ARCHAEOLOGICAL NOTES FROM BUCKINGHAMSHIRE COUNTY MUSEUM

These notes include archaeological discoveries County Museum Archaeological Group is abb• reported during 1991 and a few earlier finds. reviated as CMAG. Abbreviated grid refer• The results of some fieldwalking not yet pro• ences have unfortunately to be given for a cessed will be included in next year's notes. number of sites to prevent looting. The use of The assistance of many informants is gratefully the list as a guide for metal detecting inhibits acknowledged: other discoveries are by future publication of information, an inhibi• museum staff. The compiler would be pleased tion that is in nobody's long term interest. to learn of any errors or omissions. Findspots are recorded under civil parish. Some selec• During the year a substantial number of tion of material has been necessary; single new discoveries were made in Taplow and struck flakes for instance have not normally Dorney on the line of the proposed Maiden• been recorded, nor field scatters of medieval head to Windsor Flood Relief Scheme. Field• unless of sufficient quantity to indicate walking was carried out by the museum, and settlement, nor single Roman coin finds. trial trenching by Thames Valley Arch• Bracketed numbers indicate that the material aeological Services. is with the County Museum (BCM). The Michael Farley

PREHISTORIC

Aylesbury SP 8179 1166 filled with gravel; however it was 2m in width A socketed side-looped bronze spearhead, and 1.3m deep with a V-profile. Seven sherds found in digging house trenches in the from an ?Early Bronze Age globular vessel Humber Drive area of Walton Court in 1981 came from primary silts. A further, undated and not previously recorded, was given to the ditch lay nearby. Museum by Mr. J. Sallis. (1991.85.1) Dorney SU 9262 7947 area Trial trenching following fieldwalking, which Buckland see Romano-British had produced a fairly dispersed scatter of pre• historic, Roman and medieval sherds, located Denham TQ 0452 8712 a series of cut features, but not a 'banjo' enclo• Material from a fieldwalk, carried out by Mr. sure tentatively identified on air photos. M. Tingle in 1984, was passed to BCM. It Significant features included a single mid includes struck flakes, a leaf Bronze Age in an inverted Deverel• and a transverse arrowhead. Field• Rimbury urn, possibly indicating a larger walk records are at BCM. cemetery; pits, ditches and gullies possibly (1991.63) Iron Age; pits and postholes possibly of Saxon date; and a group of features of medieval/late Dorney SU 9210 7997 medieval date. Trial trenching located one of two ring ditches noted on air photos and during geophysical Dorney SU 930 770 area survey a little north of the M4. The ditch Trial trenching was carried out by the Oxford proved difficult to locate having been back- Archaeological Unit in connection with a plan- 148 ning application for a rowing course in a field Princes Risborough see Post-Medieval containing extensive cropmarks. A report appears in South Midlands 22, Stokenchurch SU 767 936 26. Extensive field systems of mid to Late An evaluation adjacent to a cropmark of un• Bronze Age date were investigated and an certain character at Chequers Manor Farm urnfield cemetery located. Although gravel was carried out by the Museum under the di• islands within the alluvium appear to have rection of Andrew Hunn for Mr K. Freeman, been favoured, the presence of Bronze Age in advance of proposals for golf course con• horizons off the islands show the whole to struction near Cadmore End. The site lay on form part of a continuous landscape. the Chilterns plateau at approx. 660ft (190m) Halton see Saxon and Medieval above sea level on a level promontory of pebbly gravel and clay-with-flint. The evalua• Latimer SP 9865 0185 tion revealed several small cut features inc• A palaeolithic ovate hand was discovered luding ditches, containing small quantities of by Mr R. Cato at Dunton brickworks. The axe struck flint. The majority of this material was found during processing of clay at the could be dated to late -late Neolit• works. The find is one of a rare group of hic. Some buried soil horizons were also pre• from the Chilterns discovered in unrolled con• sent containing similar material which was also dition in localised clay pockets (e.g. one dis• reflected in surface collection. Overall, six covered at Cholesbury sometime prior to scrapers and fourteen cores were recovered. 1957). Fire-cracked flint was also present in arch• (1991.40) aeological contexts. Although small scale the evaluation is interesting in that it reinforces Lillingstone Dayrell SP 7039 the impression, gained from fieldwalking, of Mr D.Shelley reported the discovery of an widespread use and presumably extensive Iron Age strap-union, identified as of Taylor clearance, of the Chiltern plateau during the and Brailsford's Type 1. earlier prehistoric period.

Little Missenden SU 9198 Tap/ow SU 9056 8168 area A gold quarter stater was found by Mr Mark Trial trenching exposed a shallow with Parry. LBA/EIA pottery, a pit with over 50 struck tlints including a barb and tang arrowhead, Little M issenden/ Penn su 9080 9660 and a single pit containing burnt flint probably CVAS 5776 of prehistoric date. Some 2m of colluvium of During systematic fieldwalking, Mr and Mrs Roman or later date occurred at the northern Cauvain with CMAG recovered 150 struck end of the site, covering some ephemeral fea• flints of Neolithic to Bronze Age date inc• tures including charcoal patches. luding two scrapers, also a polished flint , and a sparse scatter of RB sherds. Concentra• Taplow SU 9070 8105 area tions of burnt flint were also noted. Trial trenching exposed a probable (1991.62) lOcm thick, containing burnt and struck flint , together with quantities of possible Bronze Pitstone SP 9344 1552 Age pottery. Mr and Mrs B. Hickman drew attention to finds made over a period of some years in an Tap/ow SU 9093 8078 area allotment including 29 struck flakes of Trial trenching exposed an infilled hollow at Neolithic-Bronze Age date, part of a polished the base of which was much burnt flint with Neolithic axe, a transverse arrowhead, a uni• occasional prehistoric sherds and struck flints. facially flaked ovate, a fln e hi-facially flaked A second hollow with similar characteristics piece possibly from a sickle or part of an lay nearby. Other smaller burnt-flint-filled fea• arrowhead, and a single /flake core. tures occurred in the vicinity. 149 Tap/ow SU 9122 8068 area not obviously correlate with the results of trial Trial trenching exposed three features con• trenching which produced only three undated taining burnt flint, presumably prehistoric in ditches and a pit. However see following entry date. which lies in the southern part of the field.

Tap/ow SU 9132 8045 area Tap/ow SU 9180 7997 Trial trenching exposed a series of individual Trial trenching near the M4 intercepted an old features or layers containing small quantities river channel containing at least a metre of of struck flints, also pottery of probable Late peat. A site located on the margins of the peat Bronze Age date. contained a charcoal patch, a pit full of burnt flint and a possible midden containing struck Tap/ow SU 9157 8023 area flints and Middle Bronze Age (Deverel• Fieldwalking in advance of trial trenching re• Rimbury) pottery with carbonised residues) . covered over 140 struck flakes including ten Finds appeared to occur only on the top of the scrapers of Neolithic-Bronze Age date, and a peat. number of retouched pieces. These finds did

ROMANO-BRITISH

C'D 0()<. '2'2'1 ~,...._.,_,..,.~ +).....,.... A~,..,,...,....,.,,.....,.~, roof' .....,..., r-,,.-f...,....,,...,~,,...,. 1"'\,...,...... , ~f U.l. LJ./V .JJ~ _1-JVllL.-U lJJV UJ.;:)VV V \..-J J Vl Ull \....>/\ lVU.;,.l V V UJ. '-'U V.l. An excavation, directed by Andrew Hunn for slag, including smelting slag visible on a large the County Museum and funded by English lynchet. Heritage, ~as carried out in advance of con• struction of the Little Brickhill by-pass and Buckland SP 8912 following a geophysical survey by English During systematic fieldwalking, CMAG re• Heritage. The work abutted an area of corded the presence of Roman pottery and Magiovinium previously examined by David tile, indicating a small Roman settlement. Neal in 1978- 80. Flint-gritted Iron Age pottery was also Further evidence was uncovered for a series of present. ditched enclosures, apparently regularly plan• (BC) ned, to the east of the defended area of the town. Most of these property divisions appear Dorney See Prehistoric; also Saxon and to have been maintained with little re• Medieval positioning throughout the period of occupa• tion which lasted from the first through to the Great Brickhill SP 8928 later fourth century. Trial trenching further A report was received that during excavation east of the main investigation area may have of a small gravel pit a number of Roman coins located surfaces of Watling Street. A single had been discovered and ditches apparently of contracted inhumation burial was found within Roman date were present. As it was intended one of the enclosures during topsoil stripping that further extraction might take place an for a contractor's compound. evaluation was requested. The result of this work appears in this issue of Records. Bradenhnm SU X397 area Mr A.Waimvright, for the National Trust, re Stantonbury SP 8410 4200 ported th e discovery of three patches of iron Trial trenching was carried out by the Oxford smelting slag. First-century AD pottery was Archaeological Unit in advance of a proposed found in the same area. housing development. Several NW- SE (1991.127 .1 - 70) ditches, presumably field ditches, were located of which one proved to be Roman in date. An Brade11ham SU 831. 964 undated cobbled track was overlaid and cut by Mr A. Wainwright for the National Trust re- ridge and furrow; it could indicate the course 150 of a route represented further north by a Metal Detector Club were invited to search holloway. the area. A substantial number of corroded Roman coins were recovered from the silt Stowe SP 6807 3843 dump and the area generally, also part of four In excavating a rubbish pit for Stowe School a bow brooches and a plate brooch. Work by Roman pottery kiln was cut through. The sur• Mr Angus Wainwright for the National Trust viving portion in the side of the pit measured recorded various features and pottery inc• lm X 0.8m only, with flat floor and sloping luding third-fourth century Oxfordshire wares. sides. Three pieces of kiln bar were recovered. The small amount of associated pottery was Weston Turville SP 854 104 soft-fired in a grogged fabric, with simple During development of an area for housing everted rims, probably first century AD. Adja• Mr. B. Lane recovered part of a Colchester cent was a pit containing some Roman tile type Roman brooch, a bronze seal c.l300 in• fragments. The discovery was investigated by scribed "ALAS JE SUTS PRIZ" (Alas I am Mr.A.Wainwright. caught) depicting an eagle taking a hare (published in this issue of Records) , and West Wycombe SU 8394 medieval pottery of eleventh to fourteenth cen• Following dredging of the lake in West tury date. Wycombe Park, members of the South Bucks

SAXON AND MEDIEVAL

Aylesbury SP 8186 1394 at Dinton as a golf course, the developer A corbel in the form of a woman's head of late agreed to fund an evaluation of the area in fourteenth to early fifteenth century date, conjunction with detailed examination of land carved in clunch, was found in a foundation adjoining a known Anglo-Saxon cemetery. trench at the rear of a shop. The piece may The work took place in January-March 1991 have originated from St Mary's church. under the direction of Andrew Huon. (1991.55) Twenty inhumation graves were located. In Brill SP 65626 14164 general the preservation of the bone was poor Mr A. Patterson brought to the museum's and there had been much post-mortem dis• attention the discovery of a complete saggar turbance. The graves were orientated roughly and other pottery of fifteenth to sixteenth cen• in two groups at right angles to each other: tury date discovered in his garden. The garden heads SW with feet NE, and heads NW with adjoins the site of a possible kiln noted during feet SE. The soil conditions were difficult and building work in 1989. grave cuts undetectable, the fill apparently (1991.53-54) being backfilled subsoil which was in this case sandy silt. Extensive assistance was provided Brill SP 6701 1514 to the excavators by one group of metal de• A rectangular feature photographed from the tector users; on the other hand night-time sec• air may be an infilled moat. urity had to be provided to deter others less intentioned. Chesham SP 9763 0337 On a surface stripped prior to laying a water The cemetery was first discovered in 1769 main , Mrs M. recovered some 30 sherds when a cone beaker, now in the County of late twelfth to early thirteenth century sand• Museum, was recovered. The majority of the tempered pottery. inhumations recovered during the recent work were accompanied by of one kind Dinton SP '/65 115 or another. Saucer, disc and applied brooches Following an application to develop farm land were equally represented. There was one great

151 square-headed and a single small long brooch. traces of structures adjacent to the recently Textile traces are present on several together identified gatehouse to the abbey. with impressions of skin. A number of graves contained bead strings of and Great Missenden SP 9003 0128 glass. were the commonest find apart Following tree clearance it became apparent from beads. There was one drinking bucket that a previously enigmatic earthwork was a whose staves survived virtually intact. damaged ringwork. Medieval pottery was re• covered from the site. In several instances whole blocks of soil (1991.48) were lifted for laboratory examination. Conservation of the objects at the County Halton SP 876104-878105 Museum and through the Area Museums During systematic fieldwalking Mrs J. Chaffey, Service is continuing to bring to light new with members of the Chess Valley Arch• information. aeological Society, recovered a Mesolithic tranchet axe, 40" struck flints of Neolithic• A large ditch to the east of the site may Bronze Age date, flint-gritted sherds (?Iron have defined the cemetery's limit, although it Age), a few Roman sherds, 40 Saxon sherds may have been an earlier field boundary. The including a possible Ipswich sherd, and a subs• cemetery is provisionally dated to the mid tantial quantity of medieval pottery. (Rf'M) .;ixth------rPntnrv------..~. ,- --·-, Dorney SU 9225 7965 area Medmenham SU 8066 8384 Trial trenching following fieldwalking south of A watching brief on a domestic pipeline trench the M4, in an area of diffuse cropmarks, re• through the yard of Abbey House, the site of vealed several foci of activity. Fieldwalking Medmenham Abbey, noted only a spread of had produced much medieval and a small undated compacted small chalk rubble. amount of Roman pottery together with fire• cracked flint and a sparse scatter of struck flakes. The trial trenching identified many pits, Newport Pagnell SP 8758 4407 postholes, ditches, gullies ::~nd pits, the m::~j­ A wMching hrief kimlly funded by McCarthy ority of datable features being of medieval and Stone (Developments Ltd), was carried date. A second focus related to a spread of out by Hugh Beamish for the Museum. burnt flint, struck flint and Late Bronze Age Although few archaeological features were re• Early Iron Age pottery. A third focus relating corded on the housing development itself, a to other cut features was associated with veget• trench dug from the site into Union Street cut able tempered sherds, possibly of Saxon date. a deep feature containing a rim sherd of St Neat's type in its primary fill, providing the Dorney SU 9293 7958 first concrete indication of Late Saxon occupa• Trial trenching revealed pits, postholes and tion in the town. A note on this work will be ditches of medieval and post-medieval date. found elsewhere in this issue of Records. See also Dorney, Prehistoric. (1991.128)

Dorton SP 6767 1362 Stowe SP 6769 3718 Mrs E. Graves reported the discovery of seven Medieval and post-medieval pottery was re• medieval sherds including a Brill rim, found covered by Mr Angus Wainwright from tree whilst digging a pond. roots at the south end of the former village of (1991.49) Stowe. (1992.93.1) Great Missenden SP 8992 0114 A small investigation by Andrew Hunn at Abbey Farm, Great Missenden, revealed Weston Turville see Romano-British 152 Wolverton SP 803 407 rayed. Although finds were not plentiful, a An evaluation of two pieces of land was small amount of mid-Saxon pottery was re• carried out on behalf of the Post Office by covered together with part of the handle of a Andrew Hunn, at the Wolverton Mill Training handled comb, and a biconical headed copper and Conference Centre. The larger land par• alloy pin. cel, a playing field, lay adjacent to a ring ditch excavated by H.S. Green for the Milton A second smaller piece of land which was Keynes Archaeological Unit in 1972. The 1972 evaluated to the north of the college, and was excavation had revealed part of an enclosure later surveyed electronically, produced part of visible on air photographs, whose ditch con• a sunken featured building. It is hoped that tained Saxon pottery. The 1991 work full excavation will follow the evaluation in evaluated a larger area confirming the course 1992. It may be that the settlement was the tun of the enclosure ditch on the south side, the which gave Wolverton its name. northern part having been previously dest-

POST-MEDlEY AL AND UNDATED

Buckingham SP 695 337 approx West Wycombe SU 831 944 Mrs S.Lewis reports the discovery of part of a After drying up of the lake in West Wycombe human skeleton (possibly disarticulated), in an park and subsequent cleaning, Mr A. Wain• electricity trench outside Churchview Cottage, wright for the National Trust recorded and Well Street. partially excavated a series of brick sluices and channels with associated timber, the remains Princes Risborough SP 822 038 of a boundary wall, and a bridge abutment, A survey by Julia Wise for BCM, published in around and in the lake bed. The whole, dating this issue of Records, noted a prehistoric about AD 1700, appears to be the remains of cross-ridge dyke, First World War practice formal water garden adjacent to the early trenches and other, previously recorded house or perhaps associated with the first features. phase of the present house. The features were much damaged by subsequent eighteenth cen• Stantonbury see Romano- British tury landscaping.

153