SOUTH MIDLANDS ARCHAEOLOGY The Newsletter of the Council for British Archaeology, South Midlands Group (Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire) NUMBER 30, 2000 CONTENTS Page Editorial Bedfordshire 1 Buckinghamshire 9 Northamptonshire 33 Oxfordshire 43 Publications 90 Review 90 Index 91 Notes for Contributors 100 EDITOR: Barry Home CHAIRMAN: Ted Legg 'Beaumont' 17 Napier Street Church End Bletchley Edlesborough Milton Keynes Dunstable, Beds MIC2 2NF LU6 2EP HON SEC: Shelagh Lewis TREASURER: Jon Hitchcock Old College Farmhouse 75D Princes Street 2 Magdalen Close Dunstable Syresham Beds. Northants LU6 3AS NN13 5YF Typeset by Barry Home ISSN 0960-7552 EDITORIAL This volume, number 30, the last one of the century and of the mffiennium, has even more contributors than any previous volume 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 we have reached the milestone of number 30 we are going to produce another cumulative index of all volumes to date. We printed off hundreds of copies of the previous index and still have a good many left so this time we are going to take full advantage of the technology available and put it up on the World Wide Web. For those who do not use the web, but have a computer, we will make a floppy disk copy available if people send a disk and a stamped addressed envelope. For those who 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 for SMA 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 AIFA The 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 Ted Legg, the new chairperson, followed opening cups of coffee, tea and biscuits. Five speakers gave short, but excellent talks accompanied by slides and overheads. Barry Home told the audience about "Skeletons I have known"; Andy Chapman spoke about "The Bronze Age Barrow Cemetery at Gayhutst, Buckinghamshire"; Mark Holmes talked about the "Excavations adjacent to Wing Churchyard ". This was followed by lunch. Angela Boyle then started the afternoon talks with "What can we learn from Human Remains"; Colin Clarke spoke on the subject of "Death and Burial in Roman Wallingford"; 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 closing remarks 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 Bedfordshire BEDFORDSHIRE The watching brief tmcovered a further extent of stratified features and deposits that dated from the Saxo-Norman BEDFORDSHIRE COUNTY ARCHAEOLOGY period to the late medieval. Many features of post-medieval SERVICE date were also recorded during construction of the site access, some of which may seal earlier deposits. Bedford, Cutler Hammer Sportsground (FL 0203 4737) Mike Luke and Gary Edmondson Archaeological evaluation comprised geophysical survey Biggleswade, Stratton Local Centre (FL 2027 4420) (undertaken by West Yorkshire Archaeology Service) and Mike Luke, Matt Edgeworth and Rob Edwards trial excavation over a 2.2 ha study area. A trial trench evaluation followed by an open area excavation was The earliest human activity within the study are,a is indicated undertaken over a Study Area 0.8 ha in by three Bronze Age ring ditches. The ditches of two of these extent. This was located to the north ofpreviously excavated areas were examined by trial excavation and found to be c 1.6 m which had revealed extensive Saxon and medieval wide and 03 m deep. They varied in diameter from 19m to settlements. 22 m. Although a small number of internal features were identified none contained human remains. The earliest evidence for human activity comprised a presumed Bronze Age ring ditch, 15 m in diameter. No Residual pottery within later features suggests early-middle diagnostic artefacts were recovered from the ditch fills Iron Age unspecific activity took place within the study area. althoug,h the ditch was truncated by a small pit containing A number of pits and ditches contained late Iron Age/early Iron Age pottery. Roman pottery, which also occurred as residual finds within Dispersed later features. Although no clear focus was discernible it is Saxon settlement features were identified over likely a farmstead of this period was situated within the the western half of the excavation. These comprised a large study area. water pit, possible hearth and isolated pits and postholes. The small pottery assemblage contemporary with this A system of ditched boundaries was established within the activity was dominated by shell tempered Maxey-type study area during the Roman period. These form rectangular wares with a single sherd of sand tempered Ipswich ware. enclosures and trackways. Although no clear focus was Trial excavation to the north suggest this is the most northern identified, the presence of pits, isolated postholes and a extent of the Saxon settlement. hearth suggest these were associated with settlement. It is likely that this is the continuation of the Roman settlement The majority of the features dated to the medieval period. originally believed to be centred on ICempston Church End. These comprised ditched enclosures which contained both pit clusters, probable water pits and isolated features. Although no buildings were located the quantity of pottery Biddenham, 43-45 Main Road (FL 0226 4989) and animal bone in the fills of these, suggests they were Martin Wilson and Matt Edgeworth occupied rather than simply animal compounds. The majority of the pottery can be dated to the 12th-14th An archaeological evaluation carried out in November 1998 centuries. Locally manufactured sand tempered fabrics at a proposed residential development at Biddenham, west predominate with small quantities of regional imports from of Bedford, revealed a range of archaeological features and Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire and an artefact assemblage, indicative of occupation during the Essex. A limited quantity of tile and brick of late Saxo-Norman period. The site was situated within the medieval/post medieval date was recovered. These were not northern perimeter of a large oval enclosure of unknown present in sufficient quantities to suggest a tiled building. antiquity (HER 15271). In summary the open area excavation has identified the Further investigations were undertaken between February northern limit of the Saxon and medieval settlements which and May 1999, carried out in stages, comprising excavation arelatoi.vn to have extended over 10 ha. and watching briefs. Excavation on the new building footprint revealed a large area of disturbance, understood to be an extraction pit, of Dunstable, Grove House Gardens (FL 180 224) unlmown date, but infilled in recent years. Two east-west Mike Luke and Mark Phillips aligned parallel ditches, c 63 m apart, were investigated, each containing 12th-13th century ceramics, which could A watching brief was undertaken during construction of possibly have been the footings of a timber-framed sewer manholes and compound. A single pit was observed structure. An area of limestone paving laid over one of these contained post-medieval artefacts. ditches and a later cobbled surface demonstrated the re-use of this site in the later medieval period. 1 Bedfordshire Eggington, Land Off Leighton Road (SP 9631 2587) patches proved to be a ntunber of intercut pits, usually Matt Edgeworth and Martin Wilson rounded or oval in plan with a shallow profile. The fills were dark, containing a large proportion of charcoal, moderate An archaeological evaluation was carried out in June 1999 amounts of daub or burnt clay, and small quantities of in advance of the creation of two new lakes, on land to the pottery. north-east of Eggington, South Bedfordshire. The development lay within an area of pasture, containing The medieval period was characterised by a series of e,arthwork remains of part of the township's medieval field renewed boundary ditches. Certain smaller elements of system. The surviving ridge and furrow was surveyed. these formed enclosures in the south-eastem part of the site. Eight trial trenches were then machine excavated. No A number of pits also dated to this period. Finds evidence archaeological features were located. The finds from the suggests that the enclosure ditches had gone out of use by topsoil comprised isolated pottery sherds and a horseshoe the end of the medieval period. nail, all of 13th-14th century date. Field name evidence indicates that the development area was formerly imown as The Myres, indicating the presence Flitton, Church Of St John The Baptist (IL 059 359) of marshy ground. The excavated evidence suggests that Nick Shepherd, Tony Walsh and Mark Phillips during the Saxo-Norman and medieval periods it represented an intermittently used area of marginal land on Two separate episodes of archaeological recording were the periphery of the township. undertaken at the Church of St John the Baptist. The replacement of sections of timber flooring in the nave Leighton Buzzard, AB Saints' Church (SP 9183 2486) required the removal of sub-floor fill. Relatively compacted Martin Wilson layers beneath the fill may derive from earlier phases of use of the church or possibly even pre-date the existing An archaeological evaluation and subsequent watching structure.