Untitled - Council for British Archaeology

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The range was of secondary build to this
structure. To the S. it survived intact to
within a few cms. of the present ground surface,
but was damaged to the N. An outstanding
small find in one of the rooms to the N.
was a lead bulla of Pope Alexander IV (1254-60.
Dominic Powlesland commenced the excavation
of an area about 20m x 22m S.E. of the
other trench, and several phases of timber
and stone structures were recognised: the
former included postholes and slots probably
pre-dating the first stone buildings of the
priory.
The area'chiefly contained a rectangular
robber trench, over 1m wide, for a building
on an E.-W. axis, with internal dimensions of
about 12m x 4.4m. To the W. of this building
was a range of rooms represented by dwarf
walls, only partly lying within the area excavated.
There was a sm411 lean-to structure
against the S. side of the main building,
containing two Cl3th stone coffins.
The main building in this area, unlike the
others excavated to the N.W., continued in
use after the dissolution of the priory, presumably
in the early Cl5th. Alterations including
the insertion of a large fireplace may
suggest conversion to a farmhouse, which, on
coin evidence, remained in use until at least
1700.
FLEET MARSTON, Bucks. - M.E. Farley & W.J.
Lindsay for Bucks. 6ount4 Museum
As the nave area of this redundant church
was due to be lowered prior to laying a concrete
floor, the architect acting for the
Redundant Churches Fund invited advance excavation,
and this was carried out during
October and November 1975 with considerable
assistance from members of the County Museum
Archaeological Group. Under=floor heating
and Victorian box pews had destroyed much,
and numerous graves intersected the remaining
area. None of the graves were excavated.
Although Cl2th occupation was present, it
was of a domestic nature and the excavation
substantially confirmed the Royal Commission
on Historic Monuments assessment of the structure.
The earliest phase was represented by
a small rubble-filled trench crossing at the
chancel arch and integral with the first arch.
This trench never carried a wall and had a
lime floor laid immediately on top. It incorporated
pieces of peg-hole tile of a fabric
unlikely to occur before AD1200 and can be
considered to date the first phase of construction
of the church, unless evidence sealed be7
neath the chancel floor should prove otherwise.
The rebuilding of part of the south wall of the
nave, probably in the Cl4th-C15th was also confirmed.
WOODSTOCK, Oxon. - George Speake
Fragments of med".eval floor tiles, undecorated
apart from a greenish-black glaze, were
found in the bank of Blenheim lake, near the
site of the 'King's Palace' Blenheim Park.
SOME NORTHAMPTONSHIRE MOATED SITES
BARTON SEAGRAVE - J.M. Steane, J.N.R. Harker
& Kettering Grammar School Local History and
Archaeological Society. (Fig. 4)
A survey was carried out of the two moated
sites called "Castle Earthworks". Nicholas
de Segrave obtained a licence to crenellate
his dwelling-house at Barton in Edward I's
reign. (Cal Pat.R.1307-13, 303) and the site
is referred to as a castle in the time of John
de Segrave (Inq.P.M. 27 Ed.3. Bridges MS Bodleian
MS Top Northants C3 p.IO2). The more
S. of the two sites is situated on the 225'
contour line below the village of Barton Seagrave
overlooking the valley of the River Ise.
It consists of a rectangular platform, 210'
N.-S. and 125' E.-W. Part of the platform
has been dug out at the S.W. corner. An elderly
inhabitant of Barton Seagrave remembers
stone being taken earlier in the C. to build
the stables at Barton Hall. A moat of varying
width, 50'-70', completely surrounds the
platform except for a narrow causeway on the
E. side facing the present village- The
moat was clearly meant to be filled with water.
There is a spring on the S. side and a stream
trickles down the hill towards the river.
Substantial banks ring in the moat on the W.
(208' long) and N. (165' long) sides.
Irregular bumps in the field between this
and the more N. earthwork may indicate former
croft buundaries. The second site lies between
the 225' and 220' contour line. It is
on the same alignment as the first and consists
of a roughly 25' square platform. Again considerable
trouble has been taken to ensure a
wet moat. A stream flows past the earthworks
on the N. side and is diverted into the moat
which retains it by a large bank 130' long with
a W. right angled extension of 80'. The cen-