Site Event/Activity record ECH6387 - St. Oswald's Church, Malpas: Archaeological Evaluation

An archaeological evaluation, comprising the excavation of three test pits, was undertaken in 2017 at the Grade I Listed St Oswald's Church, Malpas, in advance of a proposed extension. The information gathered during the evaluation was utilised by the architects to devise a foundation plan which sought to preserve the bulk of the remains in an undisturbed state beneath the new foundations of the extension. Each test pit was 1.2m square and a total of ten burials, aligned east-west, were uncovered. Three of the graves were almost certainly post medieval in date, with two being depicted on the 1884 graveyard plan. The remaining seven graves were of shallow depth suggesting that they pre-date the nineteenth century anti-grave robbing law. At least four were cut into the natural sandstone bedrock. No coffin remains or grave goods were recovered from them, although it was not the remit of the evaluation to fully excavate the burials. Bone preservation varied between very low to high. One grave, located in test pit 1, produced a shroud pin, suggesting a medieval date. The shallow depth of the seven graves also suggests a medieval origin and the discovery of skeletal remains beneath the church buttress confirms that a least one grave was of pre-fifteenth century date. The recovered artefacts are surprisingly few. Only a four ceramic sherds were recovered although one of these, from a potential cooking jar or pot, is likely to be of thirtheenth century date and may be a result of domestic activity from the nearby medieval motte. Three clay tobacco pipe fragments were recovered dating from the a mid-eighteenth century. Other finds comprised two post medieval iron coffin nails, the iron shroud pin of probably medieval date and some slag fragments. (1) A further report, with information on the proposed foundation design, was produced by Nexus Heritage; it includes the report of the trial pit evaluation produced by Aeon Archaeology, also a written scheme of investigation for further work, as appendices. (2)