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Summary

Excavations in 1982-4 amongst the standing ruins to the south-west of the south wing of the abbey guesthouse uncovered part of a medieval stone building. The building had a projection on its west side, presumably for a fireplace, and may have been a detached kitchen serving the abbey guesthouse. Subsequent evaluation in 2013 recorded two robber trenches that may represent the kitchen's north and south walls but it appears that most of the remains have been swept away by later activity on site.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1019607: The North Gate and part of the precinct area of Buckfast Abbey

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• KITCHEN (Constructed, XII to Late Medieval - 1136 AD (Between) to 1539 AD (Between))

Full description

Brown, S., 2012, Buckfast Abbey. Desk-based Archaeological and Historic Building Assessment of South Wing of Medieval Guesthouse and Adjacent Area (Report - Assessment). SDV351038.

Excavations in 1982-4 amongst the standing ruins to the south-west of the south wing of the abbey guesthouse uncovered part of a medieval stone building. The building had a projection on its west side, presumably for a fireplace, and is interpreted as a detached kitchen serving the abbey guesthouse.

Brown, S., 23/02/2013, Buckfast Abbey Guesthouse (Correspondence). SDV351039.

Scheduled Monument Consent application and supporting information regarding archaeological work on the site of the medieval guesthouse kitchen.

Brown, S., Jan 2013, Buckfast Abbey. Survey and Evaluation of Archaeological Remains near the Medieval Guesthouse (Report - Evaluation). SDV351040.

The standing remains are considered to belong to a 19th century garden wall and farmbuilding. There are no obvious medieval remains surviving above ground. However, medieval remains are known to survive below ground. Excavations in 1982-4 uncovered part of a mortared stone feature porjecting from beneath the west side of the standing remains. This was possibly part of a fireplace or furnace associated with the medieval kitchen.

Brown, S., Sept 2013, Archaeological Evaluation on the site of the Kitchen of the Medieval Guesthouse, Buckfast Abbey, Devon (Report - Evaluation). SDV354915.

An archaeological field evaluation comprising seven trench excavations undertaken to determine the character and preservation of buried archaeological remains on the presumed site of the medieval guesthouse kitchen. The standing remains were also recorded and analysed. The principal reason for the evaluation was to inform landscaping proposals for the area. The evaluation showed that the remains of the medieval kitchen have been largely swept away by post medieval stone-robbing and other activity. Two robber-trenches revealed in Trenches 1 and 3 may represent the kitchen's north and south walls and a shallow fire pit from Trench 4 is also thought to be medieval in date although it produced no finds. Medieval deposits durvive in only a few places. A thin pebble and gravel yard surface and overlying clay dump produced finds dating from the early 13th century. Elsewhere a deposit of broken roofing slates (Trench 6) probably dates from the dissolution period. Other finds from this deposit include iron nails, fragments of animal bone and 11 pottery sherds dating from circa 1250-1450. No medieval kitchen floor levels survived. The best preserved medieval footing, probably part of the west wall, was uncovered during excavations in 1982. The earliest masonry remains uncovered by the 2013 evaluation are to be associated with a two-roomed cottage that stood on the site from the 17th-19th centuries. Some of the standing remains also belong to this cottage, but most are 19th century additions including a walled yard, a probable pigsty and garden walls.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV5980 - SHERD (XIII to XV - 1240 AD to 1440 AD)

Associated Events

• EDV6327 - Archaeological Evaluation on the site of the Guesthouse Kitchen, Buckfast Abbey
• EDV8334 - Excavation of trial pits in area west of Buckfast Abbey (1982)

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