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Summary - not yet available

Monument Type(s):

• PIT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• DITCH (Roman to Early Saxon - 43 AD to 650 AD)
• DITCH (Early Saxon to Medieval - 410 AD to 1539 AD)
• ROAD (Unknown date)
• BEAM SLOT? (Unknown date)

Associated Finds:

• SHERD (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• SHERD (Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• SHERD (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• VESSEL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Events:

• Excavation of Saint Mary's Church, Clopton DMV, 1960-64

Protected Status:

• Scheduled Monument 1006883: Deserted village of Clapton (site of) N of Croydon House

Full description

R5. Initial phase of excavations in 1960 revealed evidence of Roman and medieval evidence. 1960 phase identified a cobbled road of late medieval date sealing earlier features including clay pits, shallow ditches tentatively interpreted as beam trenches for structures and other pits. Pottery recovered from the features ranged from the Roman period to the 16th century, of note were early Saxon wares including one with rosette stamps. A large key, window glass and leading was also recovered.

R6. The 1961 phase of excavations concentrated on the church site, identifying structural evidence and burials beneath the cobbled floor. Large quantities of Roman pottery from the 2nd-4th century were also reported.

R2, Summary of several phases of fieldwork provided in 1964. Three broad phases were identified dating to the Roman to medieval periods.

The earliest features on site comprised a large E-Wditch, 60ft long, c 7ft wide and of V-profile, was dug from about the level of the Roman ground surface 4ft into bedrock. This ditch probably had a sharp re-entrant at the W end. It had apparently silted up slowly, and included in its bottom level 8 sherds of pottery (7 certainly Roman). Later silt deposits included late Saxon sherds.

A later ditch on a NE-SW alignment subsequently cut across the earlier feature. The second ditch was traced over 80ft in length. Although some spoil was clearly heaped to the northern edge it could not definitively be called a bank. Again silting within the ditch was slow with Late Saxon sherds from the lower silts and 12th century ones - including a near complete cooking pot - from the upper fills.

The church remains comprised a cross wall, foundations, cobbled floor, drains and inhumations (see PRN 01216a for more details)

R3, It seems certain that the site was known and appreciated, and probably settled in Roman times. See also RN 01216 - deserted village, cross refs.

RCHM, 1968, An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in the County of Cambridgeshire. Volume I. West Cambridgeshire, 76 - 78(ill) (Bibliographic reference). SCB18049.

Hurst, D.G., 1965, Medieval Britain in 1964. II. Post-Conquest. Med Arch 9: 179-220, p. 170 (Article in serial). SCB15699.

Hurst, D.G., 1965, Medieval Britain in 1964. II. Post-Conquest. Med Arch 9: 179-220, p. 208 (Article in serial). SCB15699.

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SCB870.

Wilson, D.M. and Hurst, D.G., 1961, Medieval Britain in 1960: Med Arch 5: 309-39, p 334 (J Alexander) (Article in serial). SCB7368.

Wilson, D.M. and Hurst, D.G., 1962, Medieval Britain in 1961: Med Arch 6-7: 306-49, p. 341 (Article in serial). SCB7315.

Sources and further reading

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