Medieval

1066-1600

The Park, Great Bookham

A second season of excavation by L Spencer of SyAS on the postulated site of Bookham Courte revealed more of the demolition layer uncovered in 2014 (SyAC 99, 224) from which medieval pottery dated to 1250 to 1500 was recovered. Beneath the demolition rubble, a succession of largely sterile deposits overlay a chalk surface. A line of one or two courses of large flat-topped chalk blocks was revealed in the west of the site though, given its narrow width, it was unclear whether this constituted a wall foundation.

Effingham

Test pitting by C Hayward of SyAS recovered medieval pottery from several gardens, together with a small amount of Roman pottery, adding to evidence for settlement in the Roman period.

Land at Blackwell Farm, Hog’s Back, Guildford

Evaluation by H Nicholls of ASE revealed 88 archaeological features, comprising ditches, gullies, pits and postholes dating from the Roman and medieval periods. Three possible Roman phases of activity were identified. The earliest of these was indicated by a large sub-rectangular enclosure (Enclosure 1) in the very north of the site, of Late Iron Age/early Roman date, together with a possible curvilinear gully.

Coldharbour Cottage, Lower Mousehill Lane, Milford

Excavation by D Graham of SyAS following the reporting of a number of sherds of greyware pottery and iron slag, made in 2012 by the house owner. Five small trenches confirmed that the site is likely to have been an ironworks, dated on pottery evidence to the 13th century. Evidence of working surfaces were recorded together with a few postholes and a possible structure consisting of an oval ring of inwardly angled stakeholes, although the bloomery or any other substantial structures were not encountered.

Woking Palace, Woking

A fifth and sixth season of a community excavation by the Friends of Woking Palace, SyAS and R Poulton of SCAU. In 2013, a series of early hearths and an oven were recorded within the square medieval kitchen to the west of the extant buildings (tennis play). Archaeomagnetic dating suggests the kitchen belongs to the earliest phase of occupation and was taken out of use in the late 14th to mid-15th century, at which time a substantial new privy kitchen was built that connected to the Privy Lodgings to the south.

The White Hart public house, 150 High Street, Old Woking

Photographic record by C Lacey and P Wardle of The Historic Environment Consultancy and evaluation by P Jorgensen of PCA that confirmed the presence of an undisturbed medieval soil horizon across the site, as revealed in the 2011 SyAS test-pitting (SyAS 98, 257). In the central part of the site this was sealed by a layer of subsoil that produced 17th -18th century material. No features of medieval date were uncovered, but large quantities of later medieval pottery and peg tile fragments suggest a building in the vicinity.

Land at Priory Orchard, Station Road, Godalming

The first of two phases of excavation by N Randall of SCAU following evaluation revealed part of a previously unknown, early medieval, Christian burial ground across much of the higher ground on the east of the site. The graveyard, presumably originally part of the nearby St Peter and Paul’s church, appears to have gone out of use in the medieval period. The lack of later intrusive burials makes it a rare and important discovery.

139–143 High Street, Godalming

A watching brief by S Porter of TVAS following earlier evaluation revealed a range of archaeological deposits from the medieval through to late post-medieval periods. The earliest evidence was a medieval pit with sparse medieval pottery. More complex deposits of post-medieval date including walls, floors, a probable well and a cesspit were also revealed.

Town centre, Farnham

Programme of community test-pitting directed by A Sassin and D Graham of SyAS. Nineteen 1m test pits were excavated at Farnham Park, High Park Road, Farnham Library, the Museum of Farnham, the Old Vicarage, Bishop’s Meadow, the Memorial Hall and the West Street allotments. All were generally outside the known medieval core of the town so little of that date was found other than some residual 12th/13th century pottery at the library and Memorial Hall along West Street, attesting to the ribbon development westward during that period.

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