| Abstract: |
Archaeological excavation and additional evaluation trenching.
A series of archaeological investigations were undertaken by Worcestershire Archaeology from
September to October 2022 on land off Claphill Lane, Rushwick, Worcestershire (NGR SO 82082
53963). This comprised the excavation of an area measuring some 0.60ha, supplemented with an
additional two evaluation trenches positioned to help inform the western limit of the excavation. The
areas identified for further mitigation were informed by a previous phase of archaeological evaluation
trenching. The project was commissioned by Lioncourt Homes Ltd, in advance of a proposed
residential development. The archaeological investigations have identified a variety of archaeological features which have been
dated to the Romano-British, late-Saxon, medieval, post-medieval and modern periods.
There was a complete absence of prehistoric archaeology, even residual material within later
features, suggesting that occupation of the site did not occur until the Romano-British period, likely to
have been in the late-1st century AD. Roman features were limited to a few gullies and a possible
four-post structure, though the dating remains tentative. There was a considerable amount of Roman
residual material, however, recovered from both later features and the overlying soils, indicating that
the site lay in close proximity to a Roman rural site.
There was a period of inactivity until the site was reoccupied in the late-Saxon period, although the
presence of a residual mid-Saxon loomweight hints at an earlier presence in the vicinity. The lateSaxon
archaeology
was
the
most
significant
encountered on
site,
and
comprised
several
ditches,
possibly
forming
a
trackway, and
16
postholes
in a
broadly
rectangular
arrangement,
likely
to
represent
a
post-built
structure.
A
sherd
of
10th
century
pottery
was
recovered
from
one
of
the
ditches,
and
charred-grain
recovered
from a
basal
fill
had
a
radiocarbon
date
of
990
–
1160
cal
AD.
It is likely that this collection of features represented the remains of a small farmstead, and there was
some evidence to suggest it continued into the immediate post-Conquest period. At some point, likely
to have been in the late-11th or early-12th century the building was burnt down, and the remains were
backfilled into the nearby ditches. A new series of field boundary ditches were then excavated across
the site between the 12th and 14th centuries, though the absence of any material later than the mid14th
century,
combined
with
the
recovery
of a
Henry
1
silver
penny,
suggested
that
this
activity
did
not
necessarily
extend
much
past
the
12th
century.
It
is
of
some
interest
to
note
that
the
change
in
land-use
observed
on
site
in
the
12th
century
may
have
coincided
with
the
creation
of
a
manorial
estate
at
nearby
Upper
Wick
in
c
1158.
Later features were limited to two post-medieval field boundary ditches, and two drainage ditches of
modern date. It is apparent that following the 12th century the site itself remained primarily agricultural
until the 21st century. |
