Archaeological Test Pit Excavations in Kibworth Harcourt, Kibworth Beauchamp and Smeeton Westerby, Leicestershire, 2009 Catherine Collins 2 Archaeological test pit excavations in Kibworth Harcourt, Kibworth Beauchamp and Smeeton Westerby, Leicestershire, 2009 Catherine Collins 2018 Access Cambridge Archaeology Department of Archaeology University of Cambridge Pembroke Street Cambridge CB2 3QG 01223 761519 [email protected] http://www.access.arch.cam.ac.uk/ (Front cover image: The Coach and Horses Inn, Kibworth – the base for the excavations. © ACA) 3 4 1 Contents List of Figures .......................................................................................................................... 6 2 Summary ........................................................................................................................ 10 3 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 12 3.1 Access Cambridge Archaeology (ACA)....................................................................... 12 3.2 The Higher Education Field Academy (HEFA) ............................................................ 12 3.3 Test-pit Excavation and Rural Settlement Studies ...................................................... 13 4 Methodology .................................................................................................................. 14 5 Location ......................................................................................................................... 16 5.1 Kibworth Harcourt ........................................................................................................ 17 5.2 Kibworth Beauchamp................................................................................................... 18 5.3 Smeeton Westerby ...................................................................................................... 19 6 Geology and Topography ............................................................................................ 21 7 Archaeological and Historical Background ............................................................... 22 7.1 Kibworth Harcourt ........................................................................................................ 23 7.1.1 Prehistoric .................................................................................................................. 23 7.1.2 Roman ....................................................................................................................... 23 7.1.3 Anglo Saxon .............................................................................................................. 24 7.1.4 Medieval .................................................................................................................... 24 7.1.5 Post Medieval and later ............................................................................................. 26 7.1.6 Undated ..................................................................................................................... 26 7.2 Kibworth Beauchamp................................................................................................... 27 7.2.1 Prehistoric .................................................................................................................. 27 7.2.2 Roman ....................................................................................................................... 28 7.2.3 Anglo Saxon .............................................................................................................. 28 7.2.4 Medieval .................................................................................................................... 28 7.2.5 Post Medieval and later ............................................................................................. 30 7.2.6 Undated ..................................................................................................................... 32 7.3 Smeeton Westerby ...................................................................................................... 32 7.3.1 Prehistoric .................................................................................................................. 32 7.3.2 Roman ....................................................................................................................... 32 7.3.3 Anglo Saxon .............................................................................................................. 33 7.3.4 Medieval .................................................................................................................... 33 7.3.5 Post Medieval ............................................................................................................ 34 7.3.6 Undated ..................................................................................................................... 35 8 Results of the test pit excavations in Kibworth Harcourt, Kibworth Beauchamp and Smeeton Westerby in 2009............................................................................................ 37 8.1 The test pits of Kibworth Harcourt ............................................................................... 39 8.2 The test pits of Kibworth Beauchamp .......................................................................... 57 8.3 The test pits of Smeeton Westerby ............................................................................. 70 9 Discussion ..................................................................................................................... 85 9.1 Prehistoric .................................................................................................................... 85 9.2 Romano-British ............................................................................................................ 88 9.3 Anglo-Saxon ................................................................................................................ 88 9.4 Medieval ...................................................................................................................... 89 9.5 Post medieval and later ............................................................................................... 91 10 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 94 11 Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................ 95 12 References ..................................................................................................................... 96 13 Appendices .................................................................................................................... 99 13.1 Pottery report – Paul Blinkhorn .................................................................................... 99 13.2 Faunal Remains – Jessica Rippengal ....................................................................... 116 13.3 Other finds – Catherine Collins .................................................................................. 129 13.3.1 Kibworth Harcourt Finds List ................................................................................... 129 13.3.2 Kibworth Beauchamp Finds List .............................................................................. 140 13.3.3 Smeeton Westerby Finds List .................................................................................. 147 13.4 Maps .......................................................................................................................... 154 13.4.1 Kibworth Harcourt Pottery Distribution Maps .......................................................... 155 13.4.2 Kibworth Beauchamp Pottery Distribution Maps ..................................................... 161 5 13.4.3 Smeeton Westerby Pottery Distribution Maps ......................................................... 167 List of Figures Figure 1: Map of England with a close up insert of the East Midlands with the village of Kibworth highlighted in red .................................................................................. 16 Figure 2: Extent of the parish of Kibworth Harcourt © Crown Copyright/database right 2018. An Ordnance Survey/EDINA supplied service ............................................... 17 Figure 3: Extent of the parish of Kibworth Beauchamp © Crown Copyright/database right 2017. An Ordnance Survey/EDINA supplied service ....................................... 18 Figure 4: The extent of the Kibworth Beauchamp (south) and Kibworth Harcourt (north) Conservation Areas (shaded) © Crown Copyright/database right 2018. An Ordnance Survey/EDINA supplied service .............................................................. 19 Figure 5: Extent of the parish of Smeeton Westerby © Crown Copyright/database right 2018. An Ordnance Survey/EDINA supplied service ....................................... 20 Figure 6: The extent of the Smeeton Westerby Conservation Area (shaded) © Crown Copyright/database right 2018. An Ordnance Survey/EDINA supplied service ........ 20 Figure 7: 1880’s map of Kibworth Harcourt © Crown Copyright/database right 2018. An Ordnance Survey/EDINA supplied service ......................................................... 27 Figure 8: 1880’s map of Kibworth Beauchamp © Crown Copyright/database right 2018. An Ordnance Survey/EDINA supplied service ..............................................