More information : Timber buildings at the Anglo-Saxon royal site of Ad Gefrin. Some show as cropmarks, others were found by excavation. In the following list the names are as given in Hope-Taylor's 1977 publication 'Yeavering: an Anglo-British centre of early Northumbria' (see ref. 1).
A1- A rectangular timber hall with rectangular annexes on its eastern and western ends. It measures 25m east-west by 8m north-south. Its eastern end overlies A2.
A2- A rectangular timber hall, measuring 24m east-west by 8m north-south. Its western end is overlain by A1, and at its western end it is overlain by A3 and A4.
A3-8 The superimposed foundation trenches of a succession of rectangular timber halls. The largest measures 25m east-west by 12m north-south.
B- A rectangular timber building with a western annex, which, because of its alignment and intimate association with a cemetery, has been identified as a church. It does not show clearly as a cropmark and was only found by excavation (ibid. p 168).
C1- A grubenhaus measuring 2.5m east-west by 1.5m north-south.
C2- A rectangular timber hall measuring 11m east-west by 5m north-south.
C3- A rectangular timber hall measuring 15m east-west by 7.5m north-south.
C4- A rectangular timber hall with a western annex. It measures 21m east-west by 8m north-south.
D1- A two-phase rectangular timber building. It does not show as a cropmark but was found by excavation. The two phases together cover an area measuring 12m north-south by 6m east-west.
D2- A rectangular timber building, measuring 7m east-west by 13m north-south. It has been suggested to be a pagan temple (ibid. p158).
D3- A rectangular sunken floored timber building, measuring 8m east-west by 13m north-south.
D4- A two-phase rectangular timber building. It does not show as a cropmark but was found by excavation. It measures 13m east-west by 7m north-south.
Unnamed building in area D - One end of a rectangular timber building that was discovered by excavation. It had been almost entirely quarried away.
E- A series of nine east-facing concentric arcs which are thought to be the footings of a theatre or grandstand.
At least three other rectangular timber buildings show as cropmarks in a field to the south of the B6351. They have not been excavated but it is presumed that they are associated with the other structures described above. (1-14)
The site has been mapped from the air as part of the Milfield Geoarchaeology Project. (See archive object MD000295) |