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Test-Pit 35: 66 Station Road (SK 40337 03135)

Test-pit 35 was excavated in lawn in the rear garden of 66 Station Road, on the north side of the road at SK

40337 03135 (Figure 1). Over two days on 21-22 July 2018, the test-pit was dug to a depth of 0.8m with eight

spits recorded. The excavation was carried out by Sheila, Simon and Alessia English, Richard and Angela

Neill, Katie Peat and Heather Moore.

Figure 1: Excavation of Test-Pit 35. Looking north-west.

Figure 2; Test-Pit 35 post-excavation. Looking north.

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During the excavation, c.0.4m of turf and brownish-grey sandy-silt topsoil (Spits 1-4) was removed. Beneath

this was c.0.1m of greyish-orange clayey-sand subsoil (Spit 5). The natural substratum, reddish-brown sandy

clay, was reached c.0.5 below the ground (Spits 6-8). A modern intrusion filled with topsoil and brick rubble

was recorded cutting into Spits 5-6 in the south-east corner of the test-pit, otherwise no archaeological features

or deposits were recorded (Figure 2).

In all, 291 individual finds (5.834kg) were recovered from the test-pit (Table 1). A large quantity of modern

brick rubble and concrete was found in the top 0.6m of the test-pit, along with a small assortment of aluminium

foil, plastic plant pot, a Toffee Crisp wrapper, and parts of a CD and a battery. Pottery included 29 sherds of

post-medieval and modern china, cream ware, earthenware, mottled ware and stoneware (c.1650-present), 4

sherds of late medieval Midland Purple ware and Cistercian ware (c.1375-1550) and 7 sherds of medieval

Chilvers Coton ware, sandy ware, shelly ware and Potters Marston ware (c.1100-1400) - Figure 3. Other finds

included 2 pieces of clay tobacco pipe, 10 pieces of modern bottle and window glass and 3 iron nails. A small

quantity of coal, clinker and iron slag may also indicate metalworking taking place nearby.

Figure 3: Medieval (left) and late medieval (right) pot from TP 35.

Figure 4: Worked flint from TP 35. From l-r a concave scraper, a scraper, a retouched natural flake and a tertiary

flake.

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A piece of flint debitage, a waste flakes from the initial stages of flint knapping, a retouched flake and two

flint scrapers (tools used for hide and wood working) were also found in the pit (Figure 4). This is a relatively

large assemblage of worked flint to find in a test-pit and suggests flint knapping was taking place nearby, most

likely in the Neolithic period or the Bronze Age (c.4000-700 BC). This is good evidence for a focus of

prehistoric activity in the vicinity.

The presence of modern material throughout the test-pit is a clear indication that the ground here was

extensively reworked in the recent past. Modern finds, particularly the brick rubble, can probably be associated

with construction and occupation of the present house in the 20th century. The small quantity of medieval

material was probably introduced to the soil through manuring fields with domestic waste transported from

elsewhere. This fits with the site’s known history as farmland until it was enclosed as garden in the 20th

century. The 18th and 19th century material could be associated with activity around a Primitive Methodist

Chapel which formerly occupied part of the frontage south of the test-pit at 66 and 68 Station Road. The chapel

was built in 1791 and demolished in the early 20th century.

Table 1: Catalogue of finds from Test-Pit 35.

Test

-pit Spit Material* No. Description Date Notes

35 1 CBM 3 Reddish orange

CBM Modern

35 1 Clay pipe 1 Clay tobacco pipe

stem fragment Modern 1.6mm diam. bore

35 1 Industrial 9 Charcoal & coal Unknown

35 1 Other

finds 1 CD fragment Modern legible 'PLAT_ EW WINDOW'

35 1 Plastic 1 Clear hard plastic Modern

35 1 Pot 2 China/porcelain Modern

35 1 Pot 2 Earthenware 2 later Post-medieval

35 1 Pot 1 Cream ware Modern

35 1 Pot 2 Mottled ware later Post-medieval

35 1 Pot 1 Cistercian ware -

unclassified later medieval c.1450-1550

35 1 Pot 1 Medieval sandy

ware later High medieval

35 2 BM 1 Concrete Modern

35 2 Bone 1 Misc animal bone Unknown

35 2 CBM 23 Reddish orange

CBM Modern

35 2 CBM 1 Greyish blue tile Modern 12mm thick

35 2 Flint 1 Flint - concave

scraper Neolithic/Bronze Age fragment

35 2 Glass 2 Clear curved glass Modern

35 2 Industrial 9 Coal Unknown

35 2 Industrial 10 Charcoal & coal Unknown

35 2 Metalwork 1 Fe object Unknown Most likely a nail, heavily corroded

35 2 Plastic 10 Assorted thin hard

plastic Modern inc. terracota coloured plant pot

35 2 Pot 6 China/porcelain Modern

35 2 Pot 1 Earthenware 2 later Post-medieval

35 2 Pot 1 Earthenware -

unclassified Modern

35 2 Pot 1

Midland purple

ware -

unclassified

later medieval

35 2 Pot 3 Potters Marston

ware early High medieval

35 2 Pot 1 Chilvers Coton B

ware later High medieval c.1250-c.1300

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Test

-pit Spit Material* No. Description Date Notes

35 2 Pot 1 Coarse Shelly

ware early High medieval

35 3 CBM 4

Blue tile with

orangeish pink

core

Modern 12mm thick

35 3 CBM 31 Pinkish red CBM Modern

35 3 Flint 1 Flint - scraper Neolithic/Bronze Age

35 3 Glass 3 Clear curved glass Modern

35 3 Glass 2 Pale blue curved

glass Modern

35 3 Industrial 2 Clinker Unknown

35 3 Industrial 34 Charcoal & coal Unknown

35 3 Metalwork 1 Foil Modern

35 3 Metalwork 2 Fe objects Unknown Most likely nails, heavily rusted

35 3 Pot 5 China/porcelain Modern

35 3 Pot 1 Earthenware 2 later Post-medieval

35 3 Pot 1 Earthenware -

unclassified Modern

35 4 CBM 35 Reddish orange

CBM Modern

35 4 CBM 3 Purpleish red tile Modern 11mm thick, stamped 'ROBEMA_'

35 4 CBM 2 Orangeish red tile Modern 10mm thick

35 4 CBM 2 Greyish pink

CBM Modern

35 4 CBM 4 Yellow CBM Modern

35 4 CBM 1 Reddish orange

brick Modern With frog, 110m x 70mm

35 4 Clay pipe 1 Clay tobacco pipe

bowl fragment Modern Thin walled

35 4 Flint 1 Flint - tertiary

flake Neolithic/Bronze Age

35 4 Flint 1 Flint - retouched

natural piece Neolithic/Bronze Age

35 4 Glass 3 Clear curved glass Modern inc. moulded 'star burst' body sherd

35 4 Industrial 12 Coal Unknown

35 4 Industrial 6 Slag Unknown

35 4 Other

finds 1 Battery parts Modern

Graphite rod, carbon & mangenese dioxide

from dry cell battery

35 4 Pot 4 China/porcelain Modern

35 4 Pot 1 Earthenware 1/2 later Post-medieval jar rim

35 4 Pot 1 Earthenware 2 later Post-medieval

35 4 Pot 1 Brown salt glazed

stoneware

later Post-

medieval/modern

35 4 Pot 2

Midland purple

ware -

unclassified

later medieval one under fired

35 4 Pot 1 Medieval sandy

ware early High medieval

35 5 CBM 2 Dark red tile Modern 10mm thick

35 5 CBM 1 Yellow CBM Modern

35 5 CBM 6 Reddish orange

CBM Modern

35 5 CBM 1 Orangeish red

brick Modern 105mm x 74mm

35 5 CBM 1 Dark red tile Modern 12mm thick

35 5 CBM 2 Mottled yellowish

grey CBM Modern

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Test

-pit Spit Material* No. Description Date Notes

35 5 Industrial 2 Charcoal Unknown

35 5 Industrial 2 Coal Unknown

35 5 Industrial 1 Slag Unknown

35 5 Plastic 1 Nestle Toffee

Crisp wrapper Modern

35 6 CBM 6 Reddish orange

CBM Modern

contamination from modern intrusion in SE

corner of test-pit

*BM – Building Material, CBM – Ceramic Building Material