Elsworth, D. W. and Mace, T. (2023). St Michael and All Angels Church, Beetham, Cumbria: Archaeological Watching Brief. Ulverston: Greenlane Archaeology Ltd. https://doi.org/10.5284/1116899. Cite this using datacite

Title
Title
The title of the publication or report
Title:		 St Michael and All Angels Church, Beetham, Cumbria: Archaeological Watching Brief
Series
Series
The series the publication or report is included in
Series:		 Greenlane Archaeology Ltd unpublished report series
Biblio Note
Biblio Note
This is a Bibliographic record only.
Biblio Note		 This report was uploaded to the OASIS system by the named Publisher. The report has not been reviewed by the relevant HER. The report has been transferred into the ADS Library for public access and to facilitate future research.
DOI
DOI
The DOI (digital object identifier) for the publication or report.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5284/1116899
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:		 As part of reordering work at St Michael and All Angels Church, Beetham, Cumbria, Greenlane Archaeology was commissioned to carry out an archaeological watching brief. The watching brief consisted of the monitoring of nine areas that were exposed following the removal of pews plus a tenth area which was exposed during a condition check/investigation of an area of flooring. The local area is rich in remains dating from the end of the last Ice Age onwards, with Beetham in particular being present as a settlement from at least the early medieval period. Numerous burials have been uncovered in the local area, and although most are of uncertain date, some are very likely early medieval. The most recent examples, uncovered in the garden of nearby Temple Bank, have been dated to the 7th to 9th centuries AD. St Michael and All Angels Church undoubtedly has early medieval origins, having had a possible unusual earlier dedication to St Lioba/St Leoba. Much of the surviving fabric of the church is medieval, although it was substantially internally reordered in the 1870s and 1880s. The watching brief principally monitored nine exposed voids where the current, late 19th century pews, had been removed and a hole cut through part of the flooring in order to investigate its condition. In all of the cases where the pews had been removed a shallow void, between 0.2m and 0.35m deep below the current floor level was present, with a loose fill of gravel rich in lime in the base. In most cases bricks had been stacked along one edge and/or timber beams were in place to support the pews, so that they were raised off the ground. In the tenth area the original floor joists were found to be supported on a larger beam sat directly on the ground. No remains of archaeological significance were encountered; the present features clearly relate to the reordering that took place in the late 19th century. Very few finds were recovered, but these included offcuts from window glass, pieces of marble monument, and a half penny dated 1861. All of these presumably represent accidental losses deposited during the installation of the pews or items that fell between the floorboards at a later date.
Author
Author
The authors of this publication or report
Author:		 Daniel W Elsworth
Thomas Mace
Publisher
Publisher
The publisher of the publication or report
Publisher:		 Greenlane Archaeology Ltd
Year of Publication
Year of Publication
The year the book, article or report was published
Year of Publication:		 2023
Locations
Locations
Any locations covered by the publication or report. This is not the place the book or report was published.
Locations:
Parish: Beetham
District: Westmorland and Furness
County: Cumbria
District: South Lakeland
Country: England
County: Westmorland and Furness
Grid Reference: 349610, 479572 (Easting, Northing)
Subjects / Periods
Subjects / Periods
Subjects / Periods associated with this record.
Subjects / Periods:
WATCHING BRIEF (Event)
Identifiers
Identifiers
Identifiers associated with the publication. These might include DOIs, site codes, Monument Identifiers etc.
Identifiers:
OASIS Id: greenlan1-519940
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:		 08 Jan 2024