Sewardsley Priory, Showsley Grounds Towcester, Northamptonshire
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Wessex Archaeology Sewardsley Priory, Showsley Grounds Towcester, Northamptonshire Archaeological Evaluation and Assessment of Results Ref: 65307 July 2008 Sewardsley Priory, Showsley Grounds, Towcester, Northamptonshire Archaeological Evaluation and Assessment of Results Prepared on behalf of Videotext Communications Ltd 49 Goldhawk Road LONDON W12 8QP By Wessex Archaeology Portway House Old Sarum Park SALISBURY Wiltshire SP4 6EB Report reference: 65307.01 July 2008 © Wessex Archaeology Limited 2008, all rights reserved Wessex Archaeology Limited is a Registered Charity No. 287786 Sewardsley Priory, Showsley Grounds, Towcester, Northamptonshire Archaeological Evaluation and Assessment of Results Contents Summary Acknowledgements 1 BACKGROUND..................................................................................................1 1.1 Introduction................................................................................................1 1.2 Site Location, Topography and Geology..................................................1 1.3 Historical Background...............................................................................1 1.4 Previous Archaeological Work .................................................................4 2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES.................................................................................4 3 METHODS...........................................................................................................4 3.1 Geophysical Survey....................................................................................4 3.2 Evaluation...................................................................................................4 4 RESULTS.............................................................................................................5 4.1 Introduction................................................................................................5 4.2 Geophysical Survey....................................................................................5 Resistance Survey (Figure 2B)....................................................................5 GPR Survey (Figure 2A) .............................................................................6 4.3 Evaluation Trenches ..................................................................................7 Trench 1 (Figure 3) .....................................................................................7 Trench 2 (Figure 4) .....................................................................................8 Trench 3 (Figure 5) .....................................................................................9 Trench 4 (Figure 6) ...................................................................................10 Trench 5 (Figure 7) ...................................................................................11 Trench 6 (Figure 8) ...................................................................................11 5 FINDS .................................................................................................................11 5.1 Introduction..............................................................................................11 5.2 Pottery.......................................................................................................12 5.3 Ceramic Building Material (CBM) ........................................................15 5.4 Stone ..........................................................................................................16 5.5 Glass ..........................................................................................................16 5.6 Metalwork.................................................................................................16 5.7 Other Finds...............................................................................................17 6 DISCUSSION.....................................................................................................17 6.1 Introduction..............................................................................................17 6.2 Priory Layout ...........................................................................................17 6.3 The Priory Chapel....................................................................................18 6.4 The Cloister ..............................................................................................18 6.5 The Prioress’s lodgings?..........................................................................19 6.6 Representations of the Virgin Mary.......................................................19 7 RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................................................20 8 ARCHIVE ..........................................................................................................20 9 REFERENCES ..................................................................................................21 i Appendix 1: Trench Summaries Figures Figure 1: Site location and trench location Figure 2: GPR survey and resistance survey results Figure 3: Trench 1: plan and photos Plate 1: Skeleton (126) in grave (125) beneath wall (120) Plate 2: Trench 1 from the east Plate 3: Trench 1 from the west Figure 4: Trench 2: plan and photos Plate 4: Trench 2 from the west Plate 5: Trench 2 from the south Plate 6: Skeleton (215) within grave (214) beneath slab (204) Figure 5: Trench 3: plan and photos Plate 7: Trench 3 from north Plate 8: Trench 3, detail of garderobe structure (304) Figure 6: Trench 4: plan and photos Plate 9: Trench 4 from the west, inner cloister walls (408) and (409) in foreground Plate 10: Detail of inner cloister walls (408) and (409) from east Plate 11: Trench 4 from the east, outer cloister wall (421) in foreground Plate 12: Recording of Trench 4 Figure 7: Trench 5: plan and photos Plate 13: Trench 5 from the south Plate 14: Trench 5 from the east Plate 15: working shot in Trench 5 Figure 8: Trench 6: plan and photos Plate 16: Trench 6 from the east Plate 17: Trench 6 working shot Figure 9: Medieval line-impressed floor tiles from demolition levelling layer (502) Front cover: Trench 1 under excavation Back cover: Trench 2 under excavation Tables Table 1: Finds totals by material type and by trench Table 2: Phases and major defining wares for the medieval ceramics of Northamptonshire c. AD1100-1550 Table 3: Pottery occurrence per medieval ceramic phase ii Sewardsley Priory, Showsley Grounds, Towcester, Northamptonshire Archaeological Evaluation and Assessment of Results Summary In June 2007, an archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Channel 4’s ‘Time Team’ at the site of Sewardsley Priory within the gardens of Showsley Grounds, Towcester, Northamptonshire (NGR 471810 250740) to investigate the remains of a Cistercian Priory founded, according to documentary sources, c.1155. The priory remained relatively poor throughout its existence, but also had an unfortunate propensity for scandal in the later medieval period. This involved financial irregularities and other excesses, culminating in an association with a case of witchcraft in 1470, and the declaration as null and void of the election of one of the last prioresses in 1530 on the grounds of her unfitness for the post. At the time of the Dissolution in 1536, Sewardsley was the second poorest nunnery in the country. The aim of the evaluation was to attempt to reveal the layout of the monastic buildings, to confirm (or otherwise) the suggested mid 12th century construction date, and to establish the date range of the surviving archaeological remains. The evaluation revealed that the priory had a similar layout to many religious houses in Britain, based upon a 9th century hypothetical blue-print of the ideal monastery known as the St. Gall Plan. The layout comprised a central cloister with a chapel or church to the north, and ranges of buildings surrounding the remaining three sides. A number of phases of construction were identified, the earliest dating to the 12th century, with later buildings constructed at times of relative prosperity. Burials accompanied the earliest phase of construction, and further burials dating to the 13th century were also excavated. A possible two-storey building was located to the south- west of the cloister, perhaps the remains of the Prioress’s lodgings, although its precise nature and function is uncertain. iii Sewardsley Priory, Showsley Grounds, Towcester, Northamptonshire Archaeological Evaluation and Assessment of Results Acknowledgements This programme of post-excavation and assessment work was commissioned and funded by Videotext Communications Ltd. Wessex Archaeology would like to thank the staff at Videotext, and in particular Michael Douglas (Series Editor), Melinda Corkery (Production Manager), Lucia Ashmore (Assistant Producers), Jim Mower (Assistant Producer, Development), Jon Willers (Researcher) and Jenny James (Production Coordinator) for their considerable help during the recording and post- excavation work. The geophysical survey was undertaken by John Gater, Jimmy Adcock and Emma Wood of GSB Prospection. The field survey was undertaken by Henry Chapman of University of Birmingham. The excavation strategy was devised by Mick Aston of Bristol University. The on-site recording was co-ordinated by Steve Thompson assisted by Laura Catlin, both of Wessex Archaeology. Laura Catlin was also in charge of on-site finds processing. The excavations were undertaken by Time Team’s retained archaeologists,