| Description | ASWYAS carried out a watching brief during 7th 9th September 1998 and 4th 5th November 1998 during groundworks associated with the construction of an extension at St Peter’s Church Hall, which is situated on a Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM 29996). An earlier excavation was carried out in 1990 due to a planning application to extend the Church Hall (see PRN 7698), but this extension did not get built and subsequently a further application for planning permission was submitted in 1997. As a consequence, this watching brief was required to ensure that previously unexcavated areas would be monitored during groundworks at the site.
An area of 6.5m x 2.5m was excavated via 4 foundation trenches. Archaeologically significant deposits of human remains were encountered at c.90mOD and survived to a maxium depth of 0.05 0.1m. It is thought that the inhumations found during this watching brief represent the continuation of the pre conquest cemetery that was excavated in 1990 (PRN 7698). In total, a minimum number of 20 individuals were recovered as articulated and disarticulated remains during the watching brief. A minimum of 6 graves were identified, containing 9 primary interments. As a result, the known and potential extent of the pre conquest cemetery that was excavated in 1990 has been extended.
Also found during the watching brief were 6 fragments of animal bone, and 2 sherds of medieval to post medieval pottery (ASWYAS, 1999).
Further to the 1998 watching brief, ASWYAS were also commission to undertake an archaeological excavation and second watching brief at the same site, during 2007 and 2008. The excavation area comprised of two small trenches, located with reference to previous archaeological interventions and the proposed extension to the church hall. The trenches were excavated by hand between 23rd and 30th October 2007, and another watching brief took place between 4th and 8th August 2008. Two inhumations, which belong to the known pre Conquest cemetery (7th to 10th century AD) were identified covering approximately 10m squared, along with two post holes. Three radiocarbon dates were attained, one from an inhumation and two from the post holes, providing dates of the 7th to 9th centuries AD. A small amount of late Saxon pottery along with a mixed assemblage of medieval and post medieval pottery and clay pipe were also recovered (ASWYAS, 2008). |