Church Archaeology 10

Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by Reading Borough Council to undertake an archaeological investigation within the ruins of Reading Abbey and Forbury Garden (centred on NGR 471900 173600) as part of the Forbury Gardens Restoration Project. This entailed a watching brief on all landscaping works involved in the project and exploratory excavations in advance of building works. The principal aims of the archaeological works were to record and ensure the survival of any archaeological remains that were encountered during the course of the restoration work. Where archaeological features and deposits were encountered, they were cleaned and recorded by the attending archaeologist prior to being protected, usually by reburial. Slight changes were made to the proposed restoration works in order to avoid any damage to the medieval and later remains. The most significant trenches, in terms of exposing the medieval Abbey remains, were a small trench dug below the cloister arch and a soak-away pit in the dormitory. In the cloister arch this exposed parts of the original masonry facing and decorative stonework of this important route between the church and the cloister. A small area of decorated medieval tiled floor also survived. A medieval mortar floor, probably that of a cellar or undercroft was recorded approximately 2.25m below the present ground level in the dormitory.

A distinctive form of external commemorative monument occurs in a relatively restricted area of West Ulster. The most visible portion of these memorials is circular, with three extensions indicating a cross form. This has led to the attribution of this as the wheeled cross headstone. Two mam types can be identified, those with false relief lettering on the front and sometimes symbols on the back, and those with incised lettering on the front and usually mortality symbols on the back. Particular attention is directed towards the second of these types.

The previous issue of Church Archaeology carried a short piece by Joe Elders on the future of the Ecclesiastical Exemption, written largely from the point of view of the Church of England. This article takes a slightly different perspective. The writer makes no claim to speak on behalf of the Free Churches but having previously served for a number of years on the listed buildings advisory committees of two major denominations as well as a decade on a diocesan advisory committee he is happy to offer the following observations.

West Angle Bay in Pembrokeshire has long been recognized as the site of an early medieval coastal cemetery and chapel. Although other such sites are known in the region, since none have previously been excavated, they are little understood. The location of these sites also means they are often at threat from coastal erosion. The site lies within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park within view of a popular beach at NGR SM 8503 (Fig 1). Since 2005 two seasons of fieldwork have been grant-aided by Cadw with support from the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park (PCNP). The project undertaken by Cambria Archaeology aimed at characterizing the site in order to inform its future management and survival. Public involvement has been an important aspect of the project, with the fieldwork being supported by archaeology students from Cardiff University and local volunteers.

The Victorian Gothic church of Daylesford originated as a minster of the early 9th century. Its original endowment of six hides survived as a parish unit until the 19th century, and this continuity combined with discovery of burials outside the churchyard suggest the site possesses an interest belied by its small size and obscure history.

Dairsie Old Parish Church is a fascinating building with an interesting and lengthy history. The structure we see today was the creation of Archbishop John Spottiswoode of St Andrews and dates to the early 17th century. Once an impressive and important ecclesiastical building, witness to the theological debates after the Scottish Reformation, it has in recent years become redundant and largely forgotten, an empty shell with only distant memories of its former glory. It shares the problem of redundancy, of course, with many other church buildings, both in Scotland and elsewhere. With a new use apparently found for the church, is there light at the end of the tunnel?