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Summary

A site with a number of features of medieval date probably representing a small croft or farmstead

Other Statuses and Cross-References

• Berkshire SMR No. (pre 2000): 06446.00.000
  

Monument Type(s):

• DITCH (12th century - 1101 AD to 1119 AD)
• PIT (12th century to 13th century - 1101 AD to 1300 AD)
• ENCLOSURE (13th century - 1201 AD to 1300 AD)
• FARMSTEAD (13th century - 1201 AD to 1300 AD)

Full Description

Two ditches and three pits all of medieval date were revealed at this site during archaeological evaluations for the A34 Newbury Bypass. The features all produced small quantities of pottery of medieval date. The larger of the two ditches was between 0.80m and 1.30m in width and was between 0.25m and 0.45m deep, and became narrower and shallower towards its western extent. Along with medieval pottery of probable 13th century date, quantities of ceramic building material, worked flint, burnt flint and animal bone were recovered. This ditch may represent an enclosure or property boundary, as all the other features at the site were located to the north of this feature. The other ditch was orientated north-east to south-west. It was short in length, and on average 0.85m wide and 0.20m deep. This ditch terminated at its south-west end in a sub-circular pit, approximately 1.30m in diameter and 04.40m deep, with a small contemporaneous posthole in its base. Pottery, ceramic building material, burnt flint and animal bone were recovered.

Three pits all of medieval date were also recorded. A large sub-circular pit 1.8m in diameter and 0.25m deep was located towards the eastern side of the site. The basal fill of this pit comprised a 0.10m thick layer of stiff, silty clay, possibly a deliberate clay lining, suggesting a storage function. To the west of this feature were two intercutting sub-circular pits, both of which contained medieval pottery. One of these pits also contained a large quantity of burnt flint associated with a distinct charcoal deposit and two fragments of burnt sarsen stone.

Overall the pottery recovered from the site represents a normal domestic assemblage rather than kiln waste, and although the assemblage is too small for close dating, it can be dated to around the second half of the 13th century. The nature of the site is difficult to interpret, but the environmental and finds evidence both indicate a domestic function; the site probably represents the scant remains of a small croft or farmstead <3>.

It is possibly significant that the orientation of the larger ditch at Hills Pightle is very similar to the supposed Civil War siege trench plotted schematically by Money in the late 19th century <8>, although this correlation was not picked up at the time of the bypass's construction. It is also perhaps relevant due to the dating of the assemblage at Hills Pightle, that a deer park is likely to have existed near this location <9>.

Sources and further reading

Related Monuments

Associated Excavations and Fieldwork

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