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Summary

A 1m square trench was dug inside the scheduled area of Thornton Abbey in 1997, in connection with a replacement electricity pole. Medieval tile, pottery and a possible fence line were recorded.

Monument Types

• BOUNDARY FENCE? (MED, Medieval - 1150 AD to 1250 AD)
• FINDSPOT (MED, Medieval - 1150 AD to 1250 AD)

Protected Status - None

Associated Finds

• SHERD (Medieval - 1150 AD to 1499 AD)
• TILE (Medieval - 1200 AD? to 1299 AD?)

Associated Events

• Watching brief during the 11kw overhead line rebuild at Thornton Abbey and Sweetbrier Farm, North Lincs. 1997 (Ref: TAT96/SFU96)

Full description

Humber Field Archaeology excavated a 1m square trench inside the scheduled area of Thornton Abbey in 1997, in connection with a replacement electricity pole.

Fragments of medieval flat roof-tile, probably 13th century, were found in the topsoil, along with a single sherd of 14th-15th century Humberware pottery.

Several small fragments of roof tile were also present in the subsoil. Below this, two shallow linear slots or gullies were observed, cutting into orange-brown sand. They were aligned east-west, and tapered to a point within the trench. A stakehole was recorded, cutting into the western gully; it was 0.10m in diameter and 0.12m deep, and contained stone packing. Taken together, these features were interpreted as a fence or hedge line, running parallel to the ditch marking the Abbey precinct boundary, a short distance to the south.

The fills of the gullies contained some dating evidence, in the form of three fragments of 12th-13th century pottery. [1]

Note that the location of this excavation is not clear. There is no map or plan in the report, and the grid refrence provided (TA11891869) is outside the scheduled area and south of the boundary ditch, which contradicts the text.

A grid reference of TA11821869 is suggested. This fits the report description, and is the location of an electricity pole on 2009 Google Maps aerial photographic coverage. [2, 3]

<1> Tibbles, J. & Atkinson, D., 1997, An Archaeological Watching Brief during the 11kw overhead line rebuild at Thornton Abbey and Sweetbriar Farm (REPORT - INTERIM, RESEARCH, SPECIALIST, ETC). SLS3660.

<2> M Hemblade, 2009, Location of 1997 HFA watching brief at Thornton Abbey (PERSONAL OBSERVATION). SLS3934.

<3> Google, 2008, Google Maps AP dataset (AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH). SLS3453.

Sources and further reading

Related records

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