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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Evaluation by W Weller of SCAU revealed a very small collection of unstratified worked flint and two sherds of medieval pottery, but no archaeological features.

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.

Evaluation by W Weller of SCAU revealed a possible medieval or post-medieval ditch terminal and high levels of modern disturbance.

Building appraisal by M Higgins of SCC. Three phases of construction were identified: a two-bay parlour range with crown-post roof, originally jettied to the front and right and perhaps of mid/late 15th century date, and associated with a lost hall house. The second phase, probably dated to the late 15th century, comprised a three-bay open hall range, two bays of which were originally open to the roof, with gabled crown strut and unusual roof trusses with double side purlins.

Watching brief by L McCaig and D Britchfield of WA revealed three linear ditches that formed a possible enclosure and later droveway, and were located close to a group of postholes on two parallel north–south alignments. The postholes indicate the presence of a structure and contained 13th–14th century pottery. Any potential medieval settlement to which the structure relates exists outside the confines of the development area. Elsewhere an isolated and undated pit and a ditch were revealed.