HOLME CULTRAM ABBEY (GHTL14 HCA-A) FINAL REPORT ON ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS AT HOLME CULTRAM ABBEY SUMMER SEASON 2014 NGR: NY1774 5075 Scheduled Monument No. SM CU 302, HA1007164; SMC Ref: S00085110; County Historic Environment Record No. 3604; 370 OASIS id: 1-270996 Contact: MARK GRAHAM Grampus Heritage & Training Ltd PATRICIA SHAW Ashgill, Threapland, JOANNE STAMPER Wigton, Cumbria, CA7 2EL JAN WALKER HCA -A Final Excavation Report December 2015 CONTENTS Page LIST OF FIGURES…………….…………………………………………………….……………………………………….……..……….……2 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS .................................................................................................................... ……..3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................................................... …………………………………………………..4 SUMMARY...……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………..……….5 INTRODUCTION …………………………………..………………………………………..……… …………………..…………..…………6 1.1 CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE PROJECT………………………………………………………………………..….………..…….….6 1.2 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND TO THE PROJECT…………………………………………….. ……….………..6 2. METHODOLOGY…………………………………………………..………………………………………………… . …..……………....7 2.1 PROJECT DESIGN………………………………………………………………….…………………………………… . ………………..7 2.2 ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATION - INTRODUCTION……………………..……………………………..… …..…………7 2.3 HOLME CULTRAM EXCAVATION……………………………………………………...……………………………….. ... ....…7 2.4 ARCHIVE…………………………………………………………………………….………………………………..…..… …………...….8 3. BACKGROUND…………………………………………………………………………………..…………………………. .………….…..8 3.1 LOCATION AND TOPOGRAPHY………………………………………..……………………………………..……… ….……..….8 3.2 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND…………………………….……….……………………………………………..……… …..……....8 3.3 HISTORICAL PERIODS OF OCCUPATION…..………………………………………………………….………… .. …..……...8 3.4 HOLME CULTRAM ABBEY………………………………………………..…………………………………………..… .. ………….8 3.5 DEFINITIVE SITE BACKGROUND TO HOLME CULTRAM ABBEY………………………………………...…… .. .…….8 4 EXCAVATIONS RESULTS FOR HOLME CULTRAM ABBEY……………………………………………………...…… …….12 4.1 TRENCH 1……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………. ………..12 4.2 TRENCH 2………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………….………… ………..16 4.3 TRENCH 3…………………………………………………………………………………..………………………..…………… ……….19 5 FINDS METHODOLOGY……………………………………………………..…………………………………………………… .…….28 5.1 INTRODUCTION………………………………………………..………………………………………………………………. ……….28 5.2 FINDS RECOVERED………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………… ……...28 6 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS………..………………………………… ………………………………………..29 6.1 ARCHAEOLOGICAL POTENTIAL AND FURTHER WORK……….…….. ………………………………………………..29 7 BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………..………………………..………… ………………………………………….......30 APPENDICES…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….33 CONTEXT INDEX……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..APPENDIX I SMALL FINDS INDEX……………………………………………………………………………………………………….APPENDIX II ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLE INDEX…………………………………………………………………………………..APPENDIX III HOLME CULTRAM MEDIEVAL POTTERY REPORT SUE THOMPSON…………………………….……APPENDIX IV MEDIEVAL POTTERY TABLE……………………………………………………………………………………….……APPENDIX V FLORR TILE REPORT DR JENNIE STOPFORD……………………………………………………………….……APPENDIX VI ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS OF INSECT REMAINS DR LYNDA HOWARD…………………………APPENDIX VII PALAEOENVIRONMENTAL REMAINS LYNNE GARDINER………………………………………………….APPENDIX VIII REPORT ON WINDOW GLASS DR RACHEL TYSON………………………………………………………..….APPENDIX IX REPORT ON GLASS FRAGMENTS AGNESE BENZONELLI IAN FREESTONE………………………….APPENDIX X LEAD TOKEN TABLE KATE RENNICKS………………………………………………………………………….……APPENDIX XI 1 Grampus Heritage & Training Ltd HCA -A Final Excavation Report December 2015 FIGURES: APPENDIX XII…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………124 FIGURE 1 SITE LOCATION PLAN FIGURE 2 TRENCH LOCATION PLAN FIGURE 3 TRENCH 1 PLAN 1 FIGURE 4 TRENCH 1 PLAN 7 FIGURE 5 TRENCH 1 PLAN 11 FIGURE 6 TRENCH 2 PLAN 4 FIGURE 7 TRENCH 2 PLAN 8 FIGURE 8 TRENCH 3 PLAN 2 FIGURE 9 TRENCH 3 PLAN 12 FIGURE 10 HCA – A COMPLETE FINAL PLAN FIGURE 11 TRENCH 1 SECTIONS 2, 7 & 8 FIGURE 12 TRENCH 1 SECTIONS 11, 12 & 14 FIGURE 13 TRENCH 2 SECTION 22 FIGURE 14 TRENCH 3 SECTIONS 3 & 9 FIGURE 15 TRENCH 3 SECTIONS 6, 16, & 19 FIGURE 16 TRENCH 3 SECTIOSN 21 & 25 FIGURE 17 TRENCH 3 SECTIONS 24 & 26 2 Grampus Heritage & Training Ltd HCA -A Final Excavation Report December 2015 ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE Plate 1: Looking south. The drain (107) in Trench 1 with reused capitals.………………………………………..14 Plate 2: Looking north. Trench 1 with capped drain (107) running north-south………………………….……15 Plates 3 & 4: Showing the chess piece (SF 29) and the three reused arcade capitals (107) found in Trench 1……..…………….…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………15 Plate 5: Facing south showing the south refectory wall (103)………………….…………………………………..….16 Plate 6: Facing south showing robbed out east kitchen wall (171)…………………………………………………..17 Plate 7: Facing west showing the heat affected clay (177) and granite foundation (174) in the foreground.………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………………...18 Plate 8: Facing west Trench 2 cleaned…………………………….……………………………………………………………….19 Plate 9: The east-west drain seen next to the ranging rod, with the arch for the cistern…….……………20 Plate 10: Trench 3 Plan 9 looking vertically down with the north wall of the drain (235) on the right and the two sluice slots; the timber beam (228) can be seen in the base………………………………..21 Plate 11: The excavated cistern showing the flagged floor (232), the walls and the roof. The two inlets can be seen at the left and right at the bottom of the back wall (325)………………….….23 Plate 12: East end of main drain showing the end of the minor drain [129] where a slot has been put in the settling tank, where the dark fill can be seen……………………..…………………….………24 Plate 13: North end of the west section in Trench 3. The dark deposit where the ranging rods cross is context (133)…………………….…….………………………………………………………………………….……….25 Plate 14: The large east/west drain and cistern seen at the top. Other minor drains, of different phases, can be seen defined by ranging rods (302), (304), (328). At the top left an inlet to the main drain is visible (300)………………………………..………………………………………………………26 Plate 15; Trench 3 extension shows the room/building seen in Figure 10. The arched cistern can be seen top right; the structural walls are defined by the ranging rod and steps…………..….....…..27 Plate 16: Trench 3 showing the main drain, arch and the extension…………………………………………………27 Plate 17: An almost complete Medieval jug (SF# 33) recovered by apprentice Hayley Graham……….28 Drawing 1: Three dimensional drawing of the cistern in Trench 3, showing the north and south walls, and the back wall. (Marilyn Leech, each grid square is 15cm)………………………..…………….18 3 Grampus Heritage & Training Ltd HCA -A Final Excavation Report December 2015 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Grampus Heritage and Training would like to thank the Heritage Lottery Funded Solway Wetlands Project for funding this research and the staff of the Solway Wetlands Project and Solway Coast AONB for their support throughout. The Reverend David Tembey and the members of St Mary’s Parish Church have been continually supportive and have allowed us use of the facilities on site. Thanks also to the farmer Kevin McDonagh for allowing us free rein. Many thanks to the members of West Cumbria Archaeological Group for their tremendous help and to Hayley Graham our archaeology apprentice, thanks also to our new recruits to the cause, all of whom have contributed to pot and bone washing, finds sorting, archive research, attending workshops, as well as excavating on site and all that it entails. We would also like to thank Alan James for metal detecting throughout the excavation. The report was compiled by Mark Graham of Grampus Heritage and Training Limited as site director, Joanne Stamper, Patricia Shaw and Jan Walker, site director. Mark Graham undertook the initial geophysics survey and report. Joanne Stamper must be thanked for coordinating personnel and finds, particularly post excavation work and workshops. Don O’Meara compiled the mammal and bird bone assessment and Dr Brian Irving compiled the fish bone assessment. Workshops were run by Patricia Shaw, Don O’Meara, and Tim Padley of Tullie House Museum. Thanks to Marilyn Leech who produced the impressive three dimensional image of the cistern. Grateful thanks go mainly to the unstinting dedication of the volunteers who have turned up, come rain, shine, and even snow, to partake in excavation, post excavation processing and recording and the workshops. We have all learned much along the way. 4 Grampus Heritage & Training Ltd HCA -A Final Excavation Report December 2015 SUMMARY This report was produced to define the second-year phase of a three-year project. It seeks, as part of the Solway Wetlands Landscape Partnership Scheme, to add to the knowledge of the landscape heritage surrounding the peat bogs of the Solway Plain Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The area considered takes in the North West corner of Cumbria. This is a partnership project formed of the Solway Coast AONB, Natural England, the Environment Agency, RSPB, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, West Cumbria Tourism, Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery Trust, and the Diocese of Carlisle on the Steering Group. It is hosted by Allerdale Borough Council and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. This strand deals with the Hidden Heritage archaeological work programme. This project concentrates the heritage research on the Medieval period, to enable us to extend our knowledge of the significant impact the Cistercian monks began by establishing the Abbey of Holme Cultram in 1150. The research achieved