Monument record MLI52864 - Early Medieval Settlement Site, Church Lane, Cherry Willingham

Summary

Site of early medieval settlement activity at Church Lane, Cherry Willingham.

Type and Period (6)

  • (Early Medieval/Dark Age - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
  • (Early Medieval/Dark Age - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
  • (Early Medieval/Dark Age - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
  • (Early Medieval/Dark Age - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
  • (Early Medieval/Dark Age - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
  • (Early Medieval/Dark Age - 410 AD to 1000 AD)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Full Description

An early medieval site east of the churchyard was first recognised in 1978 by field walking. 40 sherds of pagan Anglo-Saxon pottery were found. {1} Excavations in June 1980 revealed the periphery of an Anglo-Saxon and medieval settlement. Evidence for Anglo-Saxon occupation was provided by 6th to 12th century pottery. One sunken hut, associated with ninth century pottery, and a series of drainage gullies and fences were located. The most important feature on the site was the remains of an iron smelting furnace, probably Anglo-Saxon in date. {2}{3}{4} In 1999 an evaluation on land off Church Lane found evidence for continuous Anglo-Saxon settlement from the fifth to tenth centuries although the full extent and nature of this occupation remains unclear. This evidence lay in the north of the investigated area, about 30m south of the 1980 excavations. Refuse pits made up the majority of the features, there were also pits and post holes with associated pottery and daub suggesting nearby buildings but there was no conclusive evidence for buildings within the trenches. Environmental evidence from the Anglo-Saxon features included charred cereal grains, remains of pulses, cattle, sheep and roe deer bones. These derive from domestic rubbish. There was also a small quantity of slag and hammerscale recovered, suggesting light industrial activity in the area. A group of four curvilinear ditches was identified in trench 9 and these ditches were interpreted as defining the southerly extent of occupation in this part of the site. Within trench 10 at the northernmost end of the site there was a tentative interpretation of two features as a possible sunken featured structure, a grubenhaus. {5}{6} During an extended watching brief during development on the site further evidence for Anglo-Saxon activity was recorded, particularly further evidence for metal-working with hammerscale and slag present. There were other linear features recorded during the watching brief but there was no indication of their likely function. {7}{8} A watching brief was undertaken during groundworks at Church Lane, prior to development. Ditches and pits which may be tentatively dated to the Saxon period were uncovered. Only one of the features contained a sherd of Anglo-Saxon pottery, but all the features were under a layer, which appeared to separate the medieval features from the Anglo-Saxon features. {10}{11}

Sources/Archives (11)

  •  Article in Serial: A.J. White (ed.). 1979. 'Archaeology in Lincolnshire and South Humberside, 1978' in Lincolnshire History and Archaeology. vol.14, pp.79-80.
  •  Article in Serial: A.J. White (ed.). 1981. 'Archaeology in Lincolnshire and South Humberside, 1980' in Lincolnshire History and Archaeology. vol.16, p.70.
  •  Article in Monograph: Paul Everson. 1993. 'Pre-Viking Settlement in Lindsey' in Pre-Viking Lindsey. pp.4, 92-3, 110.
  •  Article in Serial: 1981. MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY. vol.25, pp.172-3.
  •  Report: City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit. Jan 2000. Phase VII, Church Lane, Cherry Willingham. CWCA99.
  •  Archive: City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit. 2000. Phase VII, Church Lane, Cherry Willingham. LCNCC 188.99.
  •  Report: City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit. Feb 2000. Phase VI, Church Lane, Cherry Willingham. CWCL98.
  •  Archive: City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit. 1998. Phase VI, Church Lane, Cherry Willingham. LCNCC 178.98.
  •  Report: Pre-Construct Geophysics. 1999. Land at The Hawthorns, Cherry Willingham.
  •  Report: City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit. Jan 2004. Watching brief on Phase VII, Church Lane, Cherry Willingham. CWCB99.
  •  Archive: City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit. Jan 2004. Watching brief on Phase VII, Church Lane, Cherry Willingham. LCNCC 271.99.

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Grid reference Centred TF 0327 7237 (132m by 165m)
Civil Parish CHERRY WILLINGHAM, WEST LINDSEY, LINCOLNSHIRE

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Related Events/Activities (6)

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Record last edited

Mar 21 2021 8:35PM

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