SAWTRY ARCHAEOLOGY

14-1 HEFA / ILAFS Test Pits

1.            Introduction.

 

1.1.         Purpose.  The purpose of this archaeological project record was to document events, capture hypotheses and decisions made, and collate findings, results and reports created through the life of the project.  It also set the conditions by which Sawtry Historical Society (SHS) provided support to the Access Cambridge Archaeology (ACA) Higher Education Field Academy (HEFA) programme; latterly known as the Independent Learning Archaeology Field School (ILAFS).  As such, it was a living document that evolved as the project itself evolved.  This project has been completed and is now closed.

 

1.2.         Site Details.

 

1.2.1.      Location.  The project area consisted initially of the urban area of Sawtry, with that of Great Gidding being included several years later (Figures 1.1 and 1.2).

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1.2.2.      Reference Points.  Due to the dispersed nature of this project no Site Benchmarks (SBM) or Grid Alignment Points (GAP) were set.

 

1.2.3.      Site Reference Code.  The site reference code for all SHS archaeological activities was SAW141-YY, where YY are the last two digits of the calendar year; eg SAW141-14.  The site reference code for all ACA reports was SAW/nn, where nn are the last two digits of the year in which the archaeological activities that are the subject of the report were undertaken.

 

1.2.4.      Geology.  Sawtry sits on bedrock that is comprised of Oxford Clay Formation-Mudstone, with no superficial deposits, which lies directly below the top and sub-soils (Figure 1.3a).  Great Gidding also sits on bedrock that is comprised of Oxford Clay Formation-Mudstone, with Oadby Member - Diamicton superficial deposits north of the Primary School, whilst the remainder of the village southwards has no superficial deposits, with the bedrock directly below the top and sub-soils (Figure 1.3b).

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1.2.5.      Protection.  Sawtry and Great Gidding both contain protected areas in the form of Huntingdon District Council (HDC) Conservation Areas (Figures 1.4a and 1.4b).

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1.2.6.      Heritage Records.  Historic England National Heritage List for England (HLE) listings and Cambridgeshire Historic Environment Records (CHER) are either directly associated with the test pit locations - the record relates directly to a property in which a test pit was excavated (Figure 1.5a) or related to a test pit location - the location grid reference for the record lies within the urban landscapes of Sawtry (Figure 1.5b) and Great Gidding (Figure 1.6).  Full details are contained in Annex C.

 

1.2.6.1.    Sawtry.

 

1.2.6.1.1. Directly Associated.

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HLE 1162740 Chapel End

HLE 1309472 The Francis Pottery

CHER MCB20164 Post-Medieval Pottery, 101 Green End Road, Sawtry

CHER MCB20165 Roman and Post-Medieval Pottery, 136 Green End Road, Sawtry

CHER MCB20166 Medieval Pottery, 7 Alwin Close, Sawtry

CHER MCB20167 Medieval and Post-Medieval Pottery, 14 The Maltings, Sawtry

CHER MCB20168 Post-Medieval Pottery, ‘Windgather’ 11 Green End, Sawtry

CHER MCB20169 Saxon and Medieval Pottery, 19 Fen Lane, Sawtry

CHER MCB20170 Victorian Pottery, 2a Fen Lane, Sawtry

CHER MCB20171 Medieval and Post-Medieval Pottery, 14 High Street, Sawtry

CHER MCB20172 Medieval and Post-Medieval Pottery, The Old Pottery' 32 Church Street, Sawtry

CHER MCB20173 Medieval and Post-Medieval Pottery, 'Ivy Cottage' 25 Chapel End, Sawtry

CHER MCB20174 Medieval and Post-Medieval Pottery, 'Bedlam' 19 Manor Drive, Sawtry

CHER MCB20175 Post-Medieval Pottery, 27 Cavendish Close, Sawtry

CHER MCB21911 Ivy Cottage, Sawtry

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1.2.6.1.2. Related.

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HLE 1006817 Sawtry Moat and Shrunken Medieval Village

HLE 1130155 Church of All Saints

HLE 1130157 Greystones

HLE 1130158 St Bosworths House

HLE 1130159 Barn, East of Manor House Farmhouse

HLE 1162790 The Manor House

HLE 1162796 Manor House Farmhouse

HLE 1162810 MELLS

HLE 1309455 Green End House

HLE 1309484 Village Lockup

HLE 1330496 White Cottage

HLE 1330497 The Manor House

CHER 01018 Earthwork 'Island', Sawtry

CHER 01329a Moated Site, Sawtry

CHER 01329b Toft Hill Earthwork

CHER 01329c Sawtry SMV Earthworks

CHER 01329d Sawtry Roman Settlement

CHER 01334 Painted Roman Sherd, Sawtry

CHER 01337 All Saints' Church, Sawtry

CHER 01338 Manor Farm, Sawtry

CHER 01338a Manor Farm, Sawtry

CHER 01451 Roman Cult Object, Sawtry

CHER 01547 Roman Coin, Fen Lane, Sawtry

CHER 01575 Medieval Gravestone, Sawtry

CHER CB14973 Sawtry Methodist Church

CHER MCB18542 Possible Cobbled Trackway, South of SMV, Sawtry

CHER MCB20104 Medieval Field Systems at Chapel End, Sawtry

CHER MCB20176 Iron Age to Post-Medieval Field Systems and Possible Settlement (Area 2), Chapel End, Sawtry

CHER MCB21898 Cross Keys Public House, Sawtry

CHER MCB21899 Inn, The Green, Sawtry

CHER MCB21901 Former Blacksmith's Workshop, Sawtry

CHER MCB21902 Former Blacksmith's Workshop, Sawtry

CHER MCB21903 Former Corn Mill, Sawtry

CHER MCB21904 Westfield House, Sawtry

CHER MCB21905 St Andrew's House, Sawtry

CHER MCB21906 Former School, Sawtry

CHER MCB21907 The Bell Public House, Sawtry

CHER MCB21908 Former Blacksmith's Workshop, Sawtry

CHER MCB21912 White House, Sawtry

CHER MCB22008 Site of Former Fishpond, Sawtry

CHER MCB23148 Rectory, Sawtry

CHER MCB24862 Undated Ditch, 36 Fen Lane, Sawtry

CHER MCB29614 Sawtry Manorial Earthwork

CHER MCB30518 Former Remains of Ridge and Furrow, Sawtry

CHER MCB31126 Roman to Medieval Ditches and Pits (Area 1), Chapel End, Sawtry

CHER MCB31127 Medieval to Post Medieval Pond and Ditches (Area 3), Chapel End, Sawtry

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1.2.6.2.    Great Gidding.

 

1.2.6.2.1. Directly Associated.  None.

 

1.2.6.2.2. Related.

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HLE 1130104 Parish Church of St Michael

HLE 1130105 Crown Cottage

HLE 1130106 Tower Mill

HLE 1222762 Fox and Hounds Public House

HLE 1222773 Baptist Church

HLE 1330512 33 Chapel End

CHER 00931 Bone Figurine, Saint Michael's Church Churchyard, Great Gidding

CHER 00932 Saint Michael's Church, Great Gidding

CHER 01015 Medieval Moat, Great Gidding

CHER MCB17210 Great Gidding Baptist Chapel, Great Gidding

CHER MCB22046 Fox & Hounds Public House, Great Gidding

CHER MCB22047 Former Blacksmith's Workshop, Great Gidding

CHER MCB22048 Former Blacksmith's Workshop, Great Gidding

CHER MCB22049 Former Methodist Chapel, Great Gidding

CHER MCB22050 Former School, Great Gidding

CHER MCB22051 Former Alms-house, Great Gidding

CHER MCB23532 Wooden Drain and 19th Century Layer, 76 Main Street, Great Gidding

CHER MCB24207 Possible House Platforms, Great Gidding

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1.2.7.      Land Use.  Land involved in this project was predominantly residential.

 

1.2.8.      Utilities.  As the project was dispersed across numerous private gardens domestic utilities were assumed to be in the vicinity.

 

1.3.         Historical Background.  The HEFA project started in 2005 and 2006 with a series of small-scale test pits across thirteen rural settlements in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex (Lewis, 2007:133 & 141).  In 2017 it was renamed as ILAFS.  On HEFA/ILAFS, participants spent two days running their own small (1m x 1m) archaeological excavation within living villages, with the aim of applying and developing a wide range of learning skills, boosting their academic confidence and giving them a taste of life and learning at university level.

 

2.            Aims and Methodology.

 

2.1.         Aims.

 

2.1.1.      SHS.  The aims of SHS for this project were to provide the coordination necessary to host the ACA HEFA/ILAFS programme, specifically:

 

2.1.1.1.   Volunteers to assist ACA staff with the supervision of pupil groups.

 

2.1.1.2.   Residents willing to host a group of pupils and test-pit excavation in their garden.

 

2.1.1.3.   Provision of an administrative hub for use by ACA staff, pupils and village hosts.

 

2.1.2.      ACA.  The aims of ACA were twofold (Lewis, 2007:136):

 

2.1.2.1.   To improve the knowledge and understanding of the medieval development of current rural settlements through targeted archaeological excavation and analysis.

 

2.1.2.2.   To provide a first-class formal educational activity intended to raise the aspirations, enthusiasm and attainment of 14-17-year-old students interested in studying any subject at university (including those still undecided) who had achieved/were considered capable of achieving at least 8 or more GCSEs at grades A*-B, by making a valuable contribution to current academic research at the University of Cambridge.

 

2.2.         Methodology. The methodologies employed by ACA were:

 

2.2.1.      Identification of locations where, preferably with evidence of medieval origins, where progression to higher education of students attending local schools was typically low.

 

2.2.2.      Coordination with SHS in order to:

 

2.2.2.1.   Select test-pit sites in the gardens of Sawtry, and latterly Great Gidding, residents who had kindly volunteered host a test-pit excavation.

 

2.2.2.2.   Allocation of supervising volunteers to a test-pit excavation.

 

2.2.2.3.   Preparation of the administrative hub.

 

2.2.3.      Undertaking of preliminary analysis of finds on-site.

 

3.            Objectives.

 

3.1.         SHS objectives were:

 

3.1.1.      To provide daily support to the ACA staff.

 

3.1.2.      The supervision of pupil groups whilst transiting between the administrative hub and test-pit locations, and whilst undertaking test-pit excavations.

 

3.2.         ACA objectives were:

 

3.2.1.      To conduct test-pit excavations under the HEFA/ILAFS programme:

 

3.2.1.1.   Sawtry (2014).

 

3.2.1.2.   Sawtry (20 - 21 May 15).

 

3.2.1.3.   Sawtry (8 - 9 Jun 16).

 

3.2.1.4.   Great Gidding (27 - 28 Jun 18).

 

3.2.2.      To ensure volunteering residents and supervisors were briefed on their roles and responsibilities and the archaeological practices to be undertaken.

 

3.2.3.      To ensure pupil groups were briefed on the archaeological practices they would undertake, and the process of test-pit excavation and recording.

 

3.2.4.      To provide overall supervision of HEFA/ILAFS activities.

 

3.2.5.      To undertake post-excavation pottery analysis and the production of a report of the findings.

 

3.2.6.      To guide participating pupils with the completion of their individual written reports and analysis, including the provision of site and post-excavation records.

 

4.            Project Records.

 

4.1.         Test-pit locations are at Annex A.

 

4.2.         Post excavation records are at Annex B.

 

4.3.         Heritage record details are at Annex C.

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ANNEXES

 

Project Record 14-1 Annex A Test-Pits Locations

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Project Record 14-1 Annex B Post Excavation Records

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Project Record 14-1 Annex B, Attachment 1 2015 ACA HEFA Sawtry - Pottery Report

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Project Record 14-1 Annex B, Attachment 2 2016 ACA HEFA Sawtry - Pottery Report

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Project Record 14-1 Annex B, Attachment 3 2014-2016 HEFA Sawtry - Pottery Distribution Maps

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Project Record 14-1 Annex B, Attachment 4 2018 ACA ILAFS Great Gidding - Pottery Report

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Project Record 14-1 Annex B, Attachment 5 2018 ACA ILAFS Great Gidding - Pottery Distribution Maps

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Project Record 14-1 Annex C Heritage Records

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

The bibliography lists those sources of reference identified within the body of this project record.

 

Google Earth. 2020.

 

Huntingdon District Council. 2022. Conservation Areas. Huntingdon: Huntingdon District Council.

https://www.huntingdonshire.gov.uk/planning/conservation-areas/ (Accessed: 24 October 2022).

 

Lewis, C. 2007. New Avenues for the Investigation of Currently Occupied Medieval Rural Settlement: Preliminary Observations from the Higher Education Field Academy. Medieval Archaeology, 51(1), pp. 133-163.

 

Ordnance Survey. 2006. Peterborough. Explorer series, sheet 227 west, 1:25,000. Southampton: Ordnance Survey.

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