbey. This is the largestAnglo-Saxon assemblage from within the City of Oxford.Roman pottery was found across the site with almost a thirdderiving from the sunken featured buildings. The greatmajority of the pottery was locally made and much of itprobably derived from the nearby production site at Fry'sHill, part of the Sandford/Blackbird Leys productioncomplex. Two small fragments represent 1st centuryactivity, but the remainder of the material dates at least fromthe 2nd century, and most of the diagnostic fabrics and formsare assignable to the late third and fourth centuries. Theabnormally high representation of Oxford fine and specialistwares may reflect the proximity of production sites, someof which were specialising in these wares, but the differentbrealcdown of type and size of material from stmken featuredbuildings and from other contexts sug,gests that a selectionprocess was carded out by the inhabitants of early Saxonsettlements.Pits of the middle Iron Age were also present, somecontaining residual material of the Neolithic, early BronzeAge and mid-late Bronze Age. While the assemblage ofprehiatoric pottery is small it is nevertheless important as itconfirms prehistoric activity of a wide date range(mid-Neolithic to middle Iron Age) on this site and in anarea were contemporary sites are rare.The evaluation found a concentration of medieval pottery(13th-14th century) and apparent features. Area excavationestablished that late 19th century quarrying of the shallowlimestone capping over the sand on the crest had taken place.The quarrying had followed the better seams of limestone,backfilling as the quarry face(s) progressed. The medievalfinds were therefore contained within the backfill. It isapparent that medieval occupation possibly in the secondhalf of the 12th century but more certainly in the 13th andpossibly 14th century, probably a small farmstead had beenpresent in the southern part of the site but all structuralfeatures have been obliterated. All the pottery could havebeen bought from Oxford market; there is very littleevidence of the sandy ceramic tradition popular inAbingdon, some 6.5 km to the south-west of the site. Thecoarse wares found derive from the vicinity of the SavemakeForest while the fine wares were brought to market from theproduction centre focused on the parishes of Brill-Boarstallin central Buckinghamshire.Within peat deposits in the Phase 2a area north of LitdemoreStream pottery of the 2nd century AD has been retrieved.The watching brief continues during 2000 in both Phase 2and 2a areas.Oxford, Former Slade Hospital Site, Horspath Driftway(SP5552 0512)Imogen Orundon & John MooreA watching brief was conducted on this site, althoug,hdevelopment began before the archaeological works wereinitiated. While no features were found a quantity ofmaterial was collected. Significant quantities ofRomano-British pottery were present including at least onewaster. In addition kiln furniture and large pieces of slagwere recovered. The material would appear to indicate thatboth pottery manufacture and metal worldng (perhapscopper smithing) was being undertaken on this site.Oxford, Site bounded by St Thomas Street, HolybushRow, Osney Lane, and Becket Street(SP 5060 0615)John MooreThe site is being developed for flats and the impact on theknown archaeological remains bas been limited by carefuldesign of the foundations although it was not possible toavoid impact on medieval structures over a small arna on theSt Thomas Street frontage. An area of approximately 22 mx 6m was the subject of an area excavation down to the baseof medieval structures.The site was once bisected by Church Street, formed whenthe suburb of St Thomas was laid out in the 12th century. Inorder to build a series of tenements and buildings to the eastof Church Street and fronting onto St Thomas High Streeton the wet alluvial meadows of Osney Island, the land wasdrained and reclaimed by large scale dumping along the lineof Church Street and to the east of it The earliest evidencefor occupation on the site was found during the evaluationwhen a series of undated stakeholes were found below thereclamation level.The earliest cottages, provisionally of the earlier twelfthcentury were at a slight angle to the present line of StThomas Street and successive buildings. These earlybuildings had a mixture of stone footed walls and cob walls.Evidence from the rear wall suggests that the cottages wereof a single build. One room or cottage had a mortared floor.The later cottages were definitely of one build with acontinuous back wall parallel to the present line of StThomas Street. The front wall was further out into the streetthan previously. During the 13th century (to be confirmedby more detailed study of the pottery), two rooms showeddifferent uses; whether they were separate cottages or a tworoomed building is unknown as the dividing wall had beendestroyed by later building. One room was of domesticnature with successive floors being covered in animal boneand broken pottery, while the other was of industrial/shopuse. The latter had two pots set into the floors; one was48

sealed with a clay sunound just below rim level. Laterwithin this mom a clay lined trough was set against the rearwall. These buildings may be those shown on the map ofRalph Agas of 1578.Later redevelopment of the buildings were extensions to therear with the front remaining largely untouched.Documentary sources show that the first buildings onChurch Street appeared by 1768 (Jeffreys' Map of Oxford).The only buildings along Church Street investigated duringthe evaluation were of 18th and 19th century date. To theeast of Church Street the area stayed residential until the19th century when the land was acquired piecemeal by theSisterhood of St Thomas the Martyr for their convent, partsof which were located during the evaluation. The houses thathad by then developed along both sides of church Streetwere all eventually absorbed by the convent, until ChurchStreet became part of the convent and was first closed offand eventually built over.Theme, 58 North Street (SP 7076 0591)Emma SandersonAn archaeological watching brief was undertaken during theexcavation for footings for an extension to the rear of theproperty. Two pits were revealed which were dated to thefirst half of the 17th century. The earliest fragmentary sherdswere from the nearby well-lmown Brill/Boarstall productioncentre (Mellor 1994). Otherwise, the majority of the vesselswere jars of red earthenware; a single dripping pan wasglazed internally with a thick even glaze. A similar range ofvessels was recovered from within the Bodleian Quadranglein Oxford, where the excavator concluded they had beendeposited before 1613-1624 AD (Sturdy 1959). Very finelypotted proto-stoneware (OXAP) was present and mayrepresent a closed vessel with a thickening resulting fromluting of a missing handle. However, the source of the vesselis unclear but may be an early German stoneware.ReferencesMellor M 1994; A Synthesis of Middle and Late Saxon,Medieval and Early Post-medieval Pottery in the OxfordRegion, Oxoniensia LDC, 17-217Sturdy D 1959; Thirteenth Century and Later Pottery fromthe Clarendon Hotel and other sites in Oxford. OxoniensiaMUV, 22-36.32Upper Heyford, Land West of Two Trees Farm(SP4970 2600)John MooreA watching brief was undertaken during the course ofexcavation for services and foundations for a new singletwo-storey dwelling. The only archaeology found was walland ditch thought to form a north boundary to the more levelpart of the site that exists over the southern two-thirds of theOxfordshiresite. This boundary was parallel to High Street and is thoughtto be a post-medieval feature dated by a sherd of NorthMidland Redware in a red slip of the 17-18th century.NATIONAL TRUSTGary MarshallAshdown, South Lodge (SU 28218202)Dendro samples from the roof of Ashdown House havegiven a felling date of 1661. The house has an interestinghistory since it was built by the 1st Earl of Craven for CharlesI's sister Elizabeth, niclmamed the "Winter Queen" aftermarrying the Elector Palatine and reigning for one year asQueen of Bohemia.There are two Lodges in front of the house, originallyflanking a set of entrance ptes on the main drive. The NorthLodge is inhabited but the South Lodge is empty and wasrecently affected by a fue. The Trust is therefore preparinga Conservation Plan for its restoration which bas beensupported by a detailed archaeological survey of thebuilding 111. Dendro sampling suggests a date of 1766 forthe main structural timbers but this is hard to teconcile withthe depiction of the Lodge on a 1716 engraving by Kipp.The timbers are possibly a later introduction but it SeeMSmore likely that the Lodge was rebuilt in the 1760s. It is asubstantial building with flute floor levels. Its function wasnot previously understood but evidence from thearchaeological survey now suggests that the southern halfincorporating a large segmental arched fireplace served asthe lcitchen. The discovery of the remains of a large breadoven at the opposite end, together with a large bricked upfireplace suggests that this served as a combined bake houseand brew house. A large central staircase provided access tothe upper floors which appear to have been used as domesticaccommodation for a steward or senior member of thedomestic staff.With the restoration of the building completed it is intendedthat this will be used as both a waiting room and exhibitionarea for displays on the history of the house and estate. It isalso hoped that artefacts from the excavation of the nearbybon Age hill fort at Alfred's Castle can be put on display.These excavations under the direction of Oxford UniversityDepartment for Continuing Education continued in 1999,revealing evidence of Iron Age grain pits and storage pitsbeneath the Romano-Britsh building discovered in thecentre of the hill fort in 1998 (see article in this issue).Reference[1] The National Trust, Ashdown House, South Lodge, Adetailed archaeological analysis, 0 Jessop, Feb 2000, reportNo Ashdown/3.49

OxfordshireFaringdon, Coleshill Walled Garden (SU 23869378)A watching brief was maintained over the excavation of atrench for laying a water pipe across the gardens to theGardener's Cottage. The walled gardens were erected in the1850s to provide fruit and vegetables and flowers toColeshill House. Sadly the bouse was destroyed by fire inthe 1950s. The trench revealed little of interest, although itdid follow the course of a line of brick footings whichoriginally carried a partition wall across the width of thegardens.The National Trust are currently carrying out a programmeof research and excavation with a view to restoring thegardens. This will involve re-instating the glasshouses usingevidence from maps, aerial photographs and evidencerecovered from the excavation of the brick footings andfloor surfaces. The proposals also include restoring theoriginal piped water supply which fed a series of taps and'dipping points' where water could be collected.South Leigh, Little Bartletts Cottages (SU 386091)The National Trust owns two tenanted cottages at SouthLeigh Village, approximately two miles from Witney. Thelower cottage is an important building, firstly because of itsvernacular construction, and secondly because it retainsmuch of the original smoke-blackened thatch roof covering.This original thatch cover was first identified in 1991 whenthe National Trust carried out a vernacular buildings surveyof the propertyUnfortunately part of the thatch cover was destroyed by afire in 1999 after the flue serving the wood stove in the livingroom became overheated. Quick action on the part of thefire brigade meant that only the central section of the thatchwas lost, leaving most of it intact. An archaeologicalwatching brief was maintained over the building whilstrepairs were carried out and as a consequence a number ofimportant observations were made I21. Survey work carriedout in 1994 121 had suggested a possible 14th century datefor the earlie.st part of the building. This now seems to betoo early and a 16th century date seems more likely.Unfortunately sampling for dendro dating carried out in1999 proved inconclusive because all the main structuraltimbers and the timbers of the roof construction are elm. Theoriginal building was of timber frame construction butduring the 17th century the lower part of the frame je belowthe eaves plate was entirely removed and replaced bymasonry A chimney of masonry construction was alsoinserted at this time, replacing an earlier smoke hood.Evidence for this hood was found during the 1999 survey,consisting of redundant dovetail mortices cut into the top ofthe wall plate and areas where the undersides of the originalrafters had not been blackened by smoke.Samples of the materials forming the originalsmoke-blackened thatch were taken for analysis by JohnLetts of Reading University. These are thought to containRivet wheats which are no longer commercially grown.They were also found to contain layers of clay daub whichwere laid between the various layers of thatch, acting as aform of glue between the layers. Similar clay daub had alsobeen placed over the layers forming the ridge and at eaveslevel over the wall plate. Other examples of vernacularmaterials used in the construction of the building includedhazel or willow rods used to form wattle partitions and crudebattens beneath the thatch covering. Clay daub bas beenapplied over the wattle partitions and this material has alsobeen used to form the lath and plaster ceilings.ReferencesThe National Trust, Vernacular Buildings Survey, LittleBartletts Cottages, South Leigh, Jones, Garside and Izzard,1991.Lower Wayside Cottage, South Leigh, Oxfordshire,Report on a vernacular building watching and recordingbrief, A K D Waters, 1994.The National Trust, Little Bartletts Cottages, SouthLeigh, Archaeological observations on the lower cottageafter a fire to the roof thatch, G Marshall (forthcoming),report No South Leigh/3)NORTH OXON FIELD ARCHAEOLOGYGROUPReport for 1998-9Edward ShawyerActivities this year were greatly scaled down, for a varietyof reasons and the group's efforts were again mainly centredaround Swalcliffe. A lot of follow-up work and research stillneeds to be done in the walce of the large amount offieldwork carried out over the last four years. Despite thegood response from part-time helpers our experienced andqualified members are few and their time is limited;therefore a considerable delay is expected before the finalreport and full results of the group's endeavours emerges. Athird season of excavation was carried out on the villabuilding in the Roman village and more of the surroundingfields were fieldwalked with the result that yet anotheroutlying habitation or activity area was located. Anotherfieldwalk conducted on a Roman site in Steeple Aston foundin the 17th century has created a mystery because of itsfindings.ExcavationsSwalcliffe Lea villa site (SP 3913 3838)The main 3rd-4th century complex discussed in last year'sSMA has now been recognised as a corridor type villa datingto soon after 270 AD. Extensions to both trenches 1 and 2revealed more features which altered the assumedorientation of the building. The original idea that room 4 waspart of a central corridor and the villa fronted the road to thenortheast was overturned by a number of factors, one being50

Oxfordshiredrips Fol..calm. mitreGram. rotsCar.lIndome eV Wekm...a N. rtmoo )NM MOM ter.D000.0.01.1aOs. mosolaONINME,Oolo6,.....ww seam(.11111.411641141,4011111.11w.' -01110..leowndIanew.11.111/011,001wmeamode Imam1111 Imam*Nos mil. ......1.0110011611110.010.1,1IN.. ea...owls .11....mama yea0.0.01/mows!ISEYaay/straw daubUme PasterThe National TrustLower Wayside Cottage. South LeighSection through building looking eastOBeakMUM2Fig 3. Lower Wayside Cottage, South Leigh.the discovery of a portico and entrance facing southeast.Most villas face south or east to face the sun and to shelterfrom the cold and the worst weather. Here the villaoverlooked a scenic view south east along a valley, whichis another consideration in villa locations. More rooms werefound in all directions and in trench 1 a wall parallel to theoriginal was discovered 3m to the north east, which becauseof its length hinted that it might have been a corridor. Fromthe alignment of these walls it became clear that the twobuildings were joined and the emerging shape was that of acentral building with two wings enclosing a courtyard.Further excavation carried out this year in the area where theeast wing should meet the central building has now reducedthe gap to just 5m. The developmental sequence of the mainlate Roman villa building described last year is still correct,with only a few minor details to add; however the phases ofthe early buildings beneath have needed more radicalalteration.Phase 3aThe original villa seems to have comprised the centralbuilding, the east wing and possibly a west wing as well. Sofar only a northern extension seems to have been added inphase 3b, but recent excavation is now hinting at another51

'=MIMIMEOMOOIN=111111-n-NORTH1-3RD CWALLSLATE 3R° CWALLSLATE 311DCWALLS FLOOREDOvEREARLY 41"C WALLSLATE 41"C. WALLS11-.7;1oCONTINUATION OF \WALLSNYPOTNETIcAl\. \ANO CERTAIN \ \\ \ \/,DAUM LINE\\ \/ toMae,isaatgaikvisas/..111wp10.firlIr41Irtaxitpep .4/vos.\ 9.»p,;,0...a14\ Ne'2(I kNrI4A\t;EXTENT OF iST-31! CEXCAVATED FLOOR SURFAC6LATE 3RDCFLOORS (FLOOR SURFACES UtTPiCA)EARLY 41" CFLOORS1.ATE 1+14 C.FLOORSEOSE OFEXCAVATIONS( AS ae.oveCAS APAVE.0,c i)e/ z,N2PN.p.\`401,1;pt---1017-1\ \I-JBuKthi-// \\\//BFCsr\ \/// \/ z\ \z/ / \/ / / r \:-._\ \494,4/// '\ \// \....,z \ \Iz , . ,.A.7 /I/ ...." '''.E§ (EANLy iF c suu.y)EF (Eno/ ii1C. FiK PITP1,P2. (Wiwi 1.SC PosT)vioCI, Di.(EARLI isT-310FLooRsBu (31u. c DO § )FIRePtr\ \ / j ,.1 i___11 p 11.,0. 'I\ it -7 i-...1 f_.. ......7_,0. 1D5- -.ti i 8 1 I.----I I/\ ,.- .0--2, ---,.--- , s'---./.., 's..,.... ...--- - ''' "zc / // ---(LATE2.0,1 60.,,a, to., Mo. ocLity FooRs)16116,10,GARLy 4-1"CD.MOSMC FLOO(S)gO. (Mel LA-14 C MOSAICFLOOR. ROD meoc.frust)ya..(Loar., 36k0 C, CogikeDyRit0E (Lpoesitoc eg-nutocesLA2.b13b141)16b,1ct2.b,tobotb,( isqe Lox c st. oofts)B (LATE 1.04 c czLoirlPtu.PCK SASEFb Ft, (L.RTE 41b1C.FOWS-- \.0°- m(1,I.grti"

:!Oxfordshire1111111kM%Ilkilgig.;:i'.41kItsWerr,,4%. ' ,-,,)k__,11.117:74pAgm-474,0 Ea._40L,a-7.11 at'4140 V'- .. ::!:'777:' Art e.. 'ViFiffar '7iii i Z. !1' .iMMNIIERIVAEAPPri!i--41W/000.1411LM-IMMIMMIMM°-14;531-49:1mtEggig:fr Pr 77,614intra,-ii ... r :iIk*es -ninfleitIrtr.W.L.'14-4-1Pe*eS 44PtakIg2r207.1,Y.,;.7, 1cniiitçFflFRO8BERIRENCH -- -4--ICEY ;*WHITE LIMESTONEEAlF0E-SLOVEROI:I'tiii4DY.LIME MO1ME1MO21"_.Fig 5. Swalcliffe, Lower Lea villa. South-east extension of Trench 2 showing portico and main entrance; excavated in1999.phase of building linking the central section to the east wing,which would seem to date between phase 3a and 3b. Thefirst floor of room 1 was a layer of clay laid down upon alayer of packed stones held together by a weak lime mortar.This was confirmed by David Neal and Steve Cosh ofASPROM. The clay floor had patches of burning andcharcoal fragments deeply embedded in it, which in theabsence of a hearth points to the use of a brazier andoccasional renewal of the floor with fresh clay. The floorsof rooms 2 and 3 were the same but seem to have had littlemortar binding the stones. A new room (room 6) discoveredin the extensions had a floor identical to that of room 1.Another new room (room 8) was found to the west of rooms2 and 3 and like the portico (room 7), had a floor of packedstone bound by a weak lime mortar. The walls of the buildingwere constructed of large ironstone blocks well cemented53

Oxfordshireo .2.14I.3 t-1M SC'Ç6393.,zgeg:s.0 41*4cWaLL / / \270A.D.I srN, N. /)1*4I OBIL4$.iJr-tt mot/AR kato s1ot4e.wax Hurtus3 Cet4w)FLO:trete clAyHut-te. (SuRFFICe)5Cf:73":=Ida,FLooR 5 375" R.D, (SToNie SLAS)DAitk Hum SFt4oR 14-2.70 Am,44E:AvtLy aotteo L S.TA wee HUMUS. tyro . R.00.j. pAttco =of* (cuky tot ? )(CO ? )Fig 6. Swalcliffe, Lower Lea villa. Section through Room 6, facing north.(a-Pd)by the saine weak lime mortar with foundations about 2courses (30 cm or so) deep. Room 4, which at first wasthought to be part of the original building, must now beregarded as belonging to phase 3b. Part of the northern wallof room 1 had been rebuilt and though only the robber trenchremained, the foundations were much deeper and were dugto the same depth as the eastern wall of room 4. Indeed, nowthat the western wall of room 4 can be seen to becontemporary with the eastern wall, it is clear that all thefoundations of these walls are dug much deeper than thoseof the original building, which suggests that they may havesupported a loftier annexe. At the doorway to the portico,which was just 1.9 m wide, was an enormous slab of whitelimestone which served as a decorative doorstep. The entirebuilding was constructed out of the local yellowish-huedironstone, while the roof was covered with white limestoneslates and the windows lined with whitish tufa voussoirs.The nearest white limestone deposits are in Mid-Oxfordshire, so their use must be viewed as a sign of someprosperity. Red and white wall plaster was found in room 1,but there is no way of knowing whether it belongs to phase3a or 3b. This phase can now be positively dated to soonafter 270 AD, since a minim of Claudius 11(268-270 AD) ingood condition was found within the fabric of the porticowall right next to the entrance. The positioning of the coinsuggests that it may have been put there as a superstitiouscustom regarding thresholds. Another coin, of Victorious(268-270 AD), was found in the packed stone footings ofroom 10 (the corridor). As mentioned in last year's SMA thenext phase has good dating evidence to place it in the earlymid4th century AD.Phase 3bIn room 1 a mosaic was laid down upon the clay floor, thetesseme being bedded into a thin layer of lime mortar withopus signinum used between them. In the western balf of theroom a thin layer of offcut tesserae, small stone and bits ofbroken slate were used to level the slightly sloping clay floorbefore the mortar base was laid. David Neal and Steve Coshdated the mosaic to the early-mid 4th century AD, either latein or soon after the reign of Constantine the Great (307-337).The mosaic comprised a white border surrounding a blueand white meander pattern, which in turn enclosed whatlooked like a guilloche pattern in red, white, yellow andblue, which also surrounded a missing central design. Theoriginal drawing by R G Collingwood of the mosaic foundin 1926 was finally obtained for examination and carefulinspection has revealed it to be the mosaic found in 1997.The 1926 mosaic was found during agricultural work andonce drawn up was covered with a tarpaulin and buried. Theexcavated section was in the western edge of the room andwhen re-excavated no trace of either the tarpaulin or themosaic remained. Plough marks in the surviving fragmentof mosaic matched exactly the drawn edge of the 1926excavation and the conclusion was that the tractor must havedug into the loose soil and gouged out the mosaic. In 1960 afieldwalk by Bloxham Historical Society found a scatter oftesserae on this spot. A northern extension was added aroundthe same time as the mosaic was laid in room 1, whichconsisted of rooms 4, and 9. Room 5, described last year,had a channelled hypocaust and fine painted plaster wallsand was also dated by coins to around the time ofConstantine. Room 4 had packed stone footings and Room9 had a mosaic laid down upon a bed of lime mortar whichrested upon packed stone footings as well. The smallfragment of mosaic excavated had a white border enclosinga possible guilloche pattern in red, white and blue. Anotherimprovement at this time was the addition of a mosaic floorin room 7 (the porticus). This also was directly laid upon theformer floor and was a narrow, rectangular panel surroundedby a white border. The panel, which was possibly 6-7m longwas another swastika meander pattern in blue and white.Here again another coin of Constantine was found in one ofthe areas where the mosaic had been destroyed.Phase 3cThe conversion of the villa into blacksmith's workshops asmentioned last year, was dated to the last quarter of the 4thcentury. In room 1 a slab floor covered the eastern half ofthe room and the suspicion that the western edge of thestones was part of a wall was confirmed by the observationsof David Neal. The large round stone partially inserted intothis wall can now be considered a pillar support for either atimber roof or a doorframe. The former now seems morelikely since another large pillar base has been found againstthe southern wall of room 6 in this year's excavations. The54

eastern wall of room 1 was demolished and the slab floorwas laid across it and over the floor in room 6 as well. Intactsections of the slab floor are very well wom and the forgeswere solidly built and had two phases of use. These factspoint to a long period of occupancy well over twenty yearsin duration. The destruction debris over the forge in room 3had a wom coin of Honorius in it which was issued in 401AD. A breach was made in the southern wall of room 1 andpart of the portico leading to the main entrance was slabbedover. A large numberof limestone slates were re-utilised inthe crude floors of this period, as were the tufa voussoirsfrom the windows. The fact that walls were demolished andnew ones inserted with pilar supports indicates to us that thebuilding must have been derelict before it was converted topractical use. Rooms 2 and 3 were merged into one and aforge was built there of the same design as the one installedin room 1. A slab floor was also laid down in room 8 and theold hypocaust stokehole was possibly used for somemetalworking as well since some traces of slag were foundthere. The only part of the northem extension slabbed overwas room 4 and why, it is not yet clear. In room 10 (thecorridor of the east wing) a cobbled surface was laid downupon a layer of dirt that had a high concentration of charcoalin it, which indicates that the east wing had been bumt downor damaged by fire sometime during the late 4th century.The suspected `gravel surface' in the western half of room1 was in fact the layer of offcut tesserae and debris used tolevel the surface beneath the mosaic in this part of the room.As we now know there was still a mosaic here in 1926, so itappears that this part of the room may have remainedunused. It was also observed that parts of the courtyard hadbeen crudely repaired with debris from the villa and somemetalworking may have taken place here, or else iron slagwas used to fill the holesThe Early PhasesFurther excavation and examination have now solved someof the questions raised by last year's dig, but have revealedgreater complexity and created fresh puzzles. As a resultphase 1 has now been subdivided into four periods and phase2 reduced to a minor transition phase.Phase laIn trench 1 the riddle of the clay and `cobbled' surfaces wassolved. In the eastern half of the trench two clay floorsurfaces were detected, which were laid down upon footingsof packed stone and dirt. The natural surface sloped gently13 cm deeper over a distance of 11 m westwards, thus thefootings of the earlier clay floor were deeper in the westernhalf of the trench. The 14 cm deep gulley that was found atfirst in the western half of the trench seemed at first to belongto the floors above, which since they were damaged in thissection gave the impression of being a single floor. Thesecond floor had an amount of iron slag upon it and acollection of bumt stones, which appeared to be a hearth, layat the head of the gulley. However once the two floors wereidentified, the gulley was found to extend under the `hearth'and run a few metres further east. When fully exposed thegulley was revealed to be serai-circular in shape and wasclearly continuing beyond the excavated section. The gulleyOxfordshireran for 5 m and was not stone lined, as first thought, but stonefilled; many of these stones being fire reddened and thincharcoal deposits were found at the bottom of the gulley,beneath the stones. Upon analysis it seems that the gulleywas probably a soakaway for drainage, but its locationbeneath a clay floor and its semi-circular shape were mostunusual. The large hole excavated in the western end oftrench 1 was fully exposed and tumed out to be a stone linedcooking pit and it was clearly capped by the first clay floor,which meant that it pie-dated it. The cooldng pit was only afew metres away from the gully and it was observed that thevast majority of burnt stones in the gully were very close tothe cooldng pit; thus it seemed likely that the two featureswere contemporary. The pottery in the wall trenchassociated with the first clay floor was late 1st century,which would make the cooking pit and gully early 1stcentury at the latest. A worked flint and cruder pottery wasfound associated with these features, plus residual Iron Agepottery which had been found in the late 1st century walltrench and a Dobunnic coin found in the floor make up,which all hint at earlier occupation.Since Iron Age huts are rarely found beneath Roman housesthe most likely explanation is that this was an early lstcentury round house of the Roman period which precededthe more Romanized building. Several post holes had beenfound close to the gully last year. This phase cccurred onlyin trench 1.Phase 1 bIn trench 1 another wall trench was found in a southernextension to match the wall trench found originally in theeastem edge of trench 1. They appear to be part of the samebuildingalthough their exact alignment isn't totally clearfrom the small sections excavated. This building is dated bythe pottery to the late 1st century AD. Above the patch ofoxidized day floor, burnt black and mistakenly identified asa possible hearth, was a layer of dirt heavily stained withcharcoal, which hinted at destruction by fire and this layerwas found elsewhere. In the western half of trench 2, underrooms 2 and 3 two identical wall trenches were foundrunning northwest-southeast, 6m apart which both yieldedlate 1st century pottery in their stone packing. The flooringwas the same as found in trench 1, white clay laid down upona layer of packed stone and dirt. There was also evidence ofa north-western wall, which had been partially truncated bythe 4th century hypocaust. This wall trench had a lot ofoxidized day and burning associated with it and the clayfloors nearby were oxidized as well. In a small section of therobber trench of the northern wall of room 1, a heavily burntclay floor was found at the bottom, which was the samedepth as another similar floor found in a small section dugin room 6. Above the latter floor, which like the other floorsof this phase lay directly upon the natural surface, was a 10cm layer of soil with a heavy concentration of charcoal in it.From the close proximity of floors in trench 2 it is dear thatthe various features discovered were part of the saraecomplex and may even join up with the remains in trench 1,which are only 4 or 5 m away at the most The evidence sofar seems to suggest that the first building was destroyed by55

Oxfordshirefut, perhaps in the 2nd century AD since the pottery fromthe higher layers was predominantly 2nd-3rd century indate.Phase 1 cThe northwest and eastem wall trenches of the room in thewestern side of trench 2 both show evidence of having beenrecut and were narrower. A clay floor and a stone lined firepit was found in room 4 and this was partially laid downupon the old wall trench. A second floor of the sameconstruction was laid down in room 6 and aLso in the robbertrench section of room 1, but no traces were found in rooms2 and 3. A second floor was also laid down in trench 1 andit is now apparent that a layer of pitched stone found by theoriginal eastern wall, which lay on top of a layer of burningover the wall, was the rebuilt wall of the second building.The 2nd floor in trench 1 had both 2nd and early 3rd centurypottery associated with it.Phase 1 dThere is evidence for yet another phase of construction inthe form of a third floor surface that was laid down in room6 and possibly in the robber-trench section in room 1. Yetagain this was a clay floor laid down upon packed stonefootings, but here there was a visible difference in thematerials used, for this time the builders employed apebble/yellow clay mixture found locally in naturaloutcrops. This same pebble/clay mixture covered most ofrooms 3 and 4, including the northwest wall of the 1stcentury and its 2nd century recut. Unfortunately no wallswere found here in the excavated sections and they may havebeen destroyed by the construction of the later villa building.No dateable material from this last phase of the earlybuildings has yet been identified, but the date will liesometime in the late 2nd-early 3rd centuries AD.Phase 2More careful examination revealed that the believed 30 cmof humus on the site was incorrect and the depth was no morethan 10 cm or so and this was only laid down to level thesite, since on the edge of the early buildings the late villaabove was only 5 cm or so above the natural surface. Thedog burial still appears to belong to this phase, however thelength of phase 2 must now be held to be little more than ittook to construct the new villa complex.DiscussionNow that a clear picture of the development of the villabuilding is emerging it is interesting to relate this to theresults of past excavations and our own fieldwalking of thesettlemenL Of the early Roman phases only 1st century andpossible Iron age ditches were found before, but now wehave clear evidence of buildings dating from early in theRoman occupation straight throug,h to the times of the LateEmpire. A point of interest is how the phases of building inthe settlement closely correspond. The earliest buildingfound in the 1959 dig on the 'flat' field was dated to the late3rd century, while the house excavated in the 1965-9 digwas dated by a coin to after 268 AD; this was also situatedin the 'flat' field. Now also the villa in Blakelands field canbe dated to soon after 270 AD (phase 3a). The house foundin 1959 was demolished and enlarged in the early 4thcentury and the building found in the 1960s also had a roomadded on, while the villa complex was enlarged as well(phase 3b); all of this taking place in a time generallyconsidered a prosperous one in Roman Britain. Filially thereis a correspondence in the final phase, both the villa and thehouse found in the 1960s were converted into blacksmithiesin the final quarter of the 4th century and there was a lot ofslag found in the 1950s house as well, though no sips ofmetalworking were noted. As mentioned last year threemore metalworking activity areas have been detected in thesettlement, one being in the possible villa house north of theroad. The spread of iron slag is shown in Fig 19 in the 1998SMA, where it is mistakenly reported as a charcoal count.The discovery of a late wall and pillar supports in the formervilla in phase 3e reveal that the house found in the 1960smust have had a roof over its working area and not have beenopen to the sky as envisaged by the archaeologists at thetime.FieldwalkingPrehistoric sitesDrayton Park Farm (SP 426 406)The flints found in this field have now been identified asEarly Neolithic and some possibly Mesolithic as well.Rollright Stones Field (SP 300 306)A single Bronze age tanged and barbed arrowhead wasfound by the footpath at the bottom of the field towards thevalley by a NOFAG member.Brakelands Farm (SP 386 382)In the Rowbarrow field a few worked flints were found, onebeing a tanged and barbed Bronze Age arrowhead. TheRowbarrow was excavated without any positive results inthe 19th century and it is unlmown whether the round barrowwas Bronze Age or later. Worked flints however have beenfound in nearly all the fields around Madmarston hill datingfrom the Neolithic onwards.Roman sitesSteeple Aston (SP 478 253)A scatter of Roman pottery was found on the reportedposition of a 17th century mosaic and villa. The scatterextended for 100 m or so on a small terrace and only 150mnortheast of this site the Oxford Archaeological Unit founda Roman ditch and burial. (SMA 1998, p89) The site wasthoroughly walked and the amount of pottery was no morethan 2-3 kg, the same as found on our small, lower class sites,such as those at Mddle Aston and Purston. By comparisonour 'middle class' sites averaged 14 kg of pottery and our'upper class' villa site at Swalcliffe produced 102 kg. Theceramic types were the usual assemblage of grey wares,shell-tempered wares, grog wares and Oxford red wares forthe coarse pottery. There was only a small amount of finewares (samian, Nene Valley and Oxford colour coated), nolimestone slates and only one piece of baked tile (either rooftile or hypocaust) and a complete absence of tesserae. The56

Oxfordshire14E0661..o&E---7--11. NORTH1111111=1111111ME1111011111111111111E11111EEMEMIIE11111IIM1111100e4: =1111*\,/"*.100 METRESPOTTERYWEIGHTKEYE 0-1003E 1004002a 400 -7003111117006-1K31-2 KAIII 2. -3 KsFig 7. Round Hill Roman settlement.inescapable conclusion is that it is most unlikely that thevilla was here, so the vilia's Vue location will remain amystery until the area has been thoroughly fieldwalked. Likethe OAU we found a few prehistoric finds in the shape ofpossible worked flints, but nothing dateable.Brealdands Farm, Swalcliffe Lea, The Rowbarrow Field(SP 387 383)A scatter of Roman pottery was found on a small terrace,similar in size to that of Steeple Aston and the weight ofpottery recovered was about the same. Here the same rarityof pottery was found and surprisingly some limestone slatesand blue tesserae of the same kind as found in room 1 of thevilla across the valley. The type of pottery found suggests asmall farmstead just outside the Roman village, but untilexamined by the experts the possibility that this might havebeen a burial plot and the Rowbarrow was in fact Romanand the Victorians failed to notice the Roman pottery, cannotbe excluded.Round Hill (SP 3845 3935) Fig 7.The new site in the neighbouring field described last yearwas walked again and many more baked roof tiles and bitsof fine wares (decorated samian) were found hinting that thissite was reasonably well-to-do. Generally sites in the arearange from small, poor sites to quite extensive, potentialmiddle class farms exhibiting degrees of affluence in suchthings as slated roofs, painted wall plaster and fine pottery,to the full blown villa site which has all these features but ingreater abundance and with extra features such as mosaicsand hypocausts. This is of course, a simplified picture, butone which works reasonably well in practice. The RoundHill site at present fits the middle category, but overall thereare quite a few sites like this in the area, which reveals thatthe locality was well Romanized and relatively prosperous.OXFORD ARCHAEOLOGICAL UNIT -Appleford Sidings (SU 524 926)Paul BoothA further phase of an ongoing programme of archaeologicalrecording in advance of gravel extraction was carried out onbehalf of Hanson Aggregates. An area of just under ahectare, containing elements of fairly regular Roman fieldboundary and trackway systems, was examined. An earlyrectilinear enclosure was succeeded by a north-northeast -south-southwest aligned trackway defined by ditches andlinlced with further ditches at rig,ht angles. At the north endof the site one of these ditches was quite substantial andproduced moderate quantities of 2nd century pottery.Ditches of a third phase of enclosures on the same generalalignment overlay the trackway and perhaps incorporated arealignment of it. No concentrations of structural ordomestic features were seen. The pottery recovered mayhave derived from settlement lying immediately beyond theexcavated area to the east (beneath the present railway line)or perhaps from an early Roman enclosed settlement siteevaluated in 1993 which lies some 150 m to the west57

OxfordshireCharibury, Excavations at the Church of St. Mary TheVirgin (SP 436 219)Jonathan HillerSummaryA programme of renovation and modernisation work wascarried out at this church in January and February of 1995.A new heating system was installed under a scheme devisedby J Alan Bristow and Partners, chartered architects ofCharlbury.During the work the Unit carried out a small-scalearchaeological investigation. The excavations revealed awall, a probable doorway and an associated mortar floorbeneath the south arcade. These predate the present 12thcentury church, suggesting that there was indeed an earlierNorman or intriguingly a Saxon church on the site. Tracesof the north wall of the 12th century building were revealedbeneath the north arcade and part of the demolished east wallof the south transept was found beneath the south wall of thechancel.Historical and Archaeological BackgroundThe church of St. Mary the Virgin at Charlbury, Oxon.(Fig 8) is believed to date to the 12th century, and wasenlarged in the 13th. century. There is, however, somedocumentary evidence suggesting that the church has Saxonorigins. The early 1 lth century list of English Saints'Fig 8. Location of Charlbury.resdng-places mentions a St. `Dioma', or `Dionia' whoserelics lay at Ceorlincburh (Charlbury). In the 7th centuryBode reports that Dioma was an Irish priest ordained byBishop Finan as bishop of both the Middle Angles and theMercians, and that in a short time he brought many peopleto the Lord. He died among the Middle Angles, in the regioncalled Infeppingum. Dioma's base (wherever it was located)was perhaps an important monastic centre, and is named asFaerpinga (glossed in 'Middle Anglia') in the TribalHidage, but is othenvise unlmown. If indeed Dioma's47-111130110I 111. le!I:- I 17to A 191 0 1m.lecms9411Fig 9. Charlbury. Plan of feattues.58

emains were interred at Charlbury, it may well identify thetown as the centre of the Faerpingas region. The church isappropriately sited for a 7th century Irish monastery; it restson a bluff overlooldng the Evenlode river, and the town'scurvilinear road-pattern may reflect the outline of an earlymonastic precinct (Blair, 1994,58-59).The north arcade of three bays with plain round arches isNorman. The west pier is round with a scalloped capital, andthe east pier is rectangular, suggesting that this bay may oncehave opened into a transept. In the 13th century the westtower, the south door and the porch were added. The southarcade also dates to this period, and has double-chamferedarches, round piers, and moulded capitals. The floor wasrenovated in the 1850s, and wood and tile walkways werelaid upon shallow wall footings. In 1874 Charles Buckeridgerestored the aisles and in 1905 the tower was restored(Pevsner and Sherwood, 1974,527-528).Results (Fig 9)MethodologyIn the Nave the contractors removed the aisle walkways.Four trenches were band-excavated between the piers of theNave arcades to the depth required for the installation of newradiators; these holes were c 0.6 m deep and 1 m wide. Awatching brief was maintained while the contractorsexcavated trenches against the internal walls, and installedradiators and a boiler in the War Memorial Chapel.North Arcade Trenches 1 and 4Trench 1 was located beneath the east arch of the northarcade. A grave (15) cutting the natural clay subsoil (14) waspartly excavated. The grave fill (16) contained two coffinnails and brick fragments, but no other dating material. Anundated layer of grey loam (12) sealed the grave fill. Thebase of the pier (2) was underpinned by ashlar blocks (7)resting on a rough platform of limestone pieces (6) on thesoil below.Trench 4 was excavated beneath the central arch of the northarcade. Two courses of small limestone pieces (27) - perhapsa wall footing - rested upon natural clay subsoil (32). Thepossible footing was at least 0.8 m wide, extending 138 maway from the base of the west pier (35). A layer of bumtreddish- yellow sand (26) sealed the possible footing, in turnoverlain by a sandy mortar with limestone (25). Both layersmay represent the demolition of ?footing 27. Interpretationof the stonework was complicated by a grave (23 filled by24, part excavated) which cut through the demolition layers.South Arcade Trenches 2 and 3Trench 2 was excavated beneath the east arch of the southarcade. A 0.5 m wide structure (20) of medium-sizedlimestone pieces formed part of a wall. The north face wasexposed though the south wall face lay outside the trench.The north face was abutted by an undated layer of sandymortar (22), including charcoal flecks; this is interpreted asa floor. The wall and the floor were truncated by a largefeature (34), a grave or vault trench, and all three featuresOxfordshirewere sealed by a layer of grey loam (44). This layer wasoverlain by the limestone block foundation of the east pierbase (19).Trench 3 was excavated beneath the central arch of the Sarcade. A wall (43) maintained the alignment of the wall intrench 2 and comprised three courses of roughly hewn,angular limestone blocks resting in the natural subsoil (47).The wall was at least 0.6 m wide, and extended beneath theeast and central pier bases. Avoid (48) in the wall measuring1 m by 0.4 m was filled by an undated grey-brown loam.The void probably originally housed a door. Layers of sandyloam (44 and 45) sealed the wall, and both were cut by agrave (41, filled by 39=42) which was partly excavated. Thepier base (38) was constructed from the level of layer 45.No definite relationship was established between theconstruction of the pillar and the grave, although the graveis probably the later.The Watching BriefTwo re-used decorated stones were recovered from thesleeper walls that supported the wooden floor of the nave(see the finds, below). Three limestone slabs (50) on thesame alignment as walls 20 and 43, were observed at thesouth-west end of the Nave.The slabs were 0.8 m wide and extended for a distance of13 m. The slabs may have been a western extension to wall43, but the character of the stone is different so it is likelythat there were the capping stones of a tomb. Adjacent to theslabs were undated compact mortar spreads (49 and 51)including limestone pieces and patches of burning, whichwere presumably the remains of floor surfaces. A spread ofcompact yellow-brown mortar (54) including charcoal andred patches of burning, perhaps a floor, was observed at thenorth-west end of the Nave. The mortar abutted a singlelimestone block (53) of uncertain function that lay off centreof the line of the north arcade.Excavations by the contractors against the north wall of thenave revealed two courses of stone foundations. In the southwall of the War Memorial Chapel (the Chancel) was part ofa wall (55) aligned approximately north-south, sealed by asoil layer (58) beneath the flagstone floor. The wallcomprised four courses of angular, roughly hewn limestoneblocks that was 0.89 m wide, 0.43 m high and projected 0.42m away from the south wall of the church, though was notprecisely at right angles to it due to subsidence.The FindsNo pottery was recovered from the excavations. The twodecorated stones were analysed by Julian Mtmby of theOAU. One was a fine limestone piece decorated with a capof flames, possibly datable to the 16th century; the other wasa block of ferruginous limestone, depicting a rosette anddrape, datable to the 17th century. Both pieces wereoriginally from tombs. The coffm nails and brick fragmentsrequire no further comment.59

OxfordshireConclusionsDespite the lack of finds some new information has beengained about the development of this church.A Saxon church?The sections of wall beneath the south arcade and theenigmatic traces of stonework beneath the north arcadesuggest the presence of a small ?rectangular buildingfurnished with a mortar floor. The void in the south wallhoused the door - today the south porch entrance of thepresent church is on the same alignment as the formerdoorway, suggesting that historically this has been the mainentrance of the church. The absence of finds from the floorwithin the building or from the infill of the doorway makesabsolute dating impossible, though by implication thebuilding predates the 13th century enlarged church. Itremains a strong possibility that the earlier building is anAnglo-Saxon churchMedieval AlterationsThe section of wall bonded to south wall of the church liesopposite the east wall of the present vestry (formerly thenorth transept), indicating that the wall section was formerlythe east wall of the south transept, prior to the enlargementof the chancel. Externally, a point of note is the 'priests' doorbuilt in the southwall of the enlarged chancel, where theadjacent buthess has been built square on to the wall, incontrast to the other buttresses, which are set angle to thechancel.Late-medieval or post-medieval featuresThe stone slabs at the west end of the nave and associatedmortar floors may be associated with the walls and mortarfloors in trenches 2 and 3, but are most likely of latermedieval or post- medieval date. Patches of burning mightsuggest that the church suffered a fut.Though the graves were not fully excavated, brick fragmentsfrom the upper surface of the fill of grave 15 suggest aprobable post-medieval date. The other graves may becontemporary. The underpinning of the east of the northaisle pier bases can probably be attributed the restoration ofthe aisles by Buckeridge in 1874.AcknowledgementsThe OAU extends its thanks to the architects for providingdetailed plans of the scheme.ReferencesBlair J 1994; Anglo-Saxon Oxfordshire. Alan Sutton Publishing.Pevsner N and Sherwood J 1974; The Buildings of England,Penguin Books.Dorchester, 'Riverside', 15 Bridge End (SU 5792 9381)Kate Newell and Julian MunbyThe Unit carried out an archaeological buildinginvestigation and recording programme of 'Riverside', 15Bridge End, Dorchester before and during renovationworks. Althoug,h an unlisted building 'Riverside' is withinDorchester Conservation Area and is of social and historicinterest as a probable squatters cottage.The building was erected on Bridge End Common shortlyafter 1815 when the bridge crossing the River Theme, sitedimmediately to the east of the site, was relocated along withthe route of the main road. The building was constructed onland belonging to the Earl of Abingdon and is first shownon the tithe map of 1845 with a circular garden enclosure.This low-status cottage originally had a 'two-up -two-down' plan which, while tiny by modern standards,housed a family of five at the 1841 census. The historic corehad been litlle changed, instead a series of extensions hadbeen added to the east and west to provide additional livingspace. Originally the ground-floor front room was the onlyheated room in the building, served by an external stack ofa typical Dorchester style with staggered brick work from awide base to a narrow stack. Later in the 20th century asecond stack was added to heat the ground-floor back room.The primary building was seen to be constructed from arange of materials, poor quality red brick with some rubblestone and a roof covering of red clay tile on small scantlingsoftwood and reused elm timbers. Evidence was seen duringthe investigation that suggests the south wall and thesouthern haff of the east wall had been rebuilt, possiblyfollowing a structural failure, reusing the original materials.Ducklington, Gill Mill (SP 379 071)Paul BoothObservation by the unit of topsoil stripping in an areainunediately north-west of Gill Mill House was c.ompleted.The work was carried out on behalf of Smiths ofBletchingdon in advance of gravel quarrying and was acontinuation of work begun with evaluation in 1997(Matthews 1999). The total area involved amounted to some6.6 ha at the north-west margin of the major Romansettlement of Gill Mill and the present simmary covers boththe 1998 and 1999 work. The level of excavation possiblewithin the constraints of the project was very low, but acomplete plan was recovered.Elements of a rectilinear NNE-SSW and WNW-ESEaligned field system, defined by ditches, lay aCrOSS much ofthe site, with evidence for intensive activity, represented byfurther ditches and, in particular, intensive pit digging,concentrated in the central and south-eastern parts of thesite. The alignment of the field boundary ditches isconsistent with that of similar field systems suggested byprevious evaluations to the west of the present site. Themuch greater intensity of activity observed in the presentsite, however, reflects its proximity to the roughlyNNE-SSW aligned Roman road which formed the axis ofthe settlement of Gill Mill. The line of this road probably layimmediately east of the present site, though few of the60

features revealed in the watching brief give any indicationof its proximity. The principal field system alignment, whileclose to that of the road, was probably not exactly at rightangles to it. A ditched enclosure located in the south-eastcorner of the site may have extended as far as the road line,and its north-western side may have been aligned quitesimilarly to the road further east. Regular layouts of ditchedplots at right angles to the principal toad aligmnents are acharacteristic, but flot invariable, feature of roadsidesettlements in Roman Britain. It is possible that theboundaries located in the south-east corner of the siterepresent the northern extent of such plots on the west sideof the axial road, but this is speculative.Generally the layout of the Roman features, including apossible trackway heading off into the fields to the west, isconsistent with the overall roadside settlement character ofGill Mill. A patchily surviving limestone and pebble surfacelocated towards the middle of the southern edge of the sitemay represent a south-easterly continuation of the trackwayand also the proximity of a possible fording point across alikely stream channel (part of the braided stream pattern ofthe Windrush) seen at the south-west margin of the site. Thischannel was also note,d within one of the 1997 evaluationtrenches.The location of eight wells in the roadside area, and of seveninhumations adjacent to boundary features towards the'back' (ie west) of this area are also typical of suchsettlements, and the latter characteristic was also seen a littlefurther south in 1990, where burials again concentrated justoutside a feature interpreted as defining the rear of theroadside zone.The main focus of activity was concentrated across themiddle of the site and towards the south-east. Here denseconcentrations of pits, interpreted principally asrepresenting quarrying activity, were evident. The pitconcentrations consisted of both discrete and complexgroups of intercutting features apparently overlain byextensive spreads of dumped materials. The detailedcharacteristics of most of the pits remain unknown,however, owing to the limited extent of examination. Apartfrom an aligrunent of postholes indicating a possible fenceline and two upright stakes within a separate pit, no evidenceof structural remains was located.The finds consistal mostly of pottery, ranging from 2nd-4thcentury in date. An outstanding small find was awaterlogged fragment of a cart wheel, consisting of most ofone felloe and two spokes, recovered from one of the pits inthe south-eastern part of the site.ReferenceMatthews, B, 1999, Ducldington Gill Mill, SMA 29,76OxfordshireElsfield, Church of St. Thomas of Canterbury(SP 5407 0998)Jonathan HillerThe Unit undertook an archaeological field evaluation at theChurch of St. Thomas of Canterbury, Elsfield, Oxon. in May1999, on behalf of Carden and Godfrey, architects of LongAcre, London. The building is an aisle-less church withchancel, nave and a modern west bellcote. The church isthought to date to the 12th century, though the first referenceto a church in Elsfield itself comes from a charter of Robertd'Oilly in the time of William the Conqueror. Of the earliestidentifiable structure, only the late 12th century chancel archremains.The evaluation was carried out upon the reconunendation ofthe Diocesan Advisory Committee's archaeologicaladvisor, before the foundation design for the new buildingin the graveyard is finalised, owing to the risk of disturbinghuman remains, or other significant archaeological featuresor deposits. Two Test Pits were excavated to the north of thechurch. Two articulated skeletons were observed at a depthof 0.7-0.8 m in one test pit, though there was no associateddating evidence. The second test pit contained no humanremains. The burials are thought to be pauper graves ofpost-medieval date.Fernham, The Garden House, Ringdale Manor(SU 2903 9272)Jonathan HillerIn August 1999 the Unit carried out a watching brief atRingdale Manor, Femham, near Faringdon, Oxon during theconstruction of a new barn. The development site lies duesouth of an bon Age hillfort (SAM 207) that survives as anearthwork with a ditch and bank. The foundation pits for thenew structure were monitored for the presence of featuresand finds that may have indicated evidence of anyextra-mural settlement. No archaeological features wereobserved and no finds were recovered from the excavatedfoundation pits.Faringdon, Land at Coxwell Road (SU 2812 9464)Andy Mudd and Jeff MuirIn the summer of 1999 the Unit was commissioned byBryant Homes to undertake an evaluation and excavationahead of a proposed housing development on land offCoxwell Road, Faringdon, Oxfordshire. The excavationswere based on the results of a previous evaluation on thesame site and adjacent excavations undertaken by ThamesValley Archaeological Services in 1998 which hadidentified the focus of an Iron Age and Romano-BritishsettlementThe development encompassed an area of 2.7 ha, thewestern part of which (0.9 ha) was evaluated by trial61

Oxfordshiretrenching only. The central and eastern area (1.8 ha) was thesubject of full excavation.The excavations at Cowell Road revealed at least threephases of activity dating to the late Bronze Age/early IronAge, middle Iron Age and early Romano-British period. Thefinds are well preserved and provide evidence for theagricultural regime as well as for domestic and small-scaleindustrial activity. In addition the excavated results offer afurther opporttmity to study special animal deposits andritualised burial of both articulated and disarticulated humanskeletal remains.The results of the excavation are important becauseexcavated sites dated to the late prehistoric period arerelatively rare on the Corallian Ridge. Further analysis willcomplement work that has taken place at the fortified campsof the Berkshire Downs and Ridgeway, as well as the moreextensive and continuing research into the prehistory of theUpper Thames Valley.Hampton Gay Deserted Medieval Village (SP 486 165)Ianto WainIn July 1999 the Unit carried out a non-intrusive field surveyof the earthwork remains of the Deserted Medieval Village(DMV) at Hampton Gay, Oxon. Both the earthworks andthe adjacent manor house are Scheduled AncientMonuments; the ruins of the manor house are a Grade IIListed Building and appear on the English Heritage Registerof Buildings at Risk.The house and village historically lay within the westernedge of the parish of Hampton Gay, botmded to the south bythe parish of Hampton Poyle to which it was united in 1932.The house is situated c 15 m from the River Cherwell whichbounds the site to the north, c 200 m north-east of theHampton Gay parish church of St Giles and c 250 m westof Manor Farm. The earthworks lie in the fields to the south,east and west of the house, and are under permanentgrassland at around 69 m OD.BackgroundPrior to the field survey a programme of detailedbackground research was carried out, comprising theexamination of all relevant bibliographic, documentary andcartographic sources. This indicated that the village (andpossibly the house) can demonstrate Domesday roots,although the exact site of the llth century settlement has notbeen securely located. The settlement may in fact beconsiderably earlier in origin. Most commentators suggestthat the place name Hampton derives from the Old EnglishHamttm ('home farm' or 'enclosure within which the homefarm stood'). These interpretations suggest that Hamptonmay have been the pritnary settlement of a larger estate orarea of land during the Saxon period, perhaps playing animportant early role in the settlement of the area. DomesdayBook records two estates in Hampton, but it is likely that theprimary, pre-Conquest settlement was located around thechurch, which is mentioned in the documentary record asearly as 1074.The two Hampton estates passed to a number of differentoverlords during the period from the llth to the 13thcentury. The distinctive name Gay comes from the de Gayfamily, who appear as lords of the manor during the 12thc,entury. In 1137 de Gay was tenant of both Hampton estatesand by 1219 most of the manor estate had been sold to thefamily They made a series of gifts of land to Oseney Abbey,which eventually held the manor of Hampton until theDissolution. The Oseney Cartulary of 1219 describes theirholding as containing a manor house, with gardens and adovecote, and a paper mill. It is not however certain thatthese structures lie within the area of the existing ruinedmanor house, which is of Tudor and later date, and wasconstructed by John Barry soon after his acquisition of thesite in 1544.The Barry family sold the manor house in 1682 and it hadvarious owners during the succeeding centuries. During the1880s the house was divided into two tenements and wasdestroyed by fire in 1887. The site has remained uninhabitedsince.Hampton Gay seems never to have been a particularlypopulous settlement Domesday records land enough for 3ploughs (and 3 plough-teams at work), although the villageitself is recorded as containing only one permanenthousehold. In 1220 there were 6 free tenants and 2 villeins(VCH, 157), increasing by 1279 to 10 households(suggesting perhaps 30 or 40 inhabitants). The populationseems to have remained stable throughout the late 13th andearly 14th centuries, with 9 taxpayers recorded in 1306(although one of these was Oseney Abbey), and 12 in 1316and 1327 (VCH, 157). Evidence of decline appears from1344 onwards, by which time Hampton Gay had beencombined with Bletchingdon for taxation purposes. Acentury later, in 1428, it had been exempted from taxationaltogether because there were fewer than 10 residenthouseholders.By 1524 there appear to have been only 7 households, andthis continuing decline may be in part attributable to theinclosure of the open fields of the parish and their conversioninto areas of pasture or grazing (VCH, 157). The acquisitionof the manor in 1544 by John Barry, who made most of hismoney from wool, probably accelerated this process, and itis likely that the final desertion of the section of the villagein the fields around the manor house can be dated to hisacquisition of the estate.The Medieval Village Research Group class Hampton Gayas a 'very shrtmk' village, and describe the village remainsas 'very good' with clear earthworks of roads, but with theabsence of clear remains of houses. A rapid (unpublished)survey of the village conducted by Michael Aston in 1972is held by the Oxfordshire Sites and Monuments Record.This survey identified the main divisions within the villageand plotted the chief topographical features, mainly the62

hollow ways, ridge and furrow, and areas of possible houseplatforms.The SurveyThe field survey was carried out in late July 1999. Weatherconditions were favourable, since the recent spell of veryhot weather had resulted in a significant parching of muchof the grassland that forms the area of the settlement and themanor house, and some features that might not have beenvisible under different conditions were visible asparchmarks or areas of vigorous growth. However, brightsunlight slightly hampered the identification of lesswell-defined earthworks. In general the field surveyconfirmed the location and nature of the settlementearthworks as plotted by Aston's survey, and located anumber of new, previously unrecorded features.The extant DMV remains lie in the fields between the manorhouse and an area of relatively well preserved ridge andfurrow in the field to their south. The boundary between thetwo areas is fairly clear, marked at the western end of thesite by a prominent ditch and a hollow way that continueseastwards, forming the southern edge of the eastern half ofthe site. The area lacked very clear earthworks of houseplatforms or house sites although the presence of thepossible house sites mapped by Aston in 1972 wasconfirmed. Features not previously recorded included threepossible house platforms, a hollow way and a prominentearthwork boundary, interpreted as a possible earlierboundary of the churchyard.The site survey strongly suggested that the extant ruins ofthe manor house and its gardens overlie the edge of theDMV. The western half of the gardens contains clearevidence of medieval settlement, in the form of a length ofroughly east-west orientated hollow way and an extanthouse platform with a clear relationship to the roadway. Tothe east, outside the gardens of the manor house, lies afurther section of hollow way and further possible houseplatforms.The survey also examined the gardens and land to the northof the manor house ruins. A number of garden features werenoted, including a much ruined ice-house, a summer houseand a ha-ha. These structures had previously been identifiedby Aston in 1972, and appear on the Oxfordshire Sites andMonuments Record. The survey noted some additionalfeatures not located by the SMR: these mainly comprised anumber of short lengths of grass-grown wall to the north andeast of the house and the brick foundations of a fountain tothe south of the house. The walls and fountain all correspondto the location of features marked upon the 1876 OrdnanceSurvey lst edition 25" map.OxfordshireLittle Rollright, Roltright Quarry (SP 2307 4280)Jonathan Hiller and George LambrickThe Unit undertook a watching brief during topsoil andsubsoil stripping at Rollright Quarry during August andSeptember 1999, on behalf of Hanson Aggregates. Thequarry here is to be enlarged, and presently comprises 16hectares located north of Little Rollright, a small village tothe north of Chipping Norton on theOxfordshire-Warwickshire border. The quarry is situated ona high spur of oolitic limestone overlooking the Stout Valleyin Warwickshire. A Beaker period pottery vessel wasrecovered from the site in the 1940s. The watching brief wasrequested by Oxfordshire County Archaeological Servicesbecause of known archaeological finds from the site, and itsproximity to the early prehistoric megalithic complex andbarrow cemetery at the Rollright Stones to the east, togetherwith Iron Age and Roman settlement evidence.Two naturally formed frost fractures/v/edges and a single pitof Iron Age date were observed, together with anotherpossible pit feature. Two large quarry holes of probableVictorian or 20th century date were also observed; theremainder of the deposits were modern. Of the finds, duringpreliminary site reconnaissance, G Limbrick recovered asingle body sherd of Iron Age pottery and a few pieces ofbumt limestone from the lower fill of an Iron Age pit. Theshelly fabric and thickness of the sherd is comparable tomiddle Iron Age pottery known from the bon Age enclosureclose to the Rollright Stones to the east (Lambrick 1988,93-96) and another unstratifial sherd of similar characterwas recovered near to the pit. A further 5 sherds ofcontemporary pottery were recovered from the upper fill ofthe pit, which also contained two pieces of unidentifiableanimal bone, burnt stones and a single cast iron object whichis intrusive in the feature fill and dates to the 18th centuryor later. The object is pointed and riveted, and probablycame from a plough. The only other finds of note comprisea small collection of antler bones from the subsoil.The presence of two substantial quarries of relatively :recentdate together with the fact that there has been stone workingand terracing of the quarry site has diminished the potentialfor archaeological remains to survive. The presence of a pit,a further possible pit (seen in section only) and the fewsherds of pottery suggest that there may have been someforrn of settlement on or near the site, probably in the middleIron Age.ReferenceLambrick, G., 1988 The Rollright Stones: Megaliths, Monumentsand Settlement in the Prehistoric Landscape, English HeritageArchaeol. Rep. 6, LondonReferenceDodd M D (Ed) 1959; VCH of Oxford vi, London

OxfordshireOxford, The Kitchen Project, Lincoln College(SP 5150 0630)Jonathan Hiller with contributions by Julian Munby andKate NewellIntroductionThe Unit undertook investigations between 1997 and 1999at Lincoln College, Oxford during the course of buildingmodifications. All the archaeological work was undertakenon behalf of Norman Machin Associates - architects for theproject - for Lincoln College Enterprises. The mainprogramme of work comprise,d the construction of a newwine cellar, together with the remodelling andrefurbishment of the medieval ldtchen and buttery. LincolnCollege is located towards the centre of Oxford and isbounded to the north by Brasenose Lane, to the west by TurlStreet and to the east by Brasenose College (Fig 10).Historical backgroundHistorically the site of Lincoln C.ollege lies within thedefensive circuit of the original Saxon burh rather than thelater eastem suburb of the town to the east of the BodleianLibrary. By the late 12th century the eastem part of theoriginal Saxon burh had been divided up into plots of landforming part of Oxford's fledgling academic society. Of theearliest references, the site lcnown as Deep Hall is firstdocumented in c 1188 when Henry d'Oilly gave to LaurenceKepeharm the land of Osbert Fader between St. Mildred'sChurch (sited at the corner of present day Turl Street andBrasenose Lane) and the house of Edmund Sutor (Salter1960, 63). By the early 15th century, the site of the futurecollege was covered by a patchwork of academic halls,houses, tenements and gardens (Salter 1960,49-5261-3). 61-3).In 1427, Bishop Fleming of Lincoln obtained the necessaryletters patent from the Crown to found a modest collegiolumto train men in theology so that they might 'overcome thosewho with their swinish snouts imperil the pearls of truetheology'. Fleming died in 1431, though shortly before hisdeath some progress had been made in developing the site.St. Mildred's church had been demolished and ils revenuespassed on to the college, and some buildings had beenerected on the site. In 1437, the Dean of Wells John Forestprovided the necessary funds to build a chapel, a library, adining hall, a kitchen and the college rooms (Green, 1979,2-17).Excavation Results in briefA series of watching briefs on preliminary groundwork weresupplemented by excavations undertaken for the new winecellar within the Quincentenary Room (the New WineCellar Excavation). Excavation and watching brief workalso took place within the ldtchen (the Kitchen Excavation)and the area east of the kitchen where a second, smallerbasement was to be constructed (the East BasementExcavation).The New Wine Cellar Excavation (Fig 11)The natural gravel was capped by the reddish-brownprehistoric natural subsoil, which was generally 0.25 mthick with its upper surface lying at c 62.30 m OD. Whereverthis was exposed there were traces of charcoal, sometimesquite extensive, indicating that there had been burning onthe site in its earliest phase of use. There was no directevidence for prehistoric or Roman activity on the site,although an undated gully cutting the natural subsoil at theeast of the site could date to either period.During the late Saxon period at least two successivebuildings were constructed on the site. The north side of theearlier building was represented by a line of postholes (902,909, 884, 886, and 871, 873) forward of which lay a strip ofheavily burnt soil, perhaps the remains of a burnt timber.The east side of the building was represented by a line ofpostholes cut into the natural subsoil (898, 912, 914, 929).The west side of the building was truncated by a large pitfeattur (930), presumably dug after the structure had goneout of use. PotWry from the fill of pit 930 dates to theearly-mid llth century, thus placing the primary buildingon the site in the rust half of the llth century or earlier. Asecond large pit (975) cut the fills of the earlier feature,before being deliberately backfilled with gravel prior to theconstruction of another apparently larger building.The north side of this second structure consisted of a line ofmedium sized and large postholes (855, 875, 857, 859),linlced by a slot feature (861), most likely a timber beam slot.The east side of the building consisted of a wattle and daubwall erected around a framework of wooden stakes,represented by stakeholes (not illustraWd) that were sunkduaugh occupation deposits associated with the earlierstructure, down to the natural. Pottery from the fills of thesefeature,s was of early to mid llth-century date, indicatingthat the site at this time was very active.The west side of both structures has yet to be clearlyunderstood, and &Oven the number of postholes excavated inthis area (for example features 797, 799, 814, 669, 679, 661),it is highly likely that more than the two phases of buildingsso far identified were erected on the site.To the rear of the building and also within its limits wereseveral stratigraphically early pits (939, 836, 834) that arelikely to be contemporary with the use of the early buildings;one of these has been tentatively identified as a well. Thepottery from the fills of pit 834 is of early to mid 1 lth centurydate, while the pottery from pit 836 indicates a mid to latellth century date for the fill of the feature, so that it may justpost-date the use of the building.The stakeholes and a layer of clay, perhaps an occupationhorizon associated with the building, were sealed by a thicklayer of red fired clay and burnt daub with wattleimpressions, mixed with quantities of charcoal. Pottery fromthe layer dates to the early to mid llth century. The layerimmediately above the daub was a striking whitish-greydeposit of ash that extended over the building. Thesedeposits strongly suggest that the building suffered a majorconflagration - burnt material of a similar nature wasexcavated from pit 834 within the limit of the building.64

OxfordshireFirstQuadrangleOLLEGELayers of superimposed loamy soils that contained largequantities of animal bone and pottery sealed the earlybuilding phases and in-filled pits. Pottery from these layersdates to the mid to late llth century, suggesting that by thisperiod the site had become derelict, perhaps waste ground.A number of pits, probably rubbish disposal pits (Fig 11,670, 721, 821, 703, 782), were dug through these soil layers,which may well represent the garden soils of the halls andtenements documented in the vicinity of the site. A series ofsuperimposed gravel layers at the north of the excavationarea may represent the southern limit of Brasenose Lane.Pottery from these layers has been dated to the end of theFig 10. Lincoln College1 lth century or the beginning of the 12th century. Layers ofsoil continued to accumulate and a soakaway structure wasbuilt in the 13th or 14th century, based on the pottery in thefill of the feature. This may relate to one of the earlyacademic buildings documented here. Further rubbish pitswere dug, with pottery of 13th to 14th century date presentin the feature fills.The hall of the college had been constructed by 1437, towhich were added the buttery and the kitchen. The kitchenfoundation was constructed from a level of 63.57 m OD,which shows that by this time there had been a over a metre65

OxfordshireFig 11. Lincoln College.build-up of stratified deposits. A narrow linldng passageconnecting the kitchen to the buttery was erected later. Thesouth foundation wall of the linking passage was fullyexposed, recorded and then dismanded in the course of theexcavation. The wall incorporated a relieving arch in itsconstruction. Adjacent to the relieving arch was the ldtchenwell (514), an imposing structure built of dressed and shapedashlar stones. The well was at least 7 m deep.The Kitchen Excavationjacent to the north and south walls. In the centre of the roomwas a pit containing a large quantity of animal bone and 15thcentury pottery; this may be a feature dug by the builders todispose of their food debris during the construction woritAbove these features was a 0.3 m thick layer of silty sandcontaining gravel, stone and 15th century pottery - it is likelythat this is part of the beaten earth floor. Contemporarycooking deposits of charcoal and ash were present at the baseof the north and south fireplaces.The East Basement ExcavationlWatching briefNatural subsoil was revealed at a depth of 62.10 m ODoverlying the natural gravel.The earliest deposits included probable occupation levelsthat were broadly contemporary with the building(s) foundin the area of the new wine cellar. The pottery from theseearly soil layers dates to the mid to late 1 lth century, broadlycontemporary with the early deposits in the wine cellar,though no evidence for structures was found. Late Saxonand early medieval mbbish pits were excavated.The best-preserved stratigraphy was excavated adjacent tothe eastwall foundation of the kitchen. Here a series of soillayers had accumulated or been deliberately dumped, andpottery from this sequence of soils dates them from the latellth century through to the 14th/15th century. Apost-medieval room, of which traces of stone paving andmasonry were recorded, had been replaced in the 17th/18th66

century by a below ground cellar of brick build, equippedwith a half barrel vaulted roof.Building Survey and RecordingAs part of the archaeological mitigation required for theLincoln College Kitchen Project a programme of buildingrecording was undertaken. A dendrochronology date ofspring 1436 was obtained from the timbets of the first floorstructure of the buttery. This reinforces the documentaryevidence for the construction date of the college buildings.A series of roof lines relating to two former phases of thelinking wing between the buttery and the detached kitchencould clearly be seen as scars in the ldtchen and butterywalls. The connecting range between the buttery and ldtchenmay well have started as a roofed passage, but perhaps bythe 17th or 18th century had a first-floor room reached fromthe room above the buttery (the door opening was of 18th or19th century date).The original kitchen has substantially survived, though theroof has in part been rebuilt. Original features observed inthe kitchen induded two four-centred headed doors to thenorth and south, and adjacent to the north fireplace theremains of two bread ovens were revealed. To the west ofthe fireplace an inserted brick-built oven was recorded, itsthin bricks suggesting a 16th or 17th century date; a tile-builtoven was partially exposed to the east A sequence of laterdoors and alterations was observed.Interim discussionThe new wine cellar excavation revealed a more or lesscomplete sequence of deposits dating from the late Saxonperiod through to the early-mid 15th century, the date of thefoundation of the college. The earliest strata associated withthe first buildings on the site appear to indicate industrialactivity, probably metalworking.The fust building on the site fell into disuse and was replacedat least once, with a second timber structure. It is clear thatthe last Saxon building suffered a major fire, and it ispossible that the earlier building(s) suffered a similar fate.Within the limits of the building were several deep pits,which during the early stages of the excavation of the winecellar were thought to represent a single 'cellar' pit, suchwas the depth. However, it seems likely that a succession ofpits was dug by the site inhabitants when the building wasin use, presumably for the disposal of domestic/industrialrefuse. After the last phase of building on the site, it seemslikely that the area became waste ground, though thesuccession of gravel surfaces north of the area of the formerbuildings suggest that occupation of some kind was beingmaintained. Pits of the period indicate dumping of domesticrefuse, probably from the kitchens of nearby properties. Fullanalysis of the stratigraphy in conjunction with the massivestructures of the college buildings will be undertaken,together with the finds and the environmental evidence,prior to publication of the data. It is anticipated that a fullreport will be published in Oxoniensia.OxfordshireReferencesGreen V H H, 1979; The Commonwealth of Lincoln College,1477-1977, OxfordSalter H E 1960; Survey of Medieval Oxford, OxfordOxford, Mansfield College (SP 516 068)Paul BoothAn area of some 700 sq m lying immediately north of thatexamined in 1998 (Booth 1999) was excavated on behalf ofOxford University Surveyor's Department by the unit inadvance of construction work. A small isolated pit containedNeolithic flintwork. Otherwise the main features were acontinuation of the system of Roman ditches examined in1998, consisting principally of the south-west corner of afairly substantial enclosure. There were no sigificantinternal features within this enclosure, but the ditchesproduced quite large groups of pottery, mainly of 4thcentury date, probably associated with the structure to thesouth excavated in 1998. The NNW-SSE aligned Civil Warditch lay beneath the western margin of the site as in theprevious year's excavation. Post-excavation analysis iscurrently under way and a full report will be published inOxoniensi&ReferenceBooth, P, 1999, Oxford, Mansfield College, Proposed Inslitute forAmerican Studies, SMA 29, pp. 79Oxford, Oxford Castle (SP 5700 0615)Paul BoothOAU carried out an evaluation of part of the site of OxfordCastle in June and July 1999. The evaluation wascommissioned by Oxfordshire County C.ouncil in advanceof proposed redevelopment Fifteen trenches of varioussizes were dug, supplemented by 6 boreholes drilled into themotte ditch and the main castle moat. The location of thettenches was determined by the requirements of the outlinedevelopment proposals, informed by exhaustiveconsideration of the historical and archaeologicalbackground to the castle, supplemented by a ground probingradar survey carried out by Stratascsn Geophysical andSpecialist Survey Services in 1998. The evaluation wasconfined to areas in the north and south-east parts of thepresent castle/prison complex. Both areas, but particularlythe southern part of the site, had been considerably disturbedby the installation of services for successive phases of theprison.The natural gravel subsoil was identified in a few limitedlocations, and probable natural watercourse deposits werelocated at the southern extremity of the site, predating thesequence of deposits in the main castle ditch at this point.Pre-caslle activity represented by probable late-Saxon soillayers was seen in two of the trenches. Evidence formedieval activity was limited, and the only significantmedieval structure found was part of a large wall, located67

Ordordshireadjacent to the round tower at the south end of the site. Thismay bave been a link wall to the city wall south of the castlerather than being part of the curtain wall of the castle itself.In situ deposits of medieval date appear to have survived inboth the main moat and in the motte ditch. The latter seemsto have been a very substantial feature, probably at least 15m across, where it was examined on the south-east side ofthe motte. East of the motte ditch extensive gravel quarrying,probably of later 18th century date, was encountered. Thisactivity may have resulted in the total destruction ofsurviving remains of the medieval Shire Hall, whichprobably lay in or very close to this area. The motte ditchwas partly recut by a substantial linear feature, also of postmedievaldate.Construction of the 19th century B Wing of the formerprison in the south-east part of the casde complex had notonly cut right into deposits in the main castle ditch, as waswell-known, but had also caused extensive intrusion intodeposits lying west of the main footprint of the building.This may have affected features associated with the east gateof the castle, thought to lie in this general area, but it ispossible that such features survive a little further westbeneath extant prison buildings and other structures. Somefeatures which can be related to the 19th century plan of theprison were identified.Oxford, Old Bank, 92-94 High Street (SP 5165 0626)ICate Newell and Julian MunbyThe Unit carried out a programme of archaeologicalbuilding investigation at the Grade H and II* 'Old Bank',92-94 High Street and No. 1 Magpie Lane, Oxford duringits conversion to the 'Old Bank Hotel'.The buildings are of especial intere.st in the history of Oxfordbeing used from an early date as medieval academic halls ofresidence. The area also has an association with Oxford'smany apothecaries and physicians in whose houses patientswere treated and it is clear from the rentals in OsneyCartulary that this practice was going on in the properties.The 'Old Bank' is also of importance in the story of Oxford'seconomic development and history, being Oxford's fustbank.During the investigation evidence of the development of theexisting buildings and earlier buildings on the site wasobserved. The original build of No 94 was seen to consist oftirnber framing, largely rebuilt in the 20th century, with thesouth and east walls having lengths of substantial stonewalling holding the chimney flues. The eastern stone wallwas exposed in No 93 and displayed evidence of the roofpitches of former buildings on the plot. The basic style ofNo. 94, a four storey building with flat roof with surroundingbalustrade, is very similar to that shown on the site onLoggan's view of Oxford of 1675, but is not present on theAgas view of 1577. A closer date for the building may beprovided by the inscribed date of '1588' seen on the jetty ofNo 1 Magpie Lane. This building was se-en to be constructedagainst the pre-existing No 94 and so No 94 may be datedto post-1577 but pie-1588. Internally two original stud andlath partitions were revealed as weretwo further originalfireplaces. The stair was also thought to have original fabricincluding its ovolo-moulded window. Excavation in thebasement uncovered a Stone lined well and stone trough.The later '1588' jetded timber framed building of No 1Magpie Lane was se-en to be built against the pie-existingNo 94. The four storied building has a stone built cellar.Each floor follows the same plan of a single room with stairalong the east wall. An attic room is provided in the roofspace through the use of a raised cruck construction.Excavation in the cellar revealed a medieval stone-lined cesspit, with associated 12th-13th century pot sherds.Evidence of two earlier buildings on the plot of No 93 wereseen in the previously external face of No 94's substantialeast stone wall. A pitched roof line was observed serving abuilding at the front of the plot and a line of sockets was seento the rear of this suggesting a lean-to construction for arearward building. The cunent building on the plot dates tothe late 18th century and was built after No 92. Despite itsface of stone the building is of platform timber-framedconstruction. Originally the building was of three storieswith cellars and possibly attic rooms. The third floor of thebuilding was seen to be a later addition, probably of 19thcentury date and was accessed solely from No 92demonstrating that by the time of its addition the twobuildings functioned as one.The bank originally traded from No 92, and is thought tohave started trading c 1775. Architectural features from itsuse as a bank, such as safe doors and cash drop, wereobserved during the investigation. The building is a goodexample of prosperous architecture using brick walling withashlar facing. As with No 93 the upper stories (third and atticlevels) were seen to be later additions to the original threestorey building. Evidence of the original double gabled roofline was seen as scars on the previously external ashlarstacks which had been incorporated into the third floor flues.Oxford, Sackler Library (SP 1100 6550)Dan PooreBetween April 1998 and March 1999, the unit carried outarchaeological investigations on behalf of the OxfordUniversity Surveyor's Office on the site of the SacklerLibrary development at the Ashmolean Museum inBeaumont Street. The development lies to the north ofOxford town centre on the second terrace of the RiverThames and comprises an area of approximately 0.13 ha.The work programme was divided into two phases. Prior toconstruction, a large-scale excavation took place duringApril and May 1998. This was followed by a much smallerexcavation in June 1998. During construction, an ongoingwatching brief led to a number of archaeologicalinterventions.68

Excavation revealed two probable Bronze Age barrowditches, one lying largely within the project area andenclosing an area approximately 27 m across. Numerousmedieval pits were found aligned in rows and possibly dugas tree plantes. They may have formed part of a formalgarden, and date from the time of Beaumont Palace. Thedevelopment area is known to lie within the palace precinct,which dates from the early 12th century. Extensive robbingand some surviving masonry indicated the possible locationof the palace precinct wall, as well as the presence of asubstantial east-west aligned buttressed stone building,probably part of the Carmelite Friary which occupied thepalace site from the early 14th century onwards.Post-excavation work is cunently under way and the fullreport will be published in Oxoniensia.Oxford, Salter's Boatyard, Folly Bridge, AbingdonRoad (SP 5144 0550)!Cate Newell and Julian MunbyThe Unit carried out an archaeological investigation prior toand during the development of an area of Salter's Boatyard,Folly Bridge, Oxford.The site is bounded to the west by the scheduled ancientmonument of the Grandpont causeway - a Norman rivercrossing, and to the other sides by channels of the RiverThames. Folly Bridge marks the latest in the forms of rivercrossing at this point, which date back to at least the Saxonperiod. From the 16th century the site was open land, andwas later developed as a timber wharf and then a boatyardin the 19th century.A number of historic, unlisted buildings were recorded priorto their demolition. The majority related to the industrial useof the site, with Lock House being the only domesticbuilding. Lock House was an early to mid 19th centurytimber-framed building built against the pre-existing rubbleboundary wall with an internal red brick chimney stack. Itssoftwood framing was of nailed rather than jointedconstruction with modern replacement weatherboardcladding. Much of the framing was seen to be original butthe building had substantial 20th century repairs andalterations - including an extension to the east and a modernreplacement roof structure. The ground floor plan hadoriginally been divided into two rooms, with a single roomon the first floor. The building may have originated as a LockKeeper's Cottage.The other buildings investigated relate to the worldngpractices of the site as timber yard and boat yard, and includeworkshops and office buildings. Three main buildingperiods were observed in the structures. Phase I relates tothe use of the site as a timber yard, and the survivingbuildings from this period were of timber-framedconstruction. The later two phases of building relate to thesite's use as a boat yard with a phase of concrete buildingscast in-situ relating to the building of wooden boats and aOxfordshirelater phase using pre-fabricated structures relating to thebuilding or repair of smaller fibreglass river craft.An archaeological watching brief monitored the groundworks of the development. Deposits encountered during thewatching brief were made ground dating to the 19th and 20thcenturies. No evidence of pre-19th century activity wasobserved.Thame, Waitrose Store (SP 7070 0600)Stuart ForemanIn November 1999, the Unit carried out a field evaluationon land adjacent to the Waitrose store, Thame, Oxfordshire,on behalf of the John Lewis Partnership, in advance ofproposed development of the site as additional car-parkingand an extension of the existing store.Two trenches excavated within the grounds of No 12 BellLane revealed medieval pits and indistinct shallow ditchesor gullies aligned parallel to the present Bell Lane. Theevaluation also revealed a group of very large, 16th-19thcentury rubbish pits located towards the back of formerburgage plots fronting onto Thame High Street. A singletrench located within the loading area of the Waitrose storerevealed that modern disturbance has largely truncatedformer soil horizons within this area.Wallingford, The Church of St John the Evangelist(SU 6076 8940)John DaltonIn February 1999 the Unit undertook a watching brief at theChurch of St John the Evangelist, Wallingford, Oxfordshire.Two stone and brick-built graves were located at the base ofshafts below grave slabs lying at ground level duringenabling works; as a consequence the foundations for thenew building on the site were redesigned and the graveshafts backfilled after structural recording.Yarnton (SP 475 110)Post-excavation analysis of the results of nine seasons offieldwork at Yamton is currently underway, and unexpecteddiscoveries continue to occur! Small pieces of bumt bread,found in a pit on the floodplain at Yarnton in 1992 (Hey1993), have been scientifically dated to the early Neolithicperiod (around 3500 BC). This is, as far as we imow, theearliest discovery of bread in Britain.The bread was recovered during flotation of soil samples.Bumt fragments from one pit looked like pieces of woodcharcoal by eye, but when Dr Mark Robinson of the OxfordUniversity Museum examined them through a binocularmicroscope he unambiguously identified them as bread;partly-crushed grains of barley within a spongy matrix.Samples were subsequently dated by radiocarbon at the69

OxfordshireOxford University Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit and atRafter Radiocarbon Laboratory, New Zealand. They cameup with results within three years of each other, whichcombined and calibrated show that the bread dates tobetween 3620 - 3350 cal BC (OxA-6412; 4675 ± 70, andN'ZA-8679; 4672 ± 57).The pit also contained a bifacially-worked flint knife, alongwith over 200 flint flakes, some of which had beensharpened and serrated. Crumbs of pottery were alsopresent, along with hazelnut shells and apple skin and cores.The presence of hig,h- quality flint objects in good conditionalong with the food remains probably indicates a deliberatedeposit or offering, rather than mbbish.ReferenceHey, G, 1993 Yarnton Floodplain, SMA 23,81-5OXFORD UNIVERSITY ARCHAEOLOGICALSOCI1ETY AND SCHOOL OFARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDIES, UNIVERSITYOF LEICESTERAmbrosden, The entrenchments on Graven FHB(SP 591 204)Eberhard SauerGraven Hill dominates the land east of the Roman town ofAlchester and offers commanding views from the edge ofthe wood over the surrounding landscape. Akeman Streetreached its northernmost point in the area of Graven Hill andAlchester. It was tempting to assume that an important IronAge settlement was located on the hill and that it formed thepredecessor to the Roman town of Alchester. Even thoughit was known that the entrenchment was far moreinsubstantial (Potts 1907, 343) than those of most Iron Agehillforts, it seemed possible that the defences could hold theclue to the date and nature of the occupation of the bill.The entrendunent has been observed on the eastern side ofthe hilltop (Potts 1907, 343; Blomfield 1882, 25). Allsections plotted on various editions of OS maps of the areaare still visible on the ground; the only section we have notyet inspected was the south end which is currently fencedoff. No survey was carried out on the other sides of the hill.Kennett (1695, 35-37) observed an entrenclunent on thewest side of Graven Hill. He agreed with Plot's hypothesis(1676, 335) that the earthworks were built on the occasionof the battle between the Saxons and the Danes in AD 871.Plot's description, 'Entrenchments in Merton Woods,'might refer to the earthworks in the east or Kennett'searthwork in the west or both. The question whether or notthe entrenchments ever surrounded the whole hilltopremains unanswered. Since they come to an end on eitherside at the edge of the wood, it seems possible that sectionswere destroyed by ploughing and erosion, especially if oneconsiders how slight the surviving remains in the wood are.However, a systematic survey on the other sides of the hillwould be a worthwhile task for a future campaign. Theearthworks are best preserved on the south-east side of thehill, the only side where it is clear that there are two parallelbanks and ditches, the ditch bottoms being c12.50 m apartin the area of trench 19.Thanks to the kind permission of Defence Estates (Ministryof Defence) and the support of Major Wilkins thisentrenchment has, in August 1999, for the first time beeninvestigated archaeologically. There was no point at whicha straight section throug,h both earthworks could have beenexcavated without felling trees. Therefore we chose toexcavate two separate sections at two well preserved points,trench 18 at SP 5904 2036 through the outer bank and ditchand trench 19 through the inner entrenchment at SP 59082040. These two sections were 54 m apart, measured alongthe ditch of the outer earthwork.The excavations yielded hardly any ancient artefacts. Themost diagnostic find was a tiny fragment of pottery, datableto the Iron Age or late Bronze Age (kind information by PaulBooth) from near the bottom of the ditch in trench 18. It isdifficult to decide whether the piece might date theoccupation of a potential settlement enclosed by theentrenchment or whether it might have been re-depositedlater. The colour and composition of the natural and thelower ditch fill differ only in nuances and the boundary isvery diffuse. The inner ditch reached a depth of c 0.88 mbelow a theoretical straight line between the current surfaceat either end of the trench, the outer ditch was c 1.03 m deep.Archaeomagnetic samples taken by Patrick Erwin containedsediments with different orientations, which did not permitdating of the samples. OSL samples are being examined byDr Ed Rhodes and might still yield a date.The age of the Graven Hill entrenclunent thus remainsenigmatic. The straightness of sections of the entrenchmentmay suggest a date between the later Iron Age and theRoman period. It mig,ht have been a place of refuge, anunfinished military compound or a ritual site. The ditchprofiles were very indistinct, and did not form a substantialdefence. Given the proximity of the Roman militaryinstallations at Alchester it rnay also be worth rememberingthat the army at the time of the Claudian invasion stillfrequently occupied hilltops (Frere 1986; Todd 1985).However, it has to be stressed that there is no positiveevidence for such a hypothesis. It seems exce,edinglyunlikely, however, given the extreme scarcity of artefacts,that there was a densely occupied Iron Age settlement on thetop of Graven Hill. Alchester, unlikeDorchester-on-Thames, was a military foundation in an areawhere there had been no more than rural settlement in thepre-Roman period.ReferencesBlomfield J C 1882; History of the present deanery of Bicester,Oxon., Oxford/London.Frere S 1986; The Use of Iron Age Hill Forts by the Roman Armyin Britain, in Studien zu den Militaergrenzen Roms 111. 13.70

206Oxfordshire589 590Fig 12. The excavations on Graven Hill: shallow banks and ditches; note that the ditches have only been plotted in thearea of otw excavation. Reproduced by kind permission of the Ordnance Survey © Crown Copyright NC/00/627.Imernationaler Limeskongres4 Aakn 1983. Forschungen undBerichte zur Vor-und Fruehgeschichte in Baden-Wuerttemberg 2D,42-46.Kennett W 1695; Parochial Antiquities Attempted in the HistoryofAmbrosder4Burcester and OtherAdjacent Parts In the Countiesof Oxford and Bucks, Oxford.Plot R 1676; The Natural History of Oxford-Shire Being an Essaytowards the Natural History of England, Oxford.Potts W 1907; Ancient Earthworks, in VCH, vol. 11, London,303-349.Todd M 1985; Oppida and the Roman Army. A review of recentevidence. Oxford Journal of Archaeology 4.2,187-199.Acknowledgements: see article on Wendlebury belowChesterton, Late Roman coins from a rural siteEberhard SauerA number of late Roman coins have been found by MikeWhitford in Chesterton parish. The composition of the coinseries and the distribution of the pieces over an area of c50m by 50m strongly suggests that they derive from a villaor other smaller rural settlement. The only other known findfrom the area is a brooch of unlmown type. The preciselocation of the origin of these coins cannot be revealed atpresent, but has been given in confidence to the SMR forfuture generations of researchers to inspect once the threatto the site no longer exists. This coin series is neverthelessuseful for research into the history of Roman Oxfordshire asthey form another piece of evidence for the history ofmonetary circulation. There are as yet no other finds to showwhether the absence of early coins is to be explained by a71

Oxfordshirelate foundation of the site, the possibility that earlier anddeeper layers are still undisturbed, or, as se,ems more likely,by the late spread of the monetary economy into thecountryside. This is particularly interesting as the site is incomparative proximity to Alchester, Oxfordshire's largestRoman town. The early fort at Alchester (see next article)yielded a high proportion of early coins. By contrast,circulation at this site as at other rural sites near Alchester(Reece 1991, nos. 61-62), in parallel with many rural sitesall over southern Britain, is dominated by late coinage.Coin listAnt, copy (diam.: 15 mm); AD 260-285.Ant (diam.: 16 mm); Tetricus I.; AD 271-274; mint:?; RIC 100-103?Ant (diam.: 19 mm); Carausius; AD 286-289 (Casey1994,88); Lon; RIC 105Ant (diam.: 23 mm); Allectus; AD 293-295 (C,asey1994,88); Cam; RIC 97CFol (diam.: 18 mm); Constantine I; AD 318-319; Tre(S); RIC 209; 213; 221Fol (diam.: 17.5 mm); Constantine I; AD 319; Tre (S);RIC 213; 221Fol (diam.: 18 mm); Constantius II under ConstantineI; AD 330-335; mint: ?; Gloria Exercitus, two standardsFol (diam.: 16 mm); late antique, possibly AD330-335; mint?; Gloria Exercitus, two standards?Fol (diam.: 16 mm); Constantine I; AD 332-333; Tre(P); RIC 537Fol (diam.: 18.5 mm); Urbs Roma under ConstantineI; AD 332-333; Tre (P); RIC 542Fol (diam.: 17 mm); Constantinopolis underConstantine I, AD 334-336; Are (S); RIC 386; 401Fol (diam.: 14.5 mm); Constantius II underConstantine I; AD 335-337; Tre (P); RIC 592Fol (diam.: 153 mm); Constantine las Augustus orConstantine II, Constantius II, Constans or Delmatius asC,aesar, AD 335-337; Tre (P); Gloria Exencitus, onestandardFol (diam.: 14.5 mm); Constantine las Augustus orConstantine II, Constantius II, C.onstans or Delmatius asCaesares; AD 335-337; Are(?) (S?); Gloria Exencitus,one standardFol (diam.: 15 mm); Constantine I; AD 335-337;mint: ?; Gloria Exercitus, one standardFol (diam.: 145 mm); Constantine las Augustus orConstantine II or Constans as Caesares; AD 335-337;mint?; Gloria Exerxitus, one standardFol (diam.: 15 mm); Urbs Roma; AD 335-340; mint:Tre?; wolf and twinsFol (diam.: 15 mm); Helena; AD 337-340; Tre (P);RIC 42; 47; 55; 63; 64; 78; 90Fol (diam.: 173 mm); Constantinopolis underConstantine II; AD 337-340; Are (S); RIC 9Fol (diam.: 153 mm); Constans; AD 347-348; Tre(P?); RIC 206; 210Fol (diam.: 14 mm); C,onstantius for Constans; AD347-348; Tre or Are; RIC Tre 180-182 or RIC Are 78-82AE 3/4; imitation (163 mm); barbarous head mintedover coin of the Constantinian Dynasty; c. AD 353-364;mint: ?; possibly faint traces of stg. figure holdingtransverse oblong object23-25. three very corroded Roman or modem copperalloy coins (16-17 mm diam.)26-29 .four modern coins (22-25 mm diam.) (one ofthem possibly late medieval - postmedieval)AbbreviationsDenominations: AE 3/4 = small copper alloy coin; Ant ='Antoninianus;' Fol =Mints: Are = Arelate/ Arles; Cam = Camulodunum/Colchester, Lon = Londinium/ London; Tre = AugustaTreverorum/ Trier, (P) = prima, fust workshop; (S) =secunda, second workshop(RIC = The Roman Imperial Coinage)FteferencesCasey P J 1994; Carausius and Allectus, London.Reece R 1991; Roman Coins from 140 Sites in Britain, Dorchester.Wendlebury, The Claudian fort at Alchester(SP 570 203)Eberhard SauerThe excavations of the fortWhat had been a theory until recently (Erwin 1999; Sauer1999a, 63) is now a certainty: there was a large Roman fortimmediately west of and partially underneath the laterwalled town of Alchester. Three trenches were excavatedwith Scheduled Monument Consent in August andSeptember 1999. We found military structures, most notablythe fort ditches, small sections of military style sill beambuildings and gullies associated with an early road.Furthermore, the excavations yielded mid first centurymilitary equipment, pottery and coins.The fort ditches: trench 21When sectioning the southern fort ditches the deeper innerditch re,ached 0.77 m below the late summer water table in1999 (at 62.10 m above sea-level), the outer 0.73 m. Theinner ditch was 3.20 m wide and 1.81 m deep (below thepresent surface), the outer at least 2.90 m wide (it was cutby a later road ditch). One wonders whether or not the watertable at the lime of construction was similarly high; if so,this would have necessitated the ditches being constantlyscooped out while being dug. The ditch profiles indicate thatthe army had envisaged digging the usual V-shaped ditches,but that the water table prevented the completion, resultingin a truncated V-shaped profile. The preservation ofsubstantial pieces of wood in the lower ditch fill proves thatthe water table in antiquity, which will have fluctuatedseasonally, cannot have been substantially lower than it istoday. No traces of the rampart survived, but the Romandeposits above the fort ditches contained considerably lessgravel than those north of the ditches. The gravel contentwas higher between the inner ditch and the northern end oftrench 21, 153 m north of the inner side of the ditch. Thissuggests that not just gravel from the rampart but also fromother structures (such as the via sagularis?) may have been72

mixed with later sediments by horticultural or agriculturalactivities during the civilian period. One is tempted toassume that much of the rampart had earlier been used as asource of gravel.The occupation of the interior: trench 20Trench 20 was intended to give us an insight into the natureof the occupation in the interior. We had hoped to be able touncover the remains of wooden military buildings.However, we experienced that everywhere between the roadwhich led from Alchester past the 'Castle Mound'westwards (in the northern extension of trench 20) and thesouthern fort ditches the natural and the preserved Romanmilitary structures were covered with deposits, averaging0.25 m in depth. These deposits were invariably extremelyrich in finds. The objects recovered from them wereexclusively Roman, the majority of the more closely datableones could be attributed to the mid first century.Interestingly the pieces of military equipment and otherfinds of the invasion period came from the very top as wellas from the bottom of the deposits. This was equally true fortrench 20,21 and 22. 0.25 m thick deposits cannot possiblyhave built up during the occupation of the fort. All carefulattempts to detect traces of any structures, such as post-holesand sill beams, by cleaning the surface at various levels andby trying to investigate whether the distribution of stonesindicated post- holes failed. The only possible explanationis that horticultural or agricultural activity in the Romancivilian period or in the early Middle Ages has mixed theupper strata of the deposits within the fort with latersediments. Later coins were confined to the vicinity of theroad leading past the Castle Mound, probably indicating thatmuch of the area of the earlier fort south of the road was notoccupied (possibly converted into gardens?). This alsohelpsto explain the astonishing predominance of military finds ofthe invasion period. Because of the extraordinary density offinds we had to excavate slowly. As a result of this and ofthe depth of the deposits, we uncovered a far smaller areawithin trench 20 than originally intended. Therefore the onlypossible military feature revealed so far in trench 20 (exceptthe northern extension) was a hearth. There was no time leftto excavate the hearth and it is possible that there might beother features next to it immediately below the level whichwe reached. We decided to cover the hearth and adjacentareas with straw and hope to complete the excavation withthe necessary care next year. A similar sttatigraphy bas beenobserved at Kingsholm where also many of the early Romanfinds were embedded in an up to 030 m thick cultivationlayer of late Saxon or later date (Htust 1985, 20-1; Reece1985, 23).Remains of a military road and building: the northernextension of trench 20Protected by a mid to late 4th century road surface and aparallel wall, earlier military structures survived much betterin the northern extension of trench 20. Four gullies are likelyto be associated with an earlier military road in the samewest- east alignment; one of the gullies contained adupondius of Caligula (RIC, 2nd ed., 56). The position ofthe road, almost an axis of symmetry for the compound,Oxfordshiresuggests that it functioned as the via praetoria; if so, the westgate must have been the main gate of the fort fora sortie, theporta praetoria. Recent examination of aerial photographicevidence by Cathy Stoertz of the National MonumentsRecord Centre, English Heritage (kind information bySimon Crutchley) have proven that this road continued in astraight line westwards. It has been traced until the A 41; ifit continued, its destination must have been the ford over theriver Cherwell at Tackley. I have argued previously (Sauer1998b, 74) that Akeman Street, which is less direct, followsin some sections a pre-Roman route. It appears that itbecame the main route again in the Roman civilian period.North of the road in the northern extension of trench 20 sillbeams of a building parallel to the road could be unearthed.The section exposed so far is unfortunately too small for acertain identification of its function.A drainage channel: trench 22The resistivity survey by Patrick Erwin revealed a ditchparallel to the fort ditch, 58 m north of the inner ditch.Excavation proved that it was 1.19 m deep. Its fill containeda considerable number of mid first century artefacts. It is notdeep enough fora defensive ditch of a different period or fora ditch between a fort and an annexe. The contemporary fortof Oberstimm in Raetia in a similar environment near astream (Schoenberger 1976; 1978, 128-135) was providedwith fresh water through a channel. However, there is asecond ditch of comparable orientation in the northern haffof the fort. It is a similar distance (55 m) from the inner (inthis case northern) fort ditch and must have served the samepurpose. The central west-east road, which, in its earliestphase, seems to go back to military origins, must have ledto a gate. Water supply channels normally entered a fort ata gate. Since it is inconceivable that there were three gateson the west side, it is likely that one of the more shallowgullies, observed in the area of the road, supplied the fortwith water from the Gagle Brook and that the two deeperditches served drainage purposes. The drainage ditchesappear to continue in a straight line beneath the later townditches eastwards; this offers further support for theassumption that either a considerable part of the fort isburied beneath the later town or that there was a vexillationfortress beneath the town of Alchester, the compound in thewest being its annexe.The potential for dendrochronological dating of the fortat AlchesterIt is highly probable that the fort at Alchester contains piecesof wood which will allow us to establish the precise date ofthe construction. As mentioned above, the fort ditches reachdownto 0.77 m beneath the present water table. The lowerfill of the inner fort ditch yielded the most promisingsamples. Three pieces of oak with up to 20-30 year-rings(kind information by Dr Mark Robinson) were recovered.While normally a minimum of 50 year- rings is required,pieces with 20-30 year-rings have exceptionally been dated.The good preservation of wood and the fact that the bottomof the fort ditches must have silted up rapidly in the wetenvironment, renders it likely that future campaigns will73

Oxfordshire'Castle Mound'(bath-house)........-..........post-medievaldrainage ditch..................... ... ..................... .........Fig 13. Alchester Roman fort: the results of the resistivity survey and of the excavations with the location of the 1999trenches.74

yield wood suitable for dendro-dating deposited during theoccupation or shortly after the abandonment. The Romanwater supply channel in trench 22 contained also pieces ofwood, which were too small for dendro-dating. It seemspossible that the lower part of large timber posts of militarygates may reach below the water table. The fact that thewater table around Alchester has decreased in recentdecades as a result of modern water management, however,raises the prospect that more and more of the suitable woodwill disintegrate in the foreseeable future.The chronology of the siteAbout 50% of the early imperial copper and brass coins wereminted under the reign of Caligula (AD 37-41) and c 50%under Claudius (AD 41-54). In total six coins of Caligulacould be identified and five (plus two pieces whoseidentification is not absolutely certain) of Claudius. Thehigh percentage of coins of Caligula strongly suggests thatthe fort was founded within the AD 40s. By the time fortswere established in the AD 50s the proportion of issues ofCaligula amongst coins circulating at military sites haddecreased to a very small percentage (ratio of Caligula toClaudius issues 7:191 at Usk (Boon 1982) and OE20 atKingsholm (Reece 1985). The ratio at Alchester of c 1:1 ismore like the one at the Roman fort at Hod Hill of c 2:1(Richmond 1968, 92-103). The fort at Hod Hill wasestablished very early. The even higher proportion of coinsof Caligula need not necessarily indicate that Hod Hill hadbeen established much earlier than Alchester. It could beexplained by an earlier abandonment; Hod Hill is thought tohave been abandoned in AD 50 (Webster 1993, 151). It isalso conceivable that there might have been some regionalvariations in military coin supply. One is tempted to assumethat the fort at Alchester was established soon after Romantroops had reached the area, perhaps c AD 44. However, afoundation in the second half of the AD 40s cannot be ruledout on the basis of the material evidence, though it seemsless probable. On the basis of the coin series it is hard toimagine that the foundation post-dates the AD 40s.Not a single coin of Nero has been discovered and,interestingly, except some late third and fourth century coinsfrom the vicinity of the road to the 'Castle Mound,' not asingle coin post-dating the reign of Claudius has been found.Nero minted copper alloy coins only from AD 62 onwards(and from AD 64 at Lyons). Military sites still occupiedtowards the end of Nero's reign (AD 54-68) normally yieldsome of his coins. Their absence at Alchester suggests thatoccupation did not extend beyond the mid AD 60s at thevery latest. It is not possible to say at present whether or notthe fort was still occupied at the time of Boudicca's rebellionin AD 60.The chronology of the pottery, which is currentlybeingexamined by Nick Cooper, and the brooches andmilitary equipment are consistent with the numismaticdating of the period of occupation from the AD 40s to theAD 50s or early or mid AD 60s.OxfordshireThe garrison and the historical implications for theconquest of the MidlandsThe military structures unearthed so far do not give any cluesto the type of military unit(s) garrisoned at Alchester.However, the abundant pieces of military equipment andtheir spatial distribution allow us to draw severalconclusions about the garrison of the fort. The presence ofa spearhead and of the shaft of a probable second spearheadas well as of two javelin heads points to auxiliary rather thanto legionary troops. A further indication for the presenceauxiliary troops is the wide spatial distribution of cavahyequipment. One would be reluctant to explain the widescatter with the presence of legionaries with merely some2% horsemen and the office's' horses. While it seems thusdoubtful that the garrison consisted exclusively oflegionaries, it is also unlikely that they occupied any specificpart of the area, excavated in 1999. The fact that both piecesof scale armour and segmental armour, lorica segmentatafittings as well as cavalry equipment and three-wingedarrow heads were so evenly spread over the whole area, intrench 20 as well as in trench 22 suggests strongly that thosewho wore scale armour and those who wore loricasegmentata were not confined to separate quarters of thecompound. There is a dispute as to whether loricasegmentata was only wom by legionaries (Bishop/Coulston1993,206-209), in which case we are probably dealing witha mixed contingent of auxiliaries and legionaries, or whetherit was wom by auxiliary foot soldiers as well (Ulbert 1976,419-420) as I am inclined to believe.The frequency and the wide spatial distribution of equineequipment suggests that there was a strong cavalrycomponent. It is hard to decide whether the horsemenbelonged to an alaor a cohors equitata.The size of the compound has to be considered as well inthis context. As the location of the east side of the fortbeneath the later town is not known, there are three options:The east side was just beyond the later town walls.The north-south extent is c 246 m (between the inneredge of the inner ditches) and according to the resistivitysurvey the west-east extent is over 147 m. As theresistivity survey does not reveal any traces of roundedcorners on the east side, the fort's size must haveexc,eeded 4 ha, suggesting a minimum garrison of c 1000men.The compound had a size of up to 8 or 9 ha if weassume that the west-east extent exceeded thenorth-soulli extent in length. In this case we are dealingwith a vexillation fortress with a garrison of c 2000-3000men, both horsemen and foot soldiers.The main fort was underneath the later town of -Alchester and the compound, explored in 1999 formedan annexe. The remarkably rectangular plan of Alchesterand several other criteria, summarised in previous papers(Sauer 1998a, 72; 1999b, 289) make me believe that thetown Alchester was built over an earlier fort, whether75

Oxfordshirethis mtisted contemporaneously with the western compoundor whether it was its successor. It is rare that annexes reachthe size (and width) of the Alchester compound. 'ThereforeI had previously considered this model to be unlikely.However, some exceptionally large annexes wereconstructed during the invasion period, such as at Colchesterand Wroxeter. Consequently it is possible that thecompound explored in 1999 formed an annexe. Thepresence of a strap end of mid-fust century type from a ditchwith a rounded corner in the northeast of the town indicatesthat the this vexillation fortiess (whether or not it existed atthe same time as the western compound) also included acavalry component. However, too little is known about theprobable vexillation fortress beneath the later town to allowus draw any reliable conclusions about its garrison. It surelymust have comprised infantry as well. The frequency ofcavalry equipment is nevertheless worth noting. A pendentof horse harness and a mid 1st century strap end of horseharne,ss have also been found by Mike Whitford in the areaof the training ground and the marching camp southeast ofthe town, and a metal- detecting find of a spur at anunrecorded location somewhere south of Alchester, similarto a spur recovered in trench 20, has been brought to myattention.It is also possible, if option (1) or (2) is correct, that a fortbeneath Alchester replaced an earlier compound. In this casethe fort beneath Alchester is likely to date to the Neronianand/or Vespasianic period.If the theory that the west-east road formed the via praetoriais correct, then we have to conclude that the lmown side of246 m was the small side. As the porta praetoria was themain gate for a sortie (Johnson 1983, 41; 91-92), it wouldalso suggest that it was considered to be more likely thatenemies approached the fort from the west rather than fromthe north. However, if we are dealing with an annexe, bothinterpretations are invalid. Should the hypothesis of avexillation fortress beneath the later town of Alchester becorrect, then its porta praetoria is likely to have been in thenorth (Sauer 1999b, 289). In either case the central courseof the west-east road in the western compound is a strongargument against option (1). We are dealing either with (2)a veidllation fortress or (3) with the annexe of a vexillationfortress.While five three-winged arrow heads may not appear toconstitute a great quantity, their number is notunremarkable, if one considers that the Werner Zanier in hiscompilation (published in 1988: Zanier 1988, 18-23,especially 18-19) of three-winged arrow heads all over theRoman Empire knows of no site in Britain which has yieldedmore than 21. The five anow heads are so evenly spreadover the less than 1% of the compound, which we excavated,that many hundreds more may still await discovery. Thewide distribution also suggests that the archers were not asmall specialist force housed together, but that there werearchers all over the area. This does not need to indicate thatwe are dealing with a specialist unit of archers (although itis possible in theory that we do). Zanier (1988, 8-9) hasstressed the imbalance between the scarcity of such units inthe northwest of the empire and the frequent occurrence ofarrow heads in forts. This imbalance, specific case studiesand textual sources led him to the conclusion that archerywas by no means confined to sagittary units. Vegetius (1,15)recommends that one third or one quarter of all soldiersshould be trained in archery.We may conclude that in the open landscape of the MidlandsRome used extensively cavalry. Horsemen were ideallysuited to the task of pursuing bands of mounted warriors.We do not 'mow how long Alchester remained occupied, butthe exceptional density of finds supports a longer occupation(unless the fort was abandoned under catastrophiccircumstances; however at least no traces of a fire could bedetected). The coin evidence renders it unlikely thatoccupation lasted for much longer than twenty years at most.Under the assumption of an occupation lasting for severalyears, we must assume that Alchester remained occupiedafter the frontier had moved westwards. A force with amobile element at this central road junction would thus havebeen ideal to deal with any enemies who had penetrated thefirst line of defence.Body armour is rare in Iron Age context and we may assumethat the majority of Rome's enemies in Britain were fightingwithout such protection. The three-winged barbed arrowswere a particularly effective weapon against un-armouredwarrims. The frequency of sagittary units along the middleand lower Danube and in the East (Zanier 1988, 10 fig. 4),the areas most at risk from mounted raids from enemies,demonstrate that bow and arrow were considered to be aneffective weapon against horsemen in open country, evenagainst heavily armoured enemies.Archers, especially mounted archers, posed a deadly riskand were a powerful deterrent against any raids by smallgroups in the hinterland. They also could have been used tocontrol movements of individuals and to interceptcommunication between rebellious elements in areas undermilitary control and enemies beyond the frontier. It isinteresting to note that cavalry continued to play animportant role in the Midlands after the Boudiccan rebellion,as is suggested by cavalry equipment and the gyrusin theLunt fort.Of course there was also infantry at Alchester; we aredealing with a mixed garrison, typical for a vexillationfortress of the period of the invasion of Britain.(RIC = The Roman Imperial Coinage.)ReferencesBishop M C/CoulstonJ C N; 1993 Roman military equipment fromthe Punk Wars to the faU of Rome, London.Boon G C 1982; The Coins, in id./Hassall M with Wright R P;Report on the Excavations at Usk 1965-1976. The Coins,Inscriptions and Graffiti, Cardiff, 1-42.Erwin P1999 Wendlebury, the Resistivity Survey at Alchester (SP570 203). SMA 29,63-65.76

Hurst H R 1985; Kingsholm. Excavations at Kingsholm aose andother sites with a discussion of the archaeology of the area.Gloucester Archaeological Reports 1, Gloucester.Johnson A 1983; Roman Fons of the 1st and 2nd centuries AD inBritain and the German Provinces, London.Ronce R 1985; Coins, in Hurst 1985, 22-23.Richmond Sir 11968; Hod Hill II.Excavations carried out between1951 and 1958 for the Trustees of the British Museum, London.Sauer E 1998a; Merton/Wendlebury, The Roman military base atAlchester. SMA 28, 1998,70-73.Sauer E 1998b; Middleton Stoney/Upper Heyford, Ayes Ditch, anIron Age linear earthwork (SP 51852465). SMA 28,73-75.Sauer E 1999a; Merton/ Wendlebury, The Roman army atAlchester. SMA 29,61-63.Sauer E 1999b; with Crutchley, S. and Erwin, P., The MilitaryOrigins of the Roman Town of Alchester, Oxfordshire. Britannia30,289-297; pl. X3UV.Schoenberger H 1976; Die Wasserversorgung des KastellsOberstimm. Germania 54.2,403-408.Schoenberger H 1978; Kastell Oberstimm. Die Grabungen von1968 bis 1971. Limesforschungen 18, Berlin.Ulbert G 1976; Bewaffnung der Roemer in der aelteren undmittleren Kaiserzeit. Reallexikon der GermanischenAkertuntskunde, 2nd cd., vol. 2, 416-421.Webster G 1993; The Roman Invasion of Britain, 2nd cd., London.Zanier W 1988; Roemisdn dreifluegelige Pfeilspilzen. SaalburgJahrbuch 44,5-27.AcknowledgementsThe 1999 campaign was made possible thanks to thegenerosity of the Roman Research Trust and the Society forthe Promotion of Roman Studies (Hugh Last and DonaldAtkinson Funds). I am indebted to Mr and Mrs Miller fortheir ldnd permission to excavate on their land and for theirinterest and support. Mr and Mrs Deeley have equally beenvery helpful. I would like to thank Major Richard Wilkinsand the Ministry of Defence for their kind support of ourexcavations on Graven Hill. Chris Green has made anabsolutely outstanding contribution to the excavations, postexcavation(washing thousands of finds and systematicallyanalysing the contexts). Patrick Erwin's geophysical surveywas an extremely important part of the project, and hisexpertise and commitment were essential to its success.Amongst the 90 other participants I have to mention firstTim Bryars, Dr Andrew Hann and Becky Peacock as wellas Jenni Barrett, Steve Boscott, Richard Coe, JenniferEmmett, Simon Ennever, Isobel Hales, Richard Hewitt,Robin Newson, Jaclde Potts, Paul Sorowka and DebbieWilliams. I am very grateful to Professor Barry Cunliffe andProfessor Sheppard Frere who have been supporting ourwork ever since 1996. I would like to thank Paul Booth,Esther Cameron, Julie Clements, Nick Cooper, SimonCrutchley, Dr Martin Henig, Dr Annie Grant, ArthurMacGregor, Dr Alison McDonald, DeborahMiles-Williams (computer versions of the maps), DrGraham Morgan, Vanda Morton, Rob Perrin, AlisonRoberts, Dr Mark Robinson, Mr and Mis Taylor and MikeWhitford for their support of the 1999 campaign.OxfordshireWendlebury, The geophysical survey at Alchester(SP 570 203)Patrick Erwin and Eberhard SauerOver 4 ha in total were surveyed in 1998 and 1999 usingboth resistivity and magnetic gradiometry techniques. In1999 a magnetic gradiometry survey of the site wasattempted, but the results obtained were rather poor. In 1999better conditions allowed relatively unrestricted surveying.The resistivity survey was carried out using an auto loggingGeoscan RM15 Resistivity Meter at a sampling interval of1 m by 1 m (ie 900 measurements per 30 m grid). A singleset of probes with a symmetrical 0.5 m spacing was used;this configuration was used in preference to multiple probesas more area can be covered in a given time. Zigzag traverseswere used to maximise speed of survey.The magnetic gradiometry survey was carried out using anauto logging Geoscan FM18 Magnetic gradiometer at asampling interval of 1 m by 1 m (ie 900 measurements per30 m grid). As the magnetic gradients on this site areextremely small, several precautions were taken to minimisemagnetic noise.As a result of the 1999 campaign it now clear that the fortwas defended by two ditches not only in the south, but alsoin the west and almost certainly in the north. A parallel highresistance feature inside the inner ditch has to be identifiedas the remains of the rampart; whether the lowest layers ofthe rampart survive structurally intact or whether we aredealing merely with a higher stone content in disturbeddeposits can only be tested with the spade. In either case itseems that the core of the rampart consisted of gravelextracted from the ditches prestunably with a turf or timberrevetment. The northern ditch of the fort, probably the innerof two ditches, is now also dearly visible. A smaller ditch,parallel and c 9 m south is likely to have run along the viasagularis; whether this road has to be sought north or southof this ditch depends on the width of the rampart; the widthof ramparts varied between 3 and 9 m (Jones 1975, 18;69-71). The resistivity survey suggests that we are dealingwith a very nanew rampart of 3-4 m width, similar to thecontemporary fort on Hod Hill.A linear low resistance feature between the 'Castle Mound'and the northern fort defences is probably a drainage ditch.Presumably it has the same or a similar function as the ditchin the southem half of the fort, explored in 1999 (trench 22).The new discoveries of the 1999 survey include aLso a largerectangular stone building (c 16m x 36 m) c 20 m south ofthe road leading past the 'Castle Mound.' It belongsundoubtedly to the Roman civilian period. Its groundplan,obscured by two post- medieval drainage ditches, suggeststhat it is a temple within a small sacred precinct. It is notclear whether it is a long temple of classical type or apodia's in front of a smaller shrine of Romano-Celtic orclassical type (see Lewis 1966, 184 figs. 68-69; Brewer1993, 45). The survey is also beginning to reveal thearchitecture of the 'Castle Mound:' the actual bath- houseappears to fill the northern part of a large enclosure of c 60m

Oxfordshire2se11.1116."1""T".111161"1"g_72AIMa IN a,-dtu.tevA.Fig 14. Alchester Roman fort: resistivity survey 1998-1999 by Patrick Erwin..75t

x 45 m. The lower resistance in the southwest may indicatethat the palaestra, a courtyard for physical exercises, waslocated here. The East Baths at Cimiez in the Maritime Alpsmay have a similar groundplan (Yeguel 1992,73 fig. 79).A ditch with north-south alignment is running in a straightline through the surveyed area. It is a distinctive lowresistane,e feattue. Another ditch with west-east alignmentis cutting through the temple. It is characterised by highresistance; it may have been filled with stones or gmvel. 15m north and parallel to it another linear feature is visible alsorunning through the temple. Sections of this ditch have beenexcavated in 1999 (trench 20); the material recovered fromthe fill point to a post-medieval date of this ditch. Thematerial should allow usto date the feature more closely; wethink it is over 100 years old. Both parallel ditches intersectwith the above-mentioned north- south ditch at a right angleat two points southeastof the 'Castle Mound.' A thirdparallel linear feature is visible north of the `C.astle Mound.'Thus almost certainlythe entire drainage ditch system ispost-medieval.ReferencesBrewer R J 1993; Caerwent Roman tows, Cardiff.JonesM J 1975; Roman Fort-Defences to AD. 117 with specialreference to Britain. BAR 21, Oxford.Lewis Mi T 1966; Temples in Roman Britain, Cambridge.Yeguel F 1992; Baths and Bathing in Classical Antiquity, NewYork.AcicnowledgementsWe would particularly like to thank Adrian Allsop, TimBryars, Helen Hatcher, Mr and Mrs Miller and Chris Taylor.Resistivity survey at Alchester 1998-1999 by Patrick Erwin.THAMES VALLEY ARCHAEOLOGICALSERVICESAbingdon, 75 Ock Street (SU 4934 9704)Graham HullExcavation of thme trenches followed previous evaluationwhich revealed the presence of well preserved Medievaldeposits on this street frontage plot. The earliest findscomprised a few residual struck flints of Mesolithic and laterprehistoric date and a ditch of Roman date. The main activityon the site commenced in the 11-12th century. The streetfrontage was occupied by two buildings and the rear areasused for pit digging, etc. Activity continued into the 13thand 14th century and an archaeomagnetic date on a hearthwithin one of the buildings of AD 1210-1270 (95%confidence level) points to its continued use/reuse.Subsequent activity in the 15th-16th centuries was sporadic.In the 13th-14th centuries, the rear of the plot was occupiedby several very large pits and it is considered that this maybe the site of a tannery. No scientific studies were able toconfirm titis theory but the interim report on the faunalOxfordshireremains has hig,hlighted that the assemblage is not typicallyof domestic origin and pmbably includes the remains ofindustrial activity. The excavation has shown thatoccupation of this part of the Ock Street frontage ofAbingdon took place earlier than that suggested by Munbyet al (1975, map 2).ReferenceMunby J, Rodwell K and Turner H 1975; 'Abingdon', in KRodwell (cd), Historic Towns in Oxfordshire, OxfordshireArchaeological Unit Survey 3, Oxford, 33-40Aylesbury-Cbalgrove gas pipeline (Oxfordshire section,se,e also entry under Buckinghamshire)(SP 6605 0560-SU 6500 9645)ICate TaylorFollowing various phases of preliminary desktop,non-invasive and invasive work carried out by NetworkArchaeology, this 93 km section of the pipeline revealedfour sites in addition to isolated features and finds fromelsewhere along the easement. The four sites were strippedof topsoil and subsoil under archaeological supervision anda plan made of the deposits. Excavation was largelyconfined to deposits on or close to the centre line of the pipetrench.Site 30 (SP 6645 0465)This revealed two late Iron Age/Roman gullies and a fewMesolithic flints, but the main features and finds from thesite were of mid-Saxon date (provisionally 6th century AD).The latter comprised two sunken floored buildings, fourditches and a few pits and postholes.Site 32 (SP6635 0050)The main phase of activity on this site is of Bronze Age/IronAge date and comprises pits/scoops, a midden(?) andcurvilinear gullies. Five later Roman ditches were alsofound.Site 34 (5U6545 9770)Two main phases of activity were represented. The earlierphase comprised linear and curvilinear ditches, gullies, pitsand scoops of Middle Iron Age date. Following a long periodof abandonment, the site was reused in late Roman timeswhen additional pits and ditches were dug.Site 35 (SP6650 0125)This site mostly comprised pits and scoops, with a gully anda few postholes of later Bronze Age date.Benson, St. Helen's Avenue (SU 6159 9155)Joanna PineEvaluation in two stages comprising 13 trenches revealeddeposits of Prehistoric and Saxon date. Subsequentexcavation revealed pits and postholes of early Neolithicdate, pits and postholes and a possible roundhouse of later79

OxfordshireBronze Age date, a Roman ditch and three sunken flooredbuildings and a small enclosure of early/middle Saxon date.Bicester, Proctor's Yard (SP5837 2227)Graham HullThree evaluation trenches revealed pits, postholes andgullies of late Saxon and Medieval date (9th/10th centurythrough to the 13th-15th century). A subsequent excavation,rec,ently completed, revealed additional deposits of a similarperiod.Cassington, The Chequers, Church Lane (SP 4539 1066)Steve FordFive evaluation trenches located pits postholes, scoops anda possible quarry pit of Medieval date (12th-15th century).Sonning Common, Ashford Avenue (SU 7025 8001)Joanna PineEight evaluation trenches located in an area close to thefinding of a Roman coin hoard revealed no archaeologicaldeposits and only a few prehistoric struck flints. A metaldetector survey of part of the site did not recover anymaterial pre-dating late post-Medieval times.Bloxham, Land to the rear of St Mary's Church(SP 4319 3566)Graham HullSeven evaluation trenches were dug, one of which waslocated across a slight linear depression thought to betrackway. The presence of a trackway was not convincinglydemonstrated in the evaluation and no other finds or depositsof archaeological significance were revealed.Didcot, Haglbourne Hill Farm (SU 49700 8705)Joanna PineFive evaluation trenches were dug in advance of a new farmbuilding. Nine subsoil features comprising pits, postholesand a gully were revealed of early Iron Age date.Radley, Gooseacre/Badgers Copse (SU 5223 9868)Graham HullEight evaluation trenches were dug. A single undatedpit/posthole containing burnt flint was the only find on thesite.Drayton, Manor Farm (SP 4772 9420)Graham HullTen evaluation trenches revealed linear features andpostholes of mid-Saxon (6th-8th century) and Medieval date(12th-14th century).Standlake, The Orchard, Brighthampton(SP 3845 0355)Graham HullSix evaluation trenches were dug which revealed Medievaldeposits of 1 lth-14th century date. One or more buildings1.vith limestone foundations was present close to the streetfrontage with pits and gullies to the rear.Wendiebury, Land adjacent to St. Giles Church, ChurchLane (SP 5588 1966)Joanna PineEvaluation comprising six trenches revealed a probable IronAge pit, and Medieval features of 1 lth-13th century dateconsisting of walls/foundations, metalled surfaces and pitsand postholes.Benson, Wallington Road (SU6205 9230)John SaundersTen evaluation trenches were dug. No finds or deposits ofarchaeological significance were revealed.Benson, Little Chef, Oxford Road (SU61159195)Graham HullFive evaluation trenches were dug. No finds or deposits ofarchaeological significance were revealed.Burford, Land adjacent to The Vicarage, Church Lane(SP 2529 1227)ICate TaylorA watching brief located pits of late post-Medieval date andan undated limestone wall. Two sherds, one Saxon, oneMedieval, were recovered as residual finds.Childrey, Church Row (SU3616 8770)Alan FordA watching brief was carried out during the grotmdworksfor two new houses. No finds or deposits of archaeologicalsignificance were revealed.80

Oxford, Fry's Hill Gas Trench, Guelder Road,Blackbird Leys (SP5504 0225)Steve FordA 55 m long trench was dug to prevent the build up ofmethane. The trench lay in an area of intense Roman activityvrith settlement and industrial activity including potterymanufacture to the south detailed from excavation results,and further activity including probable pottery kilns to thenorth known from evaluation results. Deposits in the trenchcomprised pits, postholes, gullies, a quarry pit and a midden.Despite prolific quantities of pottery, no kiln structures wererevealed. Activity commenced in the 2nd century AD andcontinued into the 3rd and 4th century.Oxford, Hollybush Lodge, Hollybush Row (SP 50650617)Joanna PineThree evaluation trenches were dug in advance of proposedredevelopment of the site. The site lies on the western edgeof the Medieval suburb of St Thomas's. An illustration of1821 shows a substantial timber-framed house of Wealdentype on the site probably dating to 1495. Cartographicsources indicate other buildings on the site in the 16th and17th century. A complex of deposits were revealedcommencing in the 13th-14th century comprising thelimestone walls/foundations of buildings and rubbish pits.Oxford, 5-7 Market Street (SP 5135 0628)Graham HullAn extension to Boots on Cornmarket Street required theredevelopment of properties on Market Street. Partialexcavation of the site took place and revealed various pits,walls, floors and cellars of 17th-18th century date. In orderto join the extension to the existing store, a large breach hadto be made through a limestone block wall. The wall wasnot well dated but may be part of Roebuck Hall (an academicinstitution of Oxford University) and may be of laterMedieval date. The wall was recorded prior to the breachand a watching brief was maintain during the breach.Oxford, Lion Brewery, St. Thomas's Street(SP 5084 0610)Graham HullFive evaluation trenches were dug on two plots either sideof St Thomas 's Street. Deeply stratified deposits ofMedieval date (11th century onwards) were revealed on thestreet frontages along with a limestone revetment for awatercourse. A trench located towards the rear (south) of thesite located a single ditch bacicfilled in early post-Medievaltimes that may represent an eastward extension of OseneyLane.OxfordshireOxford, Former Unipart Radiator Works, FrenchayRoad (SP 5020 0840)Steve Ford and Graham Hull33 evaluation trenches were dug in two phases on this formerfactory site located on the west side of the Oxford canal. Allof the trenches revealed deep alluvium overlying gravel. Noarchaeological finds or deposits were found. In a few areaswhere deeper undulations in the gravel were observed,environmental samples from an organic mud indicated teedswamp conditions. Subsequently, during groundworksadjacent to the drawbridge across the canal, a single ditchwas exposed and recorded. No datable finds were recoveredbut the ditch cut the alluvium and is likely to be of relativelylate date (post-Medieval).Oxford, Turf Street and Oriel Square(SP 5144 0622 and SP 5158 0611)Alan Ford and John SaundersWatching briefs were carried out during the erection ofstreet furniture and traffic barriets. No finds or deposits ofarchaeological significance were revealed.Sutton Courtenay, Lady Place (SU 5015 9345)Kate TaylorA watching brief, following earlier evaluation, located agully and pits. Only one pit was dated to the late Saxon/EarlyMedieval period. Unstratified pottery of Saxon andMedieval date was also recovered.Wallingford, Land to the rear of Market Place(SU 60690 89408)Graham HullA watching brief was carried out during the digging of twosoakaways, ground reduction for a car park and therebuilding of a wall. Two, possibly three, pits were observedin one soakaway pit and were probably the source of threesherds of Medieval and early post-Medieval pottery(11th-13th century and 15th-lth century) found in theexcavated spoil.Wallingford, Land to the rear of 4 St. Martin's Street(SU6070 8943)Graham HullA watching brief was carried out during the digging of adrain run. A buried soil or pit fill produced a single sherd ofMedieval pottery.81

OxfordshireWallingford, The Masonic Centre, Goldsmiths Lane(SU6054 8944)Graham HullA watching brief was carried out during the digging of anunderpinning trench. The trench was not dug to the naturalgravel and the stmta revealed were made ground/garden soilcontaining 18th Cor later pottery.UNIVERSITY OF OXFORDThe Hillforts of the Ridgeway Project: excavations atAlfred's Castle 1999.Gary Lock and Chris Gosden.IntroductionAlfred's Castle is a small earthwork enclosure ofapproximately hexagonal shape with an interior area of 1.2ha (c 2.75 acres). It has been a Scheduled AncientMonument since 1958 (English Heritage SM 28163,originally Berkshire No. 89, now Oxfordshire SAM 203)owned by the National Trust and located on their AshdownEstate at Ashbury, Oxfordshire (SU 2773 8223).Excavations took place for four weeks in July 1999 (underSMC HSD9/2/3951 and 3951 pt2) and were the sixth seasonof fieldwork within the Hillforts of the Ridgeway Project.This follows two seasons at White Horse Hill (Lock andGosden, 1997a; Cromarty et al, in press), two at SegsburyCamp (Lock and Gosden, 1997b; 1998) and the first seasonat Alfred's Castle in 1998 which includes a detailedbackground to the site (Gosden and Locic, 1999)1.As previously, the fieldwork is organised as a compulsorytraining excavation for students on the Oxford UniversityBA in Archaeology and Anthropology and part-timestudents on Continuing Education UndergraduateCertificate and Diploma courses. Education remains animportant aspect of the project, not just involving thestudents working on-site but also informing a wideraudience. Many site tours are given during the period in thefield and numerous talks to local groups throughout the year.The excavationsFig 15 shows the trenches for both the 1998 and 1999seasons which are described in more detail below althoughit must be noted that analysis of the records and material isstill at a very early stage and the final season of fieldworkwill take place in summer 2000. Within Alfred's CastleTrench 2 was located a Romano-British building, theexcavation of which was started in 1998 and completed in1999. Trench 5 was started in 1999 and is to be completedin 2000. Trenches 1 and 4 are positioned to investigate thesouth-western and north-eastem entrances respectively, theformer being finished in 1999 and the latter to continue intothe third season. Trenches 3,6 and 8 were all positioned toinvestigate the ploughed-out large enclosure which partlyshows as a crop mark in the field to the north of the smallenclosure (Cotton, 1960). Trenches 3a and 3b werecompleted in 1998 and failed to locate the large enclosureditch. Trenches 6 and 8 were both completed in 1999 andsucceeded in identifying the ditched enclosure. Further tothe north, and not shown on Fig 15, Trench 7 investigated apossible linear ditch landscape feature which was evidentfrom aerial photographic interpretation.Trench 2One of the major aims of the excavation as a whole was togain some insight into the nature of the interior occupationat Alfred's Castle. Trench 2 was placed near the centre ofthe site, measuring 10m by 10m and sited across one of themost prominent mounds in this part of the site to discoverits nature. As soon as the top soil was stripped a majorbuilding was revealed, which soon proved to be Roman indate, but it also had underlying prehistoric layers, dating tothe late Bronze or Early Iron Ages. The bulk of the 1998season was spent excavating the Roman layers, although wehad just started tackling some of the earlier features by theend (Gosden and Lock 1999). The 1999 season was spentalmost exclusively on investigating the nature of theprehistoric features and it is these we report on here. The oneRomano-British feature that remained was in room 4 andwas the basal layers of a long trench-like feature, withRomano-British finds including roof tile, mortarium andsome fine pottery. The purpose of this feature remains amystery.The prehistoric features were dug into the chalk and wereeither found beneath prehistoric layers to the north-west ofthe building or beneath Romano-British walls and layers inthe rest of the site. The lack of prehistoric layers beneath theRomano- British building shows that these had beenstripped off prior to its construction, with someRomano-British layers put down to provide a level surfaceon which the building was placed. The excavation strategywe employed left the Romano-British walls in place, so asto preserve the ground plan of the building intact. 'Therewere some fifteen pits or large postholes dating to the earlyIron Age and these were found in a band across the site fromthe north-west corner through the centre of the site (Fig 16).Three prehistoric pits were excavated in the western areaoutside the building during 1998 and are mentioned forcompleteness here. One of these was found in the cornerbetween wall 2003 and the baulk and contained the skeletonof a sheep. Two others were deeper and cut well into thebedrock to a depth of roughly a metre. These were slightlybee-hived in shape, being wider at the base than the top,rather different in form to the straight-sided Iron Age pitsfound at Segsbury (Lock and Gosden 1997, 1998). Thelower layers of these pits contained carbonised material,large amounts of well-preserved pottery and metal findsincluding what may be a swan's neck pin, thus providing thepossibility of fine dating and making links between thepottery types and the metal finds. Another twelve pits orpostholes were excavated in 1999, together with acurvilinear feature (2206), which is either a section of aroundhouse gully, otherwise destroyed, or a drain connectedwith the Romano-British building. This is the only possible82

OxfordshireAlfred's CastleN25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200 Meters .Fig 15. Alfred's Castle and the cropmark showing the extent of the large enclosure to the north. The 1998/99 trenches areindicated, except for Trench 7 which is located further north on a linear landscape feature.83

Chalk Sarseo Mortar.Fig 16. Detailed plan of Trench 2 showing the Romano-British building overlying Iron Age pits.23Ea2i4 5 Metresunexcavate.areabuilding structure of Iron Age date in Trench 2.Unfortunately, a lack of finds from this feature makes itimpossible to date. In all, the pits and postholes are part ofan overall habitation in the interior of the site and it is likelythat house structures did originally exist in closely adjacentareas (see Trench 5 below).Not all the excavated features can be reported on here, givenlimitations of space and the preliminary stage of analysis,but it shotdd be emphasised that the pit assemblages areexceptionally rich in artefacts and other finds. Workingacross the site from the north-west to the centre, pit 2178contained one ofthe richest assemblages. This was abee-hive shaped pit, roughly 0.84 m deep, oval in plan andcontaining three main fills, which had a high ash content andwhich, on preliminary inspection, appear to have largeamounts of carbonised seeds. There was a large number offinds made in the pit, including bronze objects, spindlewhorls and loom weights of clay, bone tools and aconsiderable amount of bone, some of which was bumt, aportion of which was human. In association with the burnthuman bone were two whole pots (plus a large number ofsherds) and this appears to be a placed deposit of some kindin association with a partial human burial. Pit 2178 is one ofthree pits in this part of the site with rich assemblages fromashy deposits in bee-hive shaped pits; the other two pits(2104, 2123) were excavated in 1998. Pit 2230 was cut bypit 2178 and thus pre-dates it: this pit contained very fewfinds, was straight-sided and of generally unknown purpose.There were a number of smaller features to the west of wall2003, but these were of unimown type and it is not certainthat all of them were made by people.Beneath the Romano-British layers of room 2 were twosmall pits (2118, 2261) which contained relatively smallnumbers of finds of pottery and bone. Context 2141 was ashallow gully with no finds and it is not certain whether thiswas artificial or natural. Pit 2133 was a deep pit (c 1.35 m)with vertical sides and oval in plan, which did not containlarge numbers of finds. This pit was directly beneath wall2008 and had a packing of sarsens in the top, with a levellinglayer put over the top before the construction of the wall.84

AC 99Trench 2Section 2.42OxfordshireSarsens0 1 MetreFig 17. Section of pit 2143 (location shown in Fig 16).The sarsens show that the Romano-British builders weieconscious of the earlier pit and had taken steps to preventsubsidence, which was not entirely successful as there hadbeen some slumping of the wall into the pit. Also beneaththe wall, but to the east, were two large post holes or shallowpits with few finds (2265, 2272). Adjacent to these was pit2275, which again ran under wall 2008 and little of this pitwas excavated (the top 0.6 m) as deeper excavation wasimpossible without removing the wall. To the south-east ofthis pit 2177 was bee-hived in shape and contained a bronzeobject, worked bone, loom weights, pottery and animal bonewithin deposits characterised by large amounts of ash andcontaining much carbonised grain. There were three nichesin the sides of the pit, which appeared to be artificial, butwhich contained no obvious finds. Adjacent to this was pit2143, which contained one of the most complex sets of fills(Fig 17), including large sarsens in the top. This pit alsoproduced large numbers of artefacts in ashy deposits, plusalso loom weights and worked bone.Pit 2252 sat directly beneath the remains of wall 2009, onlythe lowest course of which remained and this was removedto enable the excavation of the underlying pit. It was circularin plan and bee-hive shaped in cross-section and containedone of the most intriguing of all the pit fills. It was filledfrom top to bottom with large sarsens, plus a weatheredchalk deposit. The sides of the pit were unweathered and itlooks as though the sarsens were placed in thereimmediately after the pit went out of use, rather than in theRomano-British period, to prevent the overlying wallsubsiding. Many of the sarsens were burnt, although notwithin the pit, which showed no sip of burning and theymay represent some form of placed deposit. The pitcontained few artefacts. Context 2189 represents at leastthree inter-cutting pits, the history of which is difficult toreconstruct as their upper levels were removed throug,hconstruction of wall 2009. The largest pit appears to havebeen clay lined and did not contain many finds and the fillof this pit had been cut by two others, which had then hadlarge sinew placed on top, possibly to help stabilise thewall. The largest of these had an intact animal skull directlyunder, as a placed deposit.Trench 1Excavations in 1998 established the character of the mainenclosure ditch and that the so-called 'entrance outwork'associated with the south-eastem entrance is a naturalfeature (Gosden and Lock, 1999:45). In 1999 excavation ofthe rampart was complete.d and extended into the entrancearea by Trench lA (Fig 18). The rampart consisted of severalrows of sarsen stones towards the front face with compactedchalk rubble between them and to the rear (1002 on Fig 19).The thick deposit of clay-with-flints containing patches ofchalk rubble and small sarsen stones, 1107, was resolved asbeing natural rather than an artificial levelling pre-dating therampart. The rampart was built directly onto this depositsuggesting that the turf was removed beforehand.Several pieces of evidence point to the south-eastementrance not being an original prehistoric entrance but abreak through the rampart established duringRomano-British times and probably associated with thestone building in the centre of the enclosure. The buildingdoes, in fact, seem to be oriented south- east so that this85

OxfordshireAC 99Trench 1Plan 103& 110414,11341215,113wliirWrzrTrench 11042114,110G(e-42'1"10Trench lA_F121.105Sarsens Chalk 0 1 2 MetresFig 18. Detailed plan of Trench lA showing the rampart broken through by the Romano-British entrance in thesouth-east of the site.entrance would form the main access to it Romano-Britishpottery, hobnails and other artefacts were found in the upperfills of the main ditch in 1998 together with substantialamounts of sarsen stones which appeared to have beenpushed into the ditch from the collapsing rampart. FurtherRomano-British artefacts were found in the fill of featureswithin the southern end of Trench lA formed after theremoval of the rampart material. Turf and topsoil removedfrom the small test pit (Trench 1B in Fig 20) indicated thatthe main enclosure ditch was continuous around thesouth-eastern corner of the enclosure. It also revealed aroughly laid surface of sarsen stones suggesting that whenthe ditch was filled its surface was consolidated to act as anentrance to the building. Similar Romano-British breaksthrough the prehistoric rampart at Uffmgton Castle havebeen suggested (Cromarty, et al in press), and remain apossibility at Segsbury Camp (Lock and Gosden, 1998).Towards the southern end of Trench 1 in 1998 a flatbottomed ditch was encountered, thought at the timepossibly to be a pre-enclosure linear ditch. Trenches 1Cthrough 1G were cut this year to detennine its course andrelationship to the enclosure ditch, Fig 20. The removal ofturf and topsoil from Trench 1D established that theenclosure ditch cut the linear without further excavationbeing necessary. It also showed that the last 2 mor so of thelinear ditch had been 'plugged' with compacted cleanfreshly dug chalk rubble after some initial silting. Thisappears to have been an intentional act to create a continuouschalk face to the outer edge of the main ditch and hide itsjunction with the earlier ditch.Trench lE revealed a section and plan of the linear.ditchalmost identical to the 1998 excavation althoughTrench 1F, 5 mto the east, suggests some kind of terminus.This is further complicated by Trench 1G containing noevidence of the ditch at all. This will be explored further in86

Oxfordshirethe 2000 season, specifically the possibility of there being acauseway between Trenches lE and 1F, and the direction ofthe ditch to the east of the latter trench.Trench 4This trench measured 20 m by 23 metres and was locatedto investigate the character of the north-western breakthrough the riunpart. Excavation of this trench was notcompleted and will continue in 2000 so only a briefdiscussion of its main features will follow here.It was established that the main enclosure ditch did notcontinue across the break in the rampart suggesting that thiswas an original prehistoric entrance, an interpretationsupported by the rampart terminating in a rounded end. Onecurious feature is that the rampart was quite different instructure to that excavated in Trench 1. Here the sarsenrampart, with a clearly defined front and rear face, was onthe inside with a compacted chalk bank as a later additionon its outer side. Equi-spaced postholes ran along the rearface of the rampart. At the front of the rampart, towards theterminal end and the entrance, a laid cobble surface had aquantity of animal bone and a human jaw bone lying on it.Ramparts and their construction and proving to be an areaof great interest for the project as a whole. The relativelysimple structure found here which incorporates a largenumber of sarsen stones stands in sharp contrast to thebox/dump sequence at Uffington and the complexmulti-phase structure at Segsbury. When other excavatedexamples in the immediate area, Rams Hill and Liddington,are included we have one of the most detailed collectionswithin any small area. The emerging picture is one ofdifference rather than any regional style or sequence.Trench 5This trench measured 30 m by 5 m and was located toinvestigate the character and preservation of the deposits inan area where the surface topography suggested that theRomano- British building didn't extend into. Excavation ofthis trench was not completed and will continue in 2000 soonly a brief discussion of its main features will follow here.Across the whole trench was a spread of Iron Age pitssimilar in morphology and fill to those in Trench 2 describedabove. Again, a considerable number of clay loom weightsand a good collection of early Iron Age pottery together withother artefacts were found within the pits. Three otherfeatures of interest are worth mentioning.At the northern end of the trench an ill-defined area ofcollapsed sarsen walling suggested one or two rectangularrooms perhaps comprising a building. A considerableamount of animal bone was found within them together witha clay crucible containing copper-alloy material. The area --was disturbed and not possible to date although both IronAge and Romano-British pottery was found there. Thesecould be some form of out-buildings at the rear of theRomano-British building to the east.Fig 19. Section thmugh the rampart in Trench 1.87

OxfordshireAC 99Trench 1

AC 99Trench 8Section 8.1Oxfordshireo2 MetresFig 21. Section through the ditch on the western side of the large enclosure showing re-cut 8008.Hill. The focus shifted to the north with the building of thelarge enclosure, possibly in the late Iron Age. The purposeof this enclosure is as yet unknown although it is hoped tocarry out exploratory excavation within its interior in 2000.In the late 1st or early 2nd century AD the substantial stonebuilding was erected within the small enclosure facing anewly created entrance throug,h the earlier ramparts to thesouth-east. This building was destroyed in the late 3rdcentury and there is no evidence for further occupation oractivity at the site.The early Iron Age features and finds indicate that this wasa site of considerable richness in terms of artefacts, many ofwhich entered the pits as placed deposits. We anticipate thatthe analysis of the pit fills will provide a number ofimportant pieces of information. Firstly, the large numberof burnt deposits seem likely to produce large assemblagesof carbonised grain and other plant materials, which willgive us considerable insights into the local environment andarable economy of the area. This will be complemented bythe substantial bone assemblages. The large number ofartefacts, including well-preserved pottery assemblages,including whole pots, plus worked bone and metal willprovide us with unusual insights into the important, but littleknown, period of the late Bronze and early Iron Ages. Onepeculiarity of this site (found in both trenches 2 and 5) is thelarge number of clay spindle whorls and loom weights. Thenumber of these, plus the absence of any prehistoric fieldsystems in the immediate vicinity of Alfred's Castle and theexistence of linears following the contours of the landAC 99Trench 6BSection 6.10around the site leads us to wonder whether there might nothave been some concentration on sheep herding andwool-processing on the site. This could indicate quitespecialised uses of different sites and landscapes across theBerkshire Downs. Such speculations will be investigatedfurther in our final field season, when we will attempt toexcavate some of these linears features and establish theirdate.The proximity of the site to the late Bronze Age occupationat Weathercock Hill (Bowden, et al 1993) and the rich lateBronze Age hoard, pits and bouse structures on Tower Hill(Cromarty et al in press) mean that the site might be part ofa cluster of occupation and activity of this date, as well asoverlapping in time with Liddington (Hirst and Rahtz 1996)to the west and Uffmgton to the east. We do not know exactchronological relationships of all these sites at present andthis must await further analysis. We have two initialimpressions, which again need investigating further, firstlythat there could be a degree of chronological overlapbetween these sites and secondly that the range and richnessof the finds from Alfred's Castle distinguishes it from therest. This is especially true of Weathercock Hill and TowerHill, where, with the obvious exception of the bronze hoard,there were few finds of any kind. In summary, all theindications are that Alfred's Castle was a site of considerableimportance in both the early Iron Age and Romano-Britishperiods and also to us as contemporary archaeologists tryingto elucidate the history of the Berkshire Downs.o 1 MetreFig 22. Section through the ditch on the eastern side of the large enclosure showing re-cut 6310.89

Publications and RiviewsAcknowledgementsWe are extremely grateful to the National Trust andespecially Keith Blaxhall for all of the help and supportgiven before, during and after the four weeks of digging. Theexcavation would not have been possible without thesupervisory skills of Sheila Raven, Richard Bailey, PatrickDaly, Tyler Bell, Les Higgins and Tom Evans on site, as wellas the many students and volunteers who worked with suchenthusiasm and good will. Special thanks are due to DebbieDay for glorious food on a small budget, to Tyler Bell forlooldng after the computing and to Michael McKeon for thehot showers. The 1999 excavations were funded by theUniversity of Oxford, the Roman Research Trust and theBritish Academy.ReferencesBowden M, Ford S and Gaffney V 1993; The excavation of a LateBronze Age artefact scatter on Weathercock Hill. BerkshireArchaeologicalJournal, 74, 1991, pp.69-83.Bradley R 1974; A chalk-cut shaft at Belle Tout, SasserArchaeologicalCollections, 112, 156.Cotton M A 1960; Alfred's Castle, Berkshire ArchaeologicalJournal, 58, pp.44-48Cromarty A, Gosden C, Lock L, Miles D and Palmer S, in press.Uffington White Horse Hill and its Landscape: investigations atWhite Horse Hill, Uffington, 1989-95 and Tower Hill, Ashbury,1993-4, Oxfordshire. 77:antes Valley Landscapes Monograph.Oxford University Committee for Archaeology.Gosden C and Lock G; 1999 Hillforts of the Ridgeway Project:excavations at Alfred's Castle 1998. SMA 29 pp.44-53.Hirst S and RAM P; 1996 Liddington Casde and the batde ofBadon: excavations and research 1976. Archaeological Journal153: 1-59.Lock G and Gosden C; 1997a The Hillforts of the RidgewayProject: excavations on White Horse Hill 1995, SMA 27, pp.64-9.Lock G and Gosden C; 1997b The Hillforts of the RidgewayProject: excavations at Segsbury Camp 1996, SMA 27, pp.69-77.Lock G and Gosden C; 1998 The Hi Ilforts of the Ridgeway Project:excavations at Segsbury Camp 1997, SMA 28, pp.53-63.1 These interim reports are also available on the Internet athttp://units.ox.ac.uk/departments/archaeology/projects/ridgeway/index.htmPUBLICATIONSBEDFORDSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL COUNCILBedfordshire Archaeology Volume 23- see reviewBUCKINGHAMSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICALSOCIETYRecords of Buckinghamshire Volume 38, 1996 (published1998)Records of Buckinghamshire Volume 39, 1997 (published1999)Records of Buckinghamshire Volume 40,1998-2000MANSHEAD ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETYManshead Journal 38, 1998- reports of excavations andfieldwalking in and around the Dunstable area; includes acatalogue of the coins found on the Society's excavationsManshead Journal 39, 1999 - reports of excavations andfieldwalking in and around the Dunstable area; includes areport on the medieval malting Idlns found in DunstableUPPF,R NENE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETYIron Age & Roman Piddington: The Roman Ceramic &Stone Building Materials 1979-1998 (Fascicule 4) CynthiaWard BA (Hons) 1999, ISBN 0 9515158 3 7REVIEVVSBedfordshire Archaeology, vol 23. Editor StephenColeman. 1999, Bedford, pp 168, 73 figs. Available fromPeter Woods, 14 Glebe Avenue, Flitwick, Bedford. MK45111S.The new editor has delivered a well produced volume. Theone thing a reader unfamiliar with the whole county mightwant is greater consistency in the presentation of locationalmaps with an articles, or perhaps the provision of a singlelocation map at the beginning of the volume so all the sitescould be placed easily within a countywide topographicalcontext. It is fairly typical of such local journals in providingalmost solely a vehicle for the publication of excavationreports on work conducted through the planning process.There are major reports on a Later Neolithic and Bronze Agemortuary complex and Iron Age settlement at Bedford; anIron Age farmstead with some Roman and limitedEarly/Middle Saxon activity at Flitwick; and Late Saxonoccupation beneath and remains of the castle bailey atBedford. In addition there are a number of short reports onmore minor pieces of fieldwork on sites of Iron Age tomedieval date, which though they may not add a great dealto our understanding now, in the long term will be part of animportant process of gradual accumulation of lmowledge.There is just one substantial article not related to theplanning process, a study based on an earthwork andfieldwalking survey of Chellington, examining asemi-dispersed medieval and post medieval settlementlandscape in the Ouse valley and suggesting elementsoriginating in the Iron Age. As one might expect fromBrown and Taylor, titis is a valuable study which poseswider questions of landscape evolution, although thelimitations of the plans, some of which also lack scales,make it difficult to use without local knowledge.The information in the volume is of very limited interest tothe wider public, but there must always be a place to maketechnical information available to a specialist audience.Such journals are above all an important quarry of data for90

esearchers and, at present, an essential vehicle to ensure thatthe evidence collected is made available for future use.There is only a single page of notes in this volumerecounting minor discoveries, which may reflect arealisation that this information is best handled through theSites and Monuments Record. However, just as the RoyalCommission on Historical Monuments for England realisedthat their programme of publication of old style Inventorieshad been overtaken by events, so too informationtechnology in our new century willsurely soon make this sortof journal obsolete. The question is exactly how these typesof fieldwork reports are to be made available in the futurehopefully in digital form across the internet so that they arefar more easily accessible to, and searchable by researcherson a national scale, for that will undoubtedly assist inaddressing the following concerns.The contributors have done a good job with the individualreports. However what is missing from the present volumeare papers providing wider synthesis. This should not beblamed either on the editor or the contributors to the journal.Nor is it the result, as some would argue, of developerfunded archaeology. If the pre 1990 volumes ofBedfordshire Archaeology are anything like those of someIndexNOTE References in italics denote illustrations.abbeys see monastic buildingsAbingdon, OxonMesolithiq Ock Street 79prehistoriq Ock Street 79Roman: Abbey Close Car Park 46; Blacknall Road 44; OdcStreet 79Saxon; Abbey Close Car Park 46medieval: Abbey Close Car Park 46; Ock Street 79undated; Blacknall Road 44Agars Plough, Bucks; Iron Age settlement, Roman material 22Agas, Ralph 49,68Akeman Streetand Graven Hill entrenchments 70pre-Roman route 76at Waddesdon, Bucks 11Alc:hester, OxonClaudian fort 72-7, 74; 'Casde Mound', bath-house 74, 77, 78,79; chronology 75; fort ditches 72-3, 74, 75, 77, 78; fortrampart 72-3, 74, 77, 78; geophysical survey 77-9, 78;post-medieval drainage ditches 74, 77, 78, 79; Romandrainage ditches 73, 74, 77, 78; road 73, 74, 76, 78; size andnature of garrison 75-6; temple 74, 77, 78extent of Roman settlement 46and Graven Hill entrenchments 70Alfred's Castle, Ashbury, Oxon 82-90,82-9chronology 89education and exhibitions 49,82enclosure to north 82, 83, 88, 89, 89interior 82-5, 83-5, 87-8late Bronze/early Iron Age phase 82-5,84-5linear ditch system to north and west 88,89north-western entrance 82, 83, 87pre-enclosure linear ditch 86-7, 88, 88rampart 83, 85-6, 86, 87, 87, 88-9Indexother county journals this has been a long running problemthat predates Planning Policy Guidance Note 16: Planning& Archaeology (HMSO, 1990). It is a general problem andone which we as a discipline will need to address if theexplosion in the quantity of data made possible by PPG 16is to be turned into a genuinely better understanding of thepast. Without such synthesis to justify the resourcesexpended in this data collection, in the long term we maynot be able to convince politicians that they should sustaintheir support for the current policies. Neither are we able,without such analysis, to decide whether the evidence thatis being collected is indeed the most appropriate data. Afterall, every piece of fieldwork is just a sampling exercise, asthe reports in the present volume demonstrate, both at thesite level and also as regards which sites were and were notchosen for investigation. There is a challenge to meet whichhas to be addressed by us all. One therefore looks forwardwith interest to the promised book The Archaeology of theBedford Region, edited by M Dawson, but in the long runour success should also be reflected in the content of ourlocal journals, however they may be published in the future.Glenn FoardRoman building 8Z 84, 85-6, 89south-eastem entrance, Roman 82, 83, 85-7, 86, 89Allen, Robert (fi. 1852, joiner at West Wycombe Park) 19Ambroseden, Oxon; Graven Hill entrenchments 70-1,71.amulet, early Saxon bone; Oundle, Nhants 40animal burialsRoman, of dog; Swaldiffe Lea, Oxon 56undated: Agars Plough, Bucks 22; Paringdon, Oxon 62,Rockingham, Nhants 35apple, early Neolithiq Yamton, Oxon 70Appleford Sidings, Oxon; Roman fields 57archaeomagnetic datingAbingdon, Oxon 79Graven Hill, Ambroseden, Oxon 70archers, Roman 75,76armour, Roman; Alchester, Oxon 75arrowheadsflint, barbed and tanged: Brakelands Farm, Oxon 56; MarshLane, Bucics 22; Rollright Stones Field, Oxon 56iron, Roman three-winged; Alchester, Oxon 75,76Ashbury, Oxon see Alfred's CastleAshdown, Oxon; South Lodge 49Aubrey, Sir John, of Boarstall, Bucks (fi. 1777) 13axes, Neolithic flaked flint Taplow Hillfort, Bucks 23Aylesbury, Bucks, town centreIron Age hillfort 12medieval or post-medieval pit 12Aylesbury-Chalgrove gas pipelineBuckinghamshire section, Sites 11, 20, 21, 25; Neolithic pottery,Bronze, Iron Age and Roman features 28Oxfordshire section, Sites 30, 32, 34, 35; Mcsolithic flints,Bronze, Iron Age and Roman features, Saxon settlement 79Aynho, Nhantg College Farm, imdated features 42-3bakehousesmedieval; Bmckley, Nhants 37,38post-medieval; Ashdown House, Oxon 4991

IndexBanbury, Oxon; Horsefair, 17th-century house 46Bancroft, Bucks; 'Belgic' cremation cemetery 12bank building Oxford 68Bannaventa, Nhants 36barrow, round (see also ring ditches)Rowbarrow, Brakelands Farm, Oxon 56Barry, John (f/. 1544, of Hampton Gay) 62bath houses, RomanAlchester, Oxon 74,77, 78, 79Northampton 40,41Rushton, Nhants 37beads, glasg early Saxon, Oundle, Nhants 40Bede 58Bedfordcastle bailey, late Saxon remains under 90Cuder Hammer sportsground; Bronze Age ring ditches, Iron Ageand Roman setdement 1Bedfordshire 1-8BedfordshireArchaeology, Vol.23; review 90-1Begbroke Rising Main, Oxon 46Belle Tout, Sussex; well or shaft 88Benson, OxonOxford Road; Little Chef 80St Helen's Avenue; prehistoric, Roman and Saxon features79-80St Helen's Church; medieval and post-medieval 44Wadington Rond 80Berryfields, Bucks; prehistoric to post-medieval 11Bicester, OxonRoman; Bicester Sewage Treatment Works 46Saxon: Chapel Street 47; Proctor's Yard 80medieval: Bicester Sewage Treatment Works 46; Causeway 47;Chapel Street 47; Proctor's Yard 8019th-century; Causeway 46-7Biddenham, BedsBromham Road; undated flint, post-medieval cultivation 4Main Road; Saxo-Norman and medieval 1Biggleswade, Beds, Stratton Local Centre; Bronze and Iron Ages,Saxon and medieval 1Billington, Beds: prehistoric and late Iron Age/Roman 6Bletchingdon, Oxon 62Bloxham, Oxon; land to rear of St Mary's Church 80Boarstall Tower, Bucks 13-17,14-16bone, animalearly Iron Age; Alfred's Castle, Oxon 84, 85, 89, (deliberatedeposit of skull) 85late Iron Age (burnt); Milton Keynes, Bucks 12Roman; Luton, Beds 5medieval: Biggleswade, Beds 1; Oxford 4815th-century; Oxford 66undated: Alfred's Casde, Oxon 87; Little Roll right, Oxon 63bone, human (see also cemeteries; charnel pit; churchyards;cremations; inhumations)early Iron Age and undated; Alfred's Castle, Oxon 84,87bone, worked (see also chess piece; plaque)early Iron Age; Alfred's Castle, Oxon 84, 85, 89Boughton, Nhants; Buckton Fields, prehistoric, Roman and WorldWar II 36boundaries (see also field systems and under ditches)late Bronze Age; Stone, Bucks 12Iron Age linear, Crick Nhants 36medieval earthworlç Hampton Gay, Oxon 63bracelet, Ewart Park type bronze; Taplow, Bucks 23Brackley, NhantsThe Elms, medieval malthouse/bakehouse 37,38Manor Road, medieval and post-medieval 36-7Bradenham Manor, Buckg manor house and garden features 17Brakelands Farm, Oxon; Rowbarrow Field, prehistoric and Roman56,57Braybrooke, Nhants; Firs Farm, medieval features 37Bmyes Manor, Tempsford, Nhants 7,8bread, early Neolithic; Yamton, Oxon 69-70breweries and brew-bousespost-medieval; Ashdown House, Oxon 4919th-century; Marlow, Bucks 13Brigstock Camp, Nhantg pillbox 37Bromham, Bedg Inm Age, Roman and medieval 4brooches, Roman; Alchester, Oxon 75Broughton Barn, Bucks; early Bronze Age and Roman 21Buckeridge, Charles 59,60Buckinghamshire 9-20buildings, unspecifiedIron Age and Roman; Alfred's Castle, Oxon 82,84, 85-6, 87, 89medieval: Abingdon, Oxon 79; Loughton, Milton Keynes 32,33; Oxford 81; Standlake, Oxon 80pcst-medieval; Oxford 81Burford, OxonChurch Lane; Saxon, medieval, post-medieval 80Old Ropery; medieval and post-medieval 45burials see cemeteries; charnel pit; churchyards; cremations;inhumationsBurton Latimer, Nhants; Mesolithic, Neolithic and medieval 36Caddington, BedsBlows Downs; prehistoric, Roman and medieval 6,7Dunstable Road allotments; medieval 6canal basin; Grand Union Canal, Fenny Stratford, Nhants 9carbonised materialearly Neolithic bread; Yamton, Oxon 69-70early Iron Age; Alfred's Castle, Oxon 82, 84, 85, 89Cassington, Oxon; The Chequers, Church Lane, medieval features80Castlethorpe, Bucks6 The Chestnuts 9Maltings Field; hollow way and headland 9,10cavalry equipment, Roman; Alchester, Oxon 75,76cellars, post-medieval; Oxford 66-7,81cemeteries (see also churchyards)middle Bronze Age cremation; Loughton, Milton Keynes 32,33early Roman inhumation; Sandy, Beds 3Saxon: Chinnor, Oxon 47; Oundle, Nhants 40,42llth-12th-century; Wing, Bucks 21cess pitsSaxon; Newport Pagnell, Bucks 19medieval; Oxford 68Chalfont St Peter, BucksRoman coin hoards 12St Peter's Church, medieval 28Chalton Cross, Beds; prehistoric and Roman finds 5-6Chalvey Ditch, Slough; Bronze Age features 22charcoalRoman; Luton, Beds 5Saxo-Norman; Patton, Beds 2Charlbury, Oxon; church of St Mary the Virgin, Saxon topost-medieval 58-60,58charnel pit, post-medieval; Flitton, Beds 2Chellington, Beds; settlement landscape study 90chess piece, medieval bone; Tempsford, Nhants 7-8,8Chesterton, Oxon; late Roman coins 71-2Chi Rho motif on font/tank; Rushton, Nhants 37Childrey, Oxon; Church Row 8092

Chinnor, Oxon; Station Road, Saxon cemetery 47Cholesbury, Bucks; hillfort 12Chorleywood, Bucks 11churchesSaxon; Charlbury, Oxon 58-60,58medieval: Benson, Oxon 44; Chalfont St Peter, Bucks 28;Charlbury, Oxon 58-60, 58; Elsfield, Oxon 61; Flifton, Beds2; Northampton 39; Pulloxhill, Beds 2; Ravensden, Beds 3;Yielden, Beds 3post-medieval: Benson, Oxon 44; Chalfont St Peter, Bucks 28;little Houghton, Nhants 35; Pulloxhill, Beds 2-3undated: Leighton Buzzard, Beds 2; Thornton, Bucks 12churchyardspost-medieval inhumations; Elsfield, Oxon 61undated inhumations; Ravensden, Beds 3; Wallingford, Oxon69Cimiez, Maritime Alps; Roman fort 79Civil War defences, Oxford 44-5day pipes, 17th-century; Oxford 44aaydon House, Bucks; medieval and later buildings 17coinsCeltic: Dobunnic, Swalcliffe Lea, Oxon 55Roman: Alchester Roman fort 72, 73, 75, 76; Chalfont St Peterhoards, Bucks 12; Chesterton, Oxon 71-2; Northampton 40;Prestwood hoards, Great Missenden, Bucks 12; SonningCommon hoard, Oxon 80by ruler: Allectus; Chesterton, Oxon 72; Caligula; Alchester,Oxon 73, 75, 76; Carausius; Chesterton, Oxon 72; aaudius;Alchester, Oxon 75,76; Claudius II; Swaldiffe Lea, Oxon54; Constans; Chesterton, Oxon 72; Constantine I;Chesterton, Oxon 72; Swaldiffe Lea, Oxon 54; ConstantineII; Chesterton, Oxon 72; Constantius II; Chesterton, Oxon72; Helena; Chesterton, Oxon 72; Honorius; Swaldiffe Lea,Oxon 55; Tetricus 1; Chesterton, Oxon 72; Victorinus;Swaldiffe Lea, Oxon 54Henry VIII; Bradenham Manor, Bucks 17Manshead Journal catalogue of collection 90Colchester, Essex; annexe to Roman fort 76Collingwood, R G 54combs, early Saxon bone; Oundle, Nhants 40conservatory, 19th-century; Daventry, Nhants 38Cookham, Windsor & Maidenhead; Widbrook Common BronzeAge Pits 22copper alloy objects (see also bracelet)early Iron Age, Alfred's Castle, Oxon 84,85coppicing, Fe-enclosure; Studham, Beds 5country houses (see also manor bouses)Ashdown House, Oxon 49Claydon House, Bucks 17West Wyoombe Park, Bucks 19Craven, William, 1st Earl of Craven 49cremationsBronze Age: Broughton Barn, Bucks 21; Loughton, MiltonKeynes (cemetery) 32,33; Marsh Lane, Bucks 22; Stone,Bucks 12Iron Age/Roman; Aylesbury-Chalgrove gas pipeline, Bucks 28undated: Agars Plough, Bucks 22; Aylesbury-Chalgrove gaspipeline, Bucks 28; Gayhurst, Bucks 21Crick, Nhants; ban Age, Roman and medieval 36croft, medieval; Loughton, Milton Keynes 32-3, 32, 33crucible, Iron Age/Roman day copper-working; Alfred's Castle,Oxon 87Dashwood, Sir Francis (2nd Baronet) 12,19IndexdaubSaxo-Norman; Potton, Beds 216th-century use; South Leigh, Oxon 50,51Daventry, NhantsBorough Hill 37-8Golding aose; medieval ditch 38Middiemore Farm; fieldwalking finds 39Moot Hall 38New Street 342 Sheaf Street; 19th-century conservatory, undergroundchamber and 'grotto' 38de Gay family of Hampton Gay 62de Gramme's map of Oxford 44defences (see also mottes)Roman; Towcester, Nhants 40Civil War; Oxford 44-5dendrochronologyRoman; Alchester, Oxon 73-5medieval; Oxford 67post-medieval: Ashdown House, Oxon 49; Boarstall Tower,Bucks 13; South Leigh, Oxon 50; West Wycombe village,Bucks 19Didcot, Oxon; Hagboume Hill Farm, early Iron Age 80Dioma or Dionia, St 58-9ditches (see also endosures; ring ditches)Neolithic; Burton Latimer, Nhants 36early Bronze Age; Taplow Hillfort, Bucks 23Iron Age: Aylesbury-Chalgrove gas pipeline 28,79; Domey,Bucks; Eton Rowing Lake 21; Mursley, Bucks 11; Stone,Bucks 12late Iron Age: Aylesbury-Chalgrove gas pipeline, Bucks 28;Bedford 1; Long Buckby, Nhants 36; Milton Keynes, Bucks12undated prehistoriq Alfred's Castle, Oxon (linear) 86-7, 88, 88,89Roman: Abingdon, Oxon 44,79; Alchester fort, Oxon (drainage)73, 74,77, 78; Appleford Sidings, Oxon (enclosure) 57;Aylesbury-Chalgrove gas pipeline 28,79; Bedford(boundary) 1; Benson, Oxon 80; Broughton Barn, Bucks(linear) 21; Ducklington, Oxon (field boundaries) 60-1; LongBuckby, Nhants 36; Luton, Beds 4-5; Oxford 67; Shefford,Beds 3; Stone, Bucks 12; Tempsford, Nhants 7Saxon: Aylesbury-Chalgrove gas pipeline, Oxon 79; Bicester,Oxon 47; Tempsford, Nhants 7medieval: Biddenham, Beds 1; Brackley, Nhants 36,37;Braybrooke, Nhants 37; Daventry, Nhants 38; Felmersham,Beds 4; Little Faringdon, Oxon 46; Laughton, Milton Keynes(boundary) 32,33; Oxford 81; Potterspury, Nhants 40; Patton,Beds (boundary) 2; Rockingham, Nhants (botmdary) 35;Taplow Hillfort, Bucks 23; Tempsfonl, Nhants (boundary) 7;Theme, Oxon 69post-medieval: Alchester, Oxon (drainage) 74, 77, 78,79;Northampton (boundary) 33; Oxford 81; Taplow Hillfort,Bucks 23undated; &motley, Beds 6dog burial, Roman; Swaldiffe Lea, Oxon 56Domesday Book, on Hampton Gay, Oxon 62Dorchester, Oxon; Bridge End, 19th-century cottage 60Domey, Bucks; Eton Rowing Lake, Bronze Age to Roman 21dove-cotesmedieval; Loughton, Milton Keynes 33,34undated; Orlingbury, Nhants 40drainsRoman; Alfred's Castle, Oxon 82-4,84post-medieval; Northampton 33Drayton, Oxon; Manor Farm, Saxon and medieval 8093

IndexDrayton Park Farm, Oxon; prehistoric flints 56droveway, Iron Age; Agars Plough, Bucks 22Ducklington, Oxon; Gill Mill, Roman settlement 60-1Dunstable, BedsFrench's Avenue 4Grove House Gardens; post-medieval pit 1mailing kilns, medieval 90Millennium aoclq medieval and later 5Eggington, Beds; Leighton Road, ridge and furrow 2Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia ('the Winter Queen') 49Elsfield, Oxon; churchyard of St Thomas of Canterbury 61enclosureslate Bronze/early Iron Age; Aylesbury-Chalgrove gas pipeline,Bucks 28Iron Age: Agars Plough, Bucks (rectilinear) 22; Crick, Nhants36; Wooton village, Beds 4prehistoric: Boughton, Nhants 36; Caddington, Beds 6,7Roman: Fenny Stratfonl, Bucks (rectilinear) 28-9; Northampton40,41; Wooton village, Beds 4Saxon; Benson, Oxon 80medieval: Biggleswade, Beds 1; Patton, Beds 2undated; Biddenham, Beds (large oval) 1entrenchments, late Iron Age/Roman; Graven Hill, Ambroseden,Oxon 70-1,71Faerpinga (base of St Dioma) 58-9Faringdon, OxonColeshill Walled Garden 50Cowell Road; Bronze and Iron Ages and Roman 61-2farmsteadsIron Age; Flitwick, Beds 90late Iron Age/early Roman; Bedford 1Roman: Brakelands Farm, Oxon 57; Oundle, Nhants 40,42;Waddesdon Estate, Bucks 11medieval: Loughton, Milton Keynes (croft)32-3,32, 33; Oxford48Fawsley, Nhants; St Mary's Church 39Felmersham, Bedx Saxon, medieval and post-medieval 4fences, Saxon; Oxford 47-8Fenny Stratford, BucksFenny Lock; Mesolithic to Roman 28-9,29-31Fenny Marina; former canal basin 9Fernham, Oxon; The Garden House, Ringdale Manor 61field systems, RomanAppleford Sidings, Oxon 57Ducklington, Oxon 60-1Fenny Stratfont Bucks 29,31fields, medieval common (see also ridge and furrow)Wooton village, Beds 4Fleming, Richard (bishop of Lincoln, 1419-31) 64flint, prehistoric firedStudham, Beds 5,6Widbrook Common, Windsor & Maidenhead 22flint, worked (see also arrowheads; axes; knives)Mesolithic Abingdon, Oxon 79; Aylesbury-Chalgrove gaspipeline, Oxon 79; Billington, Beds 6; Chalton Cross, Beds 6;Drayton Park Farm, Oxon 56; Fenny Stratford, Bucks 28;Taplow Hillfort, Bucks 23Neolithic: Aylesbury-Chalgrove gas pipeline, Bucks (late) 28;Brakelands Farm, Oxon 56; Burton Latimer, Nhants 36;Drayton Park Farm, Oxon (early) 56; Penny Stratford, Bucks28; Oxford 67; Taplow Hillfort, Bucks 23; Yarnton, Oxon(early) 70Neolithic/Bronze Age: Caddington, Beds 6; Chalton Cross,Beds 6; Marsh Lane, Bucks 22; Streatley, Beds 6; Studham,Beds 5,4 Tempsford, Nhants 7Bronze Age: Brakelands Farm, Oxon 56; Dorney, Bucks(middle) 21; Marsh Lane, Bucks (early) 22; Taplow Hillfort,Bucks 23unspecified prehistoric: Abingdon, Oxon 79; Daventry, Nhants39; Sonning Common, Oxon 80; Steeple Aston, Oxon 57undated: Agars Plough, Bucks 22; Biddenham, Beds 4;Cholesbury, Bucks 12; Over Norton, Oxon 46; Rodcingham,Nhants 35; Roundmoor Ditch, Bucks 22Flitton, Bedx church of St John the Baptist, medieval andpost-medieval 2Flitwick, Beds; Iron Age, Roman and Saxon 90font/tank early 4th-century; Rushton, Nhants 37fords, RomanDucklington, Oxon 61Tackley, Oxon 73Forest, John, Dean of Wells (fl. 1437) 64forges, Roman; Swaldiffe Lea, Oxon 52,55forts, Roman (see also Alchester, Hod Hill; Kingsholm; Lunt;Oberstimm; Usk)annexes 75-6fountain, post-medieval garden; Hampton Gay, Oxon 63furnace, Roman iron smelting Laxton, Nhants 39gardens and garden featuresmedieval; Oxford 69post-medieval: Boarstall Tower, Bucks 17; Bradenham Manor,Bucks 17; Coleshill, Oxon 50; Hampton Gay, Oxon 63;Holdenby House, Nhants 39; Stowe, Bucks 17,18undated; Merton, Oxon 45,45Gayhurst Quarry, Budcs; cremations, pit alignment 21geophysical sunrey; Alchtster, Oxon 77-9, 78glasshouses, 19th-century; Coleshill, Oxon 50grain, carbonised; early Iron Age, Alfred's Casde, Oxon 85,89Grand Union Canal, Penny Stratford, Nhants 9Graven Hill entrenchments, Ambroseden, Oxon 70-1,71Great Brickhill-Stoke Hammond Pipeline, Bucks 9Great Missendea, Bucks; Prestwood Hoards 12Grimes Graves, Norfolk medieval chess piece 8grotto, 19th-century; Daventry, Nhants 38gulliesNeolithic; Burton Latimer, Nhants 36Bronze Age; Aylesbury-Chalgrove gas pipeline 28,79Iron Age: Aylesbury-Chalgrove gas pipeline 28,79; Didcot,Oxon 80; Stone, Bucks 12Roman: Aylesbury-Chalgrove gas pipeline, Oxon 79; Oxford 81Saxon; Bicester, Oxon 80medieval: Bicester, Oxon 80; Braybrooke, Nhants 37;Standlake, Oxon 80; Taplow Hillfort, Bucks 23post-medieval; Taplow Hillfort, Bucks 23ha-ha, post-medieval; Hampton Gay, Oxon 63Hampton Gay, Oxon; deserted medieval village 62-3Handlo, John de, of Boarstall, Budcs (fi. 1312) 13hamess pendant, Roman; Alchester, Oxon 76hazelnut shells, early Neolithic; Yamton, Oxon 70headland, medieval; Castlethorpe, Nhants 9,10hearthsIron Age; Penny Stratford, Bucks 28Roman: Alchester, Oxon 73; Bedford 1; Northampton 40,41;Oundle, Nhants 40,42Saxon: Biggleswade, Beds 1medieval: Abingdon, Oxon 79; Weldon, Nhants 42; Wing,Bucks 2194

hedgerows, wide; Studham, Beds 5hillforts (see also Alfred's Castle; Taplow)Aylesbury, Bucks 12Cholesbury, Bucks 12chronology of Ridgeway 89possible economic specialisation 89variation amongst ramparts 87hoards (see also under coins (Roman))Tower Hill late Bronze Age 89hobnails, Roman; Alfred's Castle, Oxon 86Hoddiffe, Beds; Woburn Road 4Hod Hill, Dorset; Roman fort 75,77Holdenby House, Nhants; 19th-centuey garden 39hollow waysCastlethorpe, Nhants 9,10Hampton Gay, Oxon 63Houghton Regis, Beds (see also Chalton Cross)Mill Road 6house platforms and mounds; Hampton Gay, Oxon 63houses (see also country houses; manor houses; roundhouses;timber framed buildings)late Bronze Age; Tower Hill, Oxon 89medieval; Oxford 48-916th-century: Oxford 68; South Leigh, Oxon 50,5117th-century; Banbury, Oxon 4618th-century; Oxford 6819th-century: Bicester, Oxon 46-7; Dorchester, Oxon (squatterscottage) 60; Oxford 69hut gully, late Bronze Age; Stone, Bucks 11-12hypocaustsNorthampton 40Swaldiffe Lea, Oxon 54ice-house, post-medieval; Hampton Gay, Oxon 63industrial featums (see also individual types)Roman, stone-buil4 Tom:ester, Nhants 4019th-century buildings; Oxford 69inhumations (see also cjurchyards)early Iron Age, partial; Alfred's Castle, Oxon 84late Iron Age/Roman; Billington, Beds 6pmhistoric articulated and disarticulated; Faringdon, Oxon 62Roman; Ducklington, Oxon 61; Sandy, Beds 3Saxon: Billington, Beds 6; Chinnor, oxon 47; Oundle, Nluents40, 42; Taplow, Bucks n, 25, 27llth-12th-century; Wing, Bucks 21post-medieval: Benson, Oxon 44; Charlbury, Oxon 58, 59, 60;Elsfield, Oxon 61; Flitton, Beds 2; Little Houghton, Nhants35undated: Medmenham Abbey, Bucks (east-west) 12-13;Ravensden, Beds 3interior decoration, 18th-century; West Wycombe Park, Bucks 19iron working, RomanChalton Cross, Beds 5Laxton, Nhants 39javelin heads, Roman; Alchester, Oxon 75Jeffreys, Thomas; map of Oxford (1768) 49Kempston Church End, Beds; Roman settlement 1ICennett, W.; ParochialAntiquities (1695) 70ICepeharm, Laurence, of Oxford (11. 1188) 64Kettering, Nhants; Dryland Street 34-5kiln furniture, Roman; Oxford 48kilnsRoman pottery; Stowe, Bucks 17medieval malting Dunstable, Beds 90Kingham, Oxon; West Street, medieval features 44Kingsholm, Glos; Roman fort 73,75Kip, Johannes 49Imives, flintNeolithic: Marsh Lane, Bucks 22; Yamton, Oxon 70undated, serrated; Over Norton, Oxon 46knives, Saxon ironOundle, Nhants 40Taplow Hillfort, Bucks 25Indexland reclamation, medieval; Oxford 48Laxton, Nhants; Roman furnace and settlement 39Ledwell, Oxon; post-medieval quarrying 46Leighton Bu2zard, BedsAll Saints' Church 2Prebend House demolition deposits 2Liddington hillfort, Swindon 87,88-9Little Faringdon, Oxon; medieval features 46Little Houghton, Nhants; church of St Mary the Virgin 35Little Rollright, Oxon; Rollright Quarry, Iron Age pit 63lock, Roman barml; Luton, Beds 5lodge, ptehouse; Ashdown House, Oxon 49Loggan, David 44,68London; medieval chess pieces 8Long Buckby, Nhants; Ryehill Farm, late Iron Age/Roman ditches36loomweightsBronze Age cylindrical; Taplow Hillfort, Bucics 23early ken Age day; Alfred's Castle, Oxon 84, 85, 87, 89lorica segmemata; Alchester, Oxon 75Loughton, Milton Keynes, Buck.s; middle Bronze Age cremationcemetery, medieval croft 32-3, 32, 33, 34Ludgershall, Bucks; Clovellys, 15th-century possible kiln waste 29Lunt Roman fort 76Luton, Beds; Park Street, Belgic and Roman 4-5Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton Flood Alleviation Scheme, Bucks21-2malthouse, medieval; Brackley, Nhants 37,38manor housesBoarstall Tower, Bucks 13-17,14-16Bradenham Manor, Budrs 17Hampton Gay, Oxon 62,63Tempsford, Nhants 7,8Manshead Archaeological Society publications 90Marlow, Bucks; High Street, Wethered's Brewery, medieval andpost-medieval 13Marsh Lane, Bucks; Mesolithic to Bronze Age 22Marston Moretaine, Beds; Woburn Road, Iron Age, Saxon andmedieval 4Medmenham Abbey, Bucks; east-west burials 12-13Merton, Oxon; Manor House Nursing Home, garden features 45,45metal detector =Ivey; Sonning Common, Oxon 80metalworking, RomanAlfred's Castle, Oxon 87Chalton Cross, Beds 5Laxton, Nhants 39Oxford 48Swaldiffe Lea, Oxon 54-595

IndexmicklensBronze and Iron Age; Aylesbury-Chalgieve gas pipeline, Oxon79Roman; Oxford 81military equipment, Roman; Alchester, Oxon 73, 75, 76Milton Keynes, Bucks (see also Bancroft Loughton)Downs Barn; late Iron Age activity 12moated sites, medievalTempsford, Nhants 7,8Wooton village, Beds 4monastic buildingsMedmenham Abbey, Bucks 12-13Oxford 62, 68, 69Monkston, Nhants; Chetwode Avenue 9mosaics, Roman (see also tesserae)Swalcliffe Lea, Oxon 53, 54, 55mottesBury Mount, Towcester, Nhants 35,36Oxford Castle 68Mursley, Bucks; Iron Age and medieval 11nailsRoman: Alfred's Castle, Oxon (hobnails) 86; Luton, Beds 5medieval horsaihoe; Eggington, Beds 2post-medieval coffin; Charlbury, Oxon 59Newport Pagnell, Bucksmedieval; 30-32 High Street 19post-medieval; Bury Street 9James' Yard 9Riverside House 9North Crawley, Bucks; Gumbrills Farm 9NorthamptonBronze Age ring ditch; Bradcmills Link Rend 39Iron Age settlement and Roman villa; Wootton Fields 40,41Saxon or Norman; Church of the Holy Sepulchre 39medieval: St Peter's Church 39; The Ridings 33post-medieval: Southbridge 39; The Ridings 33St James End, Travis Perkins site 39Northamptonshire 33-43Oberstimm, Raetia; Roman fort 73OiIly, Henry d' 64OiIly, Robert d' 61Orlingbury, Nhants; dovecote 40Oseney Abbey, Oxford 62,68OSL samples; Ambroseden, Oxon 70Oundle, Nhants; Glapthome Road, late Iron Age roundhouses,Roman farmstead, early Saxon cemetery 40,42ovensRoman; Northampton 40,41medieval: Brackley, Nhants 37,38; Wing, Bucks 21post-medieval: Ashdown House, Oxon 49; Oxford 67Over Norton, Oxon; reservoir outiets, flints 46OxfordBronze Age; Sadder Library (barrow ditches) 69other prehistoric: Grenoble Road, Oxford Science Park 47-8;Lincoln College 64Roman: Fry's Hill Gas Trench, Guelder Road, Blackbird Lays81; Grenoble Road, Oxford Science Park 47-8; HorspathDriftway, former Slade Hospital site 48; Lincoln College 64Saxon: Castle 67; Grenoble Road, Oxford Science Park (village)47-8; Lincoln College 64, 66, 67medieval: Beaumont Palace 69; Carmelite Friary 69; Casde67-8; Deep Hall 64; Grenoble Road, Oxford Science Park 48;Hollybush Lodge, Hollybush Row 81; Lincoln College 65,66, 66, 67; Lion Brewery, St Thomas's Street 81; MarketStreet 81; Old Bank, High Street 68; Oseney Lane 81;Roebuck Hall 81; Sackler Library 68-9; St Mildred's church64; Shim Hall 68; site bounded by St Thomas Street,Hollybush Row, Osney Lane, and Becket Street 48-9pcst-medieval: Castle 68; Civil War defences 44-5; FrenchayRend 81; Grenoble Road, Oxford Science Park 47-8;Hollybush Lodge, Hollybush Row 81; Lincoln College 64-7,65,66; LMS Station site 44-5; Magpie Lane 68; Market Street81; Old Bank, High Street 68; Salter's Boatyard, Folly Bridge,Abingdon Road 69; site bounded by St Thomas Street,Hollybush Row, Osney Lane, and Becket Street 48-9watching briefs: Oriel Square 81; Turl Street 81Oxfordshire 43-90paintings, 17th-century walk Boarstall Tower, Bucks 13palaestra; Alchester fort, Oxon 79panelling, 18th-century; West Wycombe Park, Bucks 19Payne, Sir Gillies 7Piddington; Roman building materials 90pigsty, medieval; Loughton, Milton Keynes 33,34pillbox Brigstock Camp, Nhants 37Pinsearly Iron Age swan's nec; Alfred's Castle, Oxon 82Saxon double-spiral headed; Taplow Hillfort, Bucks 25pits (see also cess pits; quarries and quarry pits; water pits)Neolithic: Benson, Oxon (early) 79; Fenny Stratford, Bucks(early) 28; Oxford 67Bronze Age: Aylesbury-Chalgrove gas pipeline, Oxon 79;Chalvey Ditch, Budcs 22; Dorney, Bucks (indudingalignment) 21; Fenny Stmtford, Bucks 28late Bronze Age: Aylesbury-Chalgrove gas pipeline 28,79;Benson, Oxon 79-80; Fenny Stratford, Bucks 28; Stone,Bucks 12, Tower Hill, Oxon 89; Widbrook Common,Cookhani, W & M 22Iron Age: Aylesbury-Chalgrove gas pipeline 28,79;Biggleswade, Beds 1; Little Rollright, Oxon 63; Northampton40,41; Stone, Bucks 12; Wendlebury, Oxon 80early Iron Age: Alfred's Castle, Oxon 82-5,84, 85, 87, 89, (withanimal skull deposit) 85; Aylesbury-Chalgime gas pipeline,Budm 28; Didcot, Oxon 80; Fenny Stratford, Budm 28middle Iron Age: Aylesbury-Chalgieve gas pipeline 28,79;Fenny Stratford, Bucks (aligiunent) 28; Oxford 48late Iron Age; Bedford 1unspecified prehistoric: Boughton, Nhants 36; Gayhurst, Bucks(alignment) 21Roman: Aylesbury-Chalgrove gas pipeline 28,79; Bedford 1;Ducklington, Oxon 61; Luton, Beds 4-5; Oxford 81;Swalcliffe Lea, Oxon (cooking) 55; Towcester, Nhants 40Saxon: Aylesbury-Chalgrove gas pipeline, Oxon 79; Oxford 47;Wollaston, Nhants 43late Saxon: Bicester, Oxon 80; Oxford 64, 66, 67; Potton, Beds2; Sutton Courtenay, Oxon 81; Wddon, Nhants 42medieval: Abingdon, Oxon 79; Aylesbury, Bucks 12; Bicsster,Oxon 80; Bracldey, Nhants 37,38; Burford, Oxon 45;Cassington, Oxon 80; Little Faringdon, Oxon 46; NewportPagnell, Bucks 9; Northampton 33; Oxford 65, 66, 66, 67, 69,81; Potterspury, Nhants 40; Potton, Beds Z Rockingham,Nhants 35; Standlake, Oxon 80; Sutton Courtenay, Oxon 81;Theme, Oxon 69; Wallingford, Oxon 81; Wendlebury, Oxon80post-medieval: Aylesbury, Buda; 12, Burford, Oxon 45, 80;Daventry, Nhants 38; Dimstable, Beds 1; Holdenby Home,Nhants (planting) 39; Oxford 66,81; Stevington, Beds 3;96

Thame, Oxon 49,69; Wallingford, Oxon 81undated: Radley, Oxon 80; Rockingham, Nhants 35Plaisted, Revd (fi. 1920, of Medmenham, Bucks) 13plaque, early Saxon bone; Oundle, Nhants 40plaster, Roman wall; Swaleliffe Lea, Oxon 54Plot, R.; The Natural History of Oxford-Shire (1676) 70post structuresmiddle Iron Agq Fenny Stratford, Bucks 28Saxon; Taplow Hillfort, Bucks 25postholesearly Neolithic; Benson, Oxon 79late Bronze Age: Aylesbury-Chalgrove gas pipeline 28,79;Benson, Oxon 79-80; Stone, Bucks 12early Iron Age: Alfred's Castle, Oxon 82-5, 84, 85;Aylesbury-Chalgrove gas pipeline, Bucks 28; Didcot, Oxon80Roman: Bedford 1; Ducldington, Oxon 61; Oxford 81; Shefford,Beds 3Saxon: Aylesbury-Chalgrove gas pipeline, Oxon 79; Bicester,Oxon 80; Biggleswade, Beds 1; Drayton, Oxon 80; Oxford47-8; Wollaston, Nhants 43medieval: Bicester, Oxon 80; Brackley, Nhants 36; Braybrooke,Nhants 37; Camington, Oxon 80; Drayton, Oxon 80; LittleFaringdon, Oxon 46; Wendlebury, Oxon 80undated: Radley, Oxon 80Potterspury, Nhants; Woods Lane, medieval 40potteryNeolithicearly; Yamton, Oxon 70late; Aylesbury-Chalgrove gas pipeline, Bucics 28unspecified: Fenny Stratford, Bucks 28; Oxford 48;Tempsford, Nhants 7Bronze Ageearly: Broughton Barn, Budcs 21; Fenny Stratford, Bucks ZS;Oxford 48; Taplow Hillfort, Bucks 23middle; Domey, Bucks 21late: Ambroseden, Oxon 70; Stone, Bucks 12; Taplow Hillfort,Bucks 23,25; Widbrook Common, Windsor & Maidenhead22Collared Urns: Broughton Barn, Bucks 21; Fenny Stratford,Bucks 28unspecified; Agars Plough, Bucks 22Iron Ageearly: Alfred's Castle, Oxon 82, 84, 85, 87, 89; Bedford 1;Sandy, Beds 3; Taplow Hillfort, Bucks 25middle: Agars Plough, Bucks 22; Bedford 1; Utile Rollright,Oxon 63; Oxford 48; Sandy, Beds 3late: Agars Plough, Bucks 22; Alfred's Castle, Oxon 88;Bedford 1; Billington, Beds 6; Fenny Stratfoid, Bucks 28;Milton Keynes, Bucks 12; Oxford 48; Rushton, Nhants 37Belgic: Luton, Beds 4-5unspecified: Ambroseden, Oxon 70; Biggleswade, Beds 1;Bromham, Beds 4; Caddington, Beds 6,7; Swalcliffe Lea,Oxon 55unspecified prehistoric; Sutton Courtenay, Oxon 43Romanamphora; Chalton Cross, Beds 5early: Agars Plough, Bucks 22; Bedford 1; Billington, Beds 6mortarium; Alfred's Castle, Oxon 82Nene Valley; Steeple Aston, Oxon 56Oxford: Oxford 48; Steeple Aston, Oxon 56pink grog ware; Stowe, Bucks 17samian: Luton, Beds 5; Round Hill, Oxon 57; Steeple Aston,Oxon 56unspecified: Abingdon, Oxon 44,46; Alfred's Casde, Oxon82,86; Appleford Sidings, Oxon 57; Bromham, Beds 4;IndexCaddington, Beds 6, 7; Chalton CMGS, Beds 5-6; Crick,Nhants 36; Daventry, Nhants 39; Ducklington, Oxon 61;Luton, Beds 4-5; Middle Aston, Oxon 57; Northampton 40;Oundle, Nhants 40; Oxford 48, 67, 81; Purston, Oxon 57;Round Hill, Oxon 57,57; Rushton, Nhants 37; Sandy, Beds3; Sheffoid, Beds 3; Steeple Aston, Oxon 56-7; Streatley,Beds 6; Stuclham, Beds 5; Swalcliffe Lea, Oxon 55,56-7;Taplow Hillfort, Bucks 25; Towcester, Nhants 40Saxonearly/middle; Wing, Bucks 21late: Newport Pagnell, Bucks 19; Oxford 64, 65, 66; Potton,Beds Z Weldon, Nhants 42Maxey-type; Biggleswade, Beds 1St Neots ware; Abingdon, Oxon 46Ipswich ware; Biggleswade, Beds 1unspecified: Biggleswade, Beds 1; Burford, Oxon 80;Eynsham, Oxon 48; Felmersham, Beds 4; Oxford 48;Radley, Oxon 48; Rushton, Nhants 37; Sutton Courtenay,Oxon 81; Taplow Hillfort, Bucks 25; Wollaston, Nhants 43medievalBrill/Boarstall type: Ludgeishall, Bucks 29; Oxford 48Savernake Forest; Oxford 48unspecified: Biggleswade, Beds 1; Billington, Beds 6;Braddey, Nhants 37; Braybrooke, Nhants 37; Burford,Oxon 80; C,addington, Beds 6; Chalfont St Peter, Bucks 28;Chalton Cross, Beds 6; Daventry, Nhants 39; Eggington,Beds Z Felmersham, Beds 4; little Houghton, Nhants 35;Marlow, Bucks 13; Oxford 48-9, 65, 66, 68; Ravensden,Beds 3; Rockingham, Nhants 35; Rushton, Nhants 37;Sandy, Bed.s 3; Shenley Church End, Nhants 11; Stevington,Beds 3; Studham, Beds 5,6; Sutton Courtenay, Oxon 43,81; Taplow Hillfort, Bucks 25; Wallingford, Oxon 81post-medievalBrill/Boarstall; Thame, Oxon 49North Midland Redware; Upper Heyford, Oxon 49OXAP proto-stoneware; Thame, Oxon 49unspecified: Caddington, Beds 6; Daventry, Nhants 39;Marlow, Budcs 13; Oxford 44,66; Rushton, Nhants 37;Sandy, Beds 3; Shenley Lodge, Bucks 11; SuttonCourtenay, Oxon 43; Thame, Oxon 49; Wallingford, Oxon81,82Potton, Beds; Myers Road, Saxo-Norman and medieval 2publications 90-1Pulloxhill, Beds; St James' Church, medieval and post-medieval2-3quarries and quarry pitsRoman: Ducklington, Oxon 61; Oxford 81medieval; Cassington, Oxon 80post-medieval: Brackley, Nhants 37; Ledwell, Oxon 46;Shefford, Beds 3quern, Bronze Age saddle; Taplow Hillfort, Bucks 23mdiocarbon datingearly Neolithic bread; Yamton, Oxon 69-70Mesolithic and Neolithiq Burton Latimer, Nhants 36Radley, Oxon; Crooseacre/Badgers Copse, undated pit 80ramparts, Ridgeway hillforts 87Rams Hill hillfort, 03E01187, 88-9Ravensden, Beds; All Saints' Church, medieval 3review; BedfordshireArchaeology, Vol.23 90-1ridge and furrowBicester, Oxon 46Burton Latimer, Nhants 3697

IndexCastlethorpe, Bucks 9,10Crick, Nhants 36Daventry, Nhants 39Eggington, Beds 2Hampton Gay, Oxon 63Laughton, Milton Keynes 32,32Marston Moretaine, Baia 4Mursley, Bucks 11Rodcingham, Nhants 35Stewkley, Bucks 11Towcester, Nhants 33Rievaulx Abbey, Yorks; medieval chess piece 8ring ditches and gulliesBronze Age: Bedford 1; Biggleswade, Beds 1; Northampton 39;Oxford 69Bronze,/fron Age; Aylesbury-Chalgrove gas pipeline, Bucks 28unspecified prehistoric; Boughton, Nhants 36Roman: Fenny Stratfoni, Bucks 29,31ritual activity, prehistoricFaringdon, Oxon 62Milton Keynes, Bucks 12Yamton, Oxon 70roads, Roman (see also Akeman Street)Alchester, Oxon 73,76Bannaventa to Watling Street 36Bromham, Beds 4Towcester, Nhants 40Rockingham, Nhants; The Cottons, prehistoric and medieval 35Rollright Stones Field, Oxon; Bronze Age flint 56Round Hill, Oxon; Roman settlement 57,57roundhouseslate Bronze Age: Benson, Oxon 79-80, Fenny Stratford, BucksIron Age: Alfred's Castie, Oxon 82-4, 84, 88; Fenny Stratford,Bucks 28; Northampton 40,41; Oundle, Nhants 40,42Roman: Fenny Stratfoni, Bucks (stone-footed) 29; SwaldiffeLea, Oxon 52,55Roundmoor Ditch, Bucks 22Rowbarrow, Brakelands Farm, Oxon 56,57Rushton, Nhants; Roman bath house, Christian font/tank 37Sandy, Beds; Stratford Road, Roman cemetery 3sarsens, Roman use as pit packing Alfred's Castie, Oxon 84-5scoopsBronze and Iron Age; Aylesbury-Chalgrove gas pipeline, Oxon79medieval; Cassington, Oxon 80seeds, early Iron Age carbonised; Alfred's Castle, Oxon 84Segsbury Camp, Oxon; hillfort rampart 86,87settlementsIron Age: Agars Plough, Bucks 22; Marston Moretaine, Beds 4;Northampton 40,41Roman: Appleford Sidings, Oxon 57; Bedford 1; Chesterton,Oxon 71-2; Duddington, Oxon (roadside) 60-1; ICempstonChurch End, Beds 1; Laxton, Manta 39; Waddesdon Estate,Bucks 11Saxon: Big,gleswale, Beds 1; Hampton Gay, Oxon 62; MarstonMoretaine, Beds 4; Oxford 47-8medieval: Big,gleswade, Beds 1; Loughton, Milton Keynes 32-3,32,33; Marston Moretaine, Beds 4shaft, Iron Age; Alfred's Castle, Oxon 88sheep, early Iron Age; Alfred's Castle, Oxon 82,89Shefford, Beds; Ampthill Road, Roman features 3Shenley Church End, Bucks; Oakhill Rond, medieval 11Shenley Lodge, Bucks; Trevithick Lane, post-medieval 11skull, early Iron Age animal; Alfred's Castie, Oxon 85slag RomanOxford 48Swalcliffe Lea, Oxon 55,56Smith, Worthington G. 6soakaway, medieval; Oxford 65Sunning Common, Oxon; Ashford Avenue, flints 80South Leigh, Oxon; Little Bartietts Cottages, 16th-century 50,51spearheads, Roman; Alchester, Oxon 75specialisation, economic; Alfred's Castle, Oxon 89spindle whorls, early Irca Age clay; Alfred's Castle, Oxon 84,89spurs, Roman; Alchester, Oxon 76stakeholes, late Saxon; Oxford 64stanchions, cast-iron; Oxford 45Standlake, Oxon; The Orchard, Brighthampton, medieval 80Stanford on Avon, Nhants 40Steeple Aston, Oxon; Roman pottery 50,56-7Stevington, Bedg Old Vicarage, post-medieval 3Stewldey, Bucks; ridge and furrow 11stock handling structures, medieval; Loughton, Milton Keynes 33,34Stoke Hammond, Nhants 3Stone, BucksBishopstone 11Oxford Road; Bronze, Iron Age and Roman 11-12stoneworlc, architectural; 16t11/17th-centuii- from tombs,Charlbury, Oxon 59Stowe Landscape Gardens, BucksRoman pottery kiln 17garden structures 17,18strap ends, Roman military; Alchester, Oxon 76Streatley, Beds; New Roundabout drainage works,Neolithic/Bronze Age and Roman 6Studham, Beds; Neolithic/Bronze Age and medieval 5,6summer house, post-medieval; Hampton Gay, Oxon 63sunken featured buildingsAylesbury-Chalgrove gas pipeline, Oxon 79Benson, Oxon 80Fenny Stratford, Bucks 29Oxford 47Wollaston, Nhants 43surfaces, stonelate Iron Age, possible ritual connections; Bancroft., Bucks 12;Milton Keynes, Bucks 12Roman sarsen; Alfred's Castle, Oxon 86medieval; Wendlebury, Oxon 80Sutton Courtenay, OxonThe Green; prehistoric, medieval and post-medieval 43,44Lady Place; Saxon and medieval 81Swaldiffe Lea Roman settlement, OxonBlakelands Field villa site 50-6,52-4; 1st to 3rd-centurybuildings 52-4,55-6; 3rd to 4th-century buildings 51-5,52-4,56; late 4th-century industrial phase 52, 54-5, 56'flat' field settlement site 56other Farts of settlement 56Rowbanow field; Roman finds 57Tadcley, OxonRoman ford 73Sturdy's Castle public house 45tannery, medieval; Abingdon, Oxon 79Taplow, BucksTaplow Court 22-3,24Taplow Hillfort 22-8, 24,26-7; Masolithic flints 23; Bronze Agephase 23, 25, 26, 27; early Iron Age phase 25, 26, 27; Roman98

activity 25; Saxon activity 25,28Taplow Mound 22, 25,27Tattenhoe, Bucks; Rosemullion Avenue 11temple, Roman; Alchester fort, Oxon 74, 77, 78Tempsford, NhantsNeolithic/Bronze Age, Roman and Saxon activity 7medieval: chess piece 7-8,8; manor house 7,8tesseme (see also mosaics)Brakelands Farm, Oxon 57Theme, OxonBell Lane; medieval and post-medieval 69North Street; 17th-century 49Waitrose store; medieval and post-medieval 69thatch, 16th-century; South Leigh, Oxon 50,51Thornton, Bucks; St Midniel and AH Angels Church 12tilesRoman: Agars Plough, Bucks 22; Alfred's Castle, Oxon 82;Chalton Cross, Beds 5; Luton, Beds 5; Round Hill, Oxon 57;Steeple Aston, Oxon 56medieval: Biggleswade, Bed.s 1; Kingham, Oxon 44;Ravensden, Beds 3post-medieval: Biggleswade, Beds 1; Kingham, Oxon 44;Ludgershall, Bucks 29timber framed structuresSaxon; Oxford 47-8post-medieval: Oxford 68, 69; West Wycombe, Bucks 19,20timber lacing, early Iron Age charred; Taplow Hillfort, Bucks 25timbers, waterlogged RomanAlchester, Oxon 72,73-5Ducklington, Oxon (cart wheel fragment) 61Toddington, Beds see_Chalton Crosstomb vault-, Yielden, Beds 3 -Towcester, NhantsBury Mount earthwork motte castle; ArchaeologicalManagement Survey 35,36Meeting Lane; Roman features and pottery 40Tove Valley Industrial Estate; ridge and furrow, and 'TheAvenue' 33Tower Hill, Oxon; late Bronze Age 89trackwaysmid/late Iron Age; Agars Plough, Bucks 22Roman: Appleford Sidings, Oxon 57; Bedford 1; Ducldington,Oxon 61; Fenny Stratford, Bucks 28tradesmen's signatures; West Wycombe Park, Bucks 19Tribal Hidage 58Uffington Casde, Oxon 88-9rampart 86,87Upper Heyford, Oxon; land west of Two Trees Farm, post-medieval49Usk, Monmouth; Roman fort 75Vegetius 76villages, medievalGreat Brickhill, Bucks 9Hampton Gay, Oxon (deserted) 62-3Kingham, Oxon 44Stoke Hammond, Bucks 9villas, Roman (see also under Swalcliffe Lea)Chesterton, Oxon 71-2Northampton 40,41Steeple Aston, Oxon (possible) 56-7voussoirs, Roman tufa; Swalcliffe Lea, Oxon 54,55IndexWaddesdon Estate, Bucks; Roman senlement 11Wallingford, Oxonmedieval: Market Place 81; St Martin's Street 81post-medieval: Goldsmiths Lane 82; Market Place 81undated graves; church of St John the Evangelist 69wallsRoman defensive; Towcester, Nhants 40medieval: Oxford 81; Wendlebury, Oxon 80post-medieval garden; Boarstall Tower, Bucks 17water pitsRoman; Oundle, Nhants 40,42Saxon and medieval; Biggleswade, Beds 1water suppliesRoman; Alchester fort, Oxon 73,7519th-century; Coleshill Walled Garden, Oxon 50waterhole, Roman; Dorney, Bucks 21Weathercock Hill, Berks; late Bronze Age occupation 88,89Weldon, Nhants; Chapel Road, Saxon and medieval 42wellsIron Age; Alfred's Castle, Oxon 88Roman: Ducklington, Oxon 61; Oundle, Nhants 40,42Saxon; Oxford 64medieval: Boarstall Tower, Bucks 17; Braddey, Nhants 37,38;Oxford 66,66post-medieval: Boarstall Tower, Bucks 17; Marlow, Bucks 13Wendlebury, Oxon (see also Alchester)Church Lane, Iron Age and medieval 80West Wycombe Park, Bucks 19West Wycombe village, Bucks, post-medieval housesChurch Street 19High Street 19, US120wheel, waterlogged fragment of Roman car4 Ducklington, Oxon61Whipsnade Zoo, Beds 5,6Widbrook Common, Ccokham, Windsor 84 Maidenhead 22Wing, 3T2Wing, BucksIron Age or Roman cropmark 11Victorian School site, Saxon and early medieval 21Winslow Zone Main Trunk Renewal Pipeline, Bucks(Mursley-Wing) 11withy-tie, Roman wooden; Dorney, Bucks 21Wollaston, Nhants; Saxon settlement 43Wolverton, Bucks; McConnell Drive, site of 1841 railway station11woodlandMesolithic clearance; Burton Latimer, Nhants 36pm-enclosure management; Studham, Beds 5Woodperry, Oxon; medieval chess piece 8wool-processing, early Iron Age; Alfred's Castle, Oxon 89Wooton village, Beds; late Iron Age/Roman enclosure, medievalmoat 4World War H features; Boughton, Nhants 36Wroxeter, Shropshire; annexe to Roman fort 76Yamton, Oxon; early Neolithic pit with deliberate deposit 70early Neolithic bread 69-70Yielden, Beds; St Mary's Church 399