Murray, P. and Dodd, M. (2022). Cheltenham Minster Gardens, Gloucestershire Archaeological Watching Brief Report. Oxford Archaeology. https://doi.org/10.5284/1103690. Cite this using datacite

Title
Title
The title of the publication or report
Title:		 Cheltenham Minster Gardens, Gloucestershire Archaeological Watching Brief Report
Series
Series
The series the publication or report is included in
Series:		 Oxford Archaeological Unit unpublished report series
Downloads
Downloads
Any files associated with the publication or report that can be downloaded from the ADS
Downloads:
oxfordar1-511479_193381.pdf (4 MB) : Download
Licence Type
Licence Type
ADS, CC-BY 4.0 or CC-BY 4.0 NC.
Licence Type:
ADS Terms of Use and Access icon
ADS Terms of Use and Access
DOI
DOI
The DOI (digital object identifier) for the publication or report.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5284/1103690
Publication Type
Publication Type
The type of publication - report, monograph, journal article or chapter from a book
Publication Type:		 Report (in Series)
Abstract
Abstract
The abstract describing the content of the publication or report
Abstract:		 Liaison was maintained with the works contractor to ensure potential archaeological and human remains were subjected to the minimum impact. Any archaeological remains (and specifically articulated human remains) that were revealed by the works was communicated to the archaeology advisors. Disarticulated human remains (charnel) were not removed from the consecrated site. Charnel was reburied at suitable locations within the works. Infilling of brick tombs Several unexpected voids were exposed during the works within shaft graves distributed across the site. Following discussions with the planning and diocesan archaeological advisors, it was agreed that any remains that they contained should be protected with a breathable geotextile membrane and then backfilled with sand to consolidate the ground. Oxford Archaeology was commissioned by Cheltenham Borough Council to undertake archaeological monitoring during improvement works to Cheltenham Minster Gardens. The work took place on an intermittent basis between April and November 2022. The construction work revealed at least 16 shaft graves distributed across the site, as well as a small number of headstones and ledger stones. The remains survived in varying states of preservation, but the majority of the shaft graves had been truncated and then backfilled. This evidence suggests that much of cemetery was reduced in height at some stage during the 19th or early 20th century, although no record of any such works has been identified. A total of five shaft graves were exposed largely intact during the works. These required backfilling to ensure the ground was suitably consolidated for the development to continue. The human remains revealed within these graves represented the only in situ burials to be observed during the monitoring. Disarticulated remains were uncovered throughout the groundworks and reburied as the work progressed. Despite the presence of several headstones and ledger stones, the inscriptions were poorly preserved. Only a single burial could be dated precisely, with a breastplate indicating interment in 1811. The other remains were undated, but appeared to be broadly contemporary in date, from the 18th and 19th centuries. No medieval remains or structural remains from earlier phases of the church were recorded during the monitoring
Author
Author
The authors of this publication or report
Author:		 P Murray
M Dodd
Publisher
Publisher
The publisher of the publication or report
Publisher:		 Oxford Archaeology
Year of Publication
Year of Publication
The year the book, article or report was published
Year of Publication:		 2022
Locations
Locations
Any locations covered by the publication or report. This is not the place the book or report was published.
Locations:
County: Gloucestershire
Country: England
Parish: Cheltenham, unparished area
District: Cheltenham
Grid Reference: 394799, 222519 (Easting, Northing)
Subjects / Periods
Subjects / Periods
Subjects / Periods associated with this record.
Subjects / Periods:
WATCHING BRIEF (Event)
GRAVE (Monument Type England)
POST MEDIEVAL GRAVE (Tag)
COFFIN FITTING (Object England)
POST MEDIEVAL COFFIN FITTING (Tag)
POST MEDIEVAL (Historic England Periods)
Identifiers
Identifiers
Identifiers associated with the publication. These might include DOIs, site codes, Monument Identifiers etc.
Identifiers:
OASIS Id: oxfordar1-511479
Source
Source
Where the record has come from or which dataset it was orginally included in.
Source:
Source icon
OASIS (OASIS)
Relations
Relations
Other resources which are relevant to this publication or report
Relations:
Created Date
Created Date
The date the record of the pubication was first entered
Created Date:		 10 Mar 2023