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| CHER Number: | MCB20069 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | Medieval features at Isleham Recreation Ground |
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Summary - not yet available
| Grid Reference: | TL 642 739 |
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| Parish: | Isleham, East Cambridgeshire, Cambridgeshire |
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Monument Type(s):
Associated Finds:
- OYSTER SHELL (Unknown date)
- TEGULA (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
- TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
- SHERD (11th century to 13th century - 1001 AD to 1300 AD)
- ANIMAL REMAINS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- CEREAL GRAIN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- DAUB (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- ROOF TILE (Medieval to 19th century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
- SHERD (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
Associated Events:
- Evaluation of land at the Community Centre, Mill Street, Isleham, 2012 (Ref: ISLMIL12)
- Excavation at Isleham Community Centre, 2012 (Ref: ISLMIL12)
Full description
1. Seven trenches were excavated and two areas of occupation were uncovered dating to the early medieval period whilst a third may relate to medieval clunch processing. A group of post holes, pits and ditches to the south-west bounded to the east by a ditched enclosure. Running alongside the ditch are rectangular post holes which is indicative of two phases of boundary - one fenced and one ditched. To the east of the site a pit containing an articulated cow burial and eleven postholes suggesting the presence of a structure all bounded by a ditch to the west. Pottery recovered from these features date to the 11th-13th centuries along with a small amount of animal bone.
2. An archaeological excavation identified two phases of medieval activity on the site. The activity was uncovered on either side of a large natural depression, possibly a pond or hollow. The natural feature was bounded by a series of ditches, fences and hedges throughout the both phases of medieval activity. The presence of the structure identified during evaluation trenching was confirmed. This structure was of sill-beam and post construction and it may have been designed with a raised floor used for storage and was rebuilt during the second phase of medieval activity. An area directly to the east of this structure may have been used for crop cultivation. The southern corner of a field was located to the north-east of the excavation area and contained linear features thought to represent medieval ploughing and root action of crops in this area.
The excavation revealed a second structure to the east of the large natural depression. This structure dated to the second medieval phase on the site. Unlike the earlier structure, this building had no evidence of a raised floor. It is therefore possible that the building was a small barn or shelter for animals. There appears to have been a hiatus of activity on the site following the 13th century. This could be linked to a decreased population and the abandonment of the priory. The only post medieval features on the site were several pits that were dug for the quarrying of clunch. The finds assemblage from the site includes sherds of Cistercian, St Neot, Grimstone and Hedingham wares, fragments of Roman tile, animal bone and a significant charred cereal assemblage.
For the Early Iron Age features identified during the excavation see MCB22685.
<1> Rees, G., 2012, Early Medieval occupation and related features, Isleham recreation ground, cambridgeshire: archaeological evaluation report (Unpublished report). SCB22244.
<2> Rees, G., 2014, Iron Age occupation and medieval rural buildings at Isleham Recreation Ground, Excavation Report (Unpublished report). SCB48078.
Sources and further reading
| <1> | Unpublished report: Rees, G.. 2012. Early Medieval occupation and related features, Isleham recreation ground, cambridgeshire: archaeological evaluation report. |
| <2> | Unpublished report: Rees, G.. 2014. Iron Age occupation and medieval rural buildings at Isleham Recreation Ground, Excavation Report. |
Related documents and web pages
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