Site Event/Activity record ECH6554 - St Oswald's Church, Malpas SY14 8PA: Archaeological Excavation and Watching Brief

In 2017-2018, archaeological excavation of the footprint of a new toilet extension was undertaken at St Oswald's Church, Malpas, as part of a continuing programme of archaeological evaluation. The excavation measured 11.25m by 5.5m and was excavated to a depth of 0.4m. Three foundation pits were also excavated to bedrock to allow for the insertion of foundation pads. Also, a watching brief was maintained during the excavation of a utility trench to carry the new gas pipe across the churchyard from the extension footprint in the east to the churchyard boundary wall in the west. The trench measured 21.8m by 0.5m. A total of ten articulated skeletons were uncovered. One of these graves (SK10), found within foundation pit 2, had been cut into the natural sandstone bedrock at a depth of 1.48m below ground level; the depth of the burial suggests that it post-dates the Anatomy Act of 1832, although it was not shown on the graveyard plan of 1884. Also found in foundation pit 2 was a child's grave at quite a shallow depth and with the remains of a coffin and copper alloy plaque, so likely of a nineteenth century date. The other eight articulated skeletons were found at a relatively shallow depth, between 0.24m to 0.68m below ground level, suggesting a burial date before the Anatomy Act. All were aligned east-west and, apart from the find of a single shroud pin, none contained grave goods or coffin remains. The shallow nature of the burials, together with the shroud pin find, suggest a medieval or early post medieval date. At the south-eastern end of the site a charnel pit (1023) was uncovered. It contained a large quantity of disarticulated human bone and seven sherds of post medieval pottery, one fragment of clay pipe stem, one piece of medieval floor tile, two pieces of lead came, a piece of vitrified glass, and a piece of coal. The pit was only excavated to the required depth of the development, but even so, produced 1,527 pieces of bone. It is thought to represent activity on site that resulted in the disturbance of burials, potentially the construction of the fifteenth century buttresses, or the late twentieth century church path. In addition, during the ground reduction works across the extension footprint, a further 2,914 fragments of disarticulated human bone were recovered, along with post medieval pottery, clay pipe pieces, fragments of medieval floor tile, and a piece of lead came. The watching brief for the utility trench recorded the remains of an eleventh skeleton (SK12) at circe 0.52 below ground level, the grave fill produced a variegated clay marble of potential eighteenth/nineteenth century date. The eleven articulated skeletons and disarticulated bone were subject to post excavation analysis in 2017/2018; the conclusions of this research are presented in a report (Report No. NWO1702) which is included as an appendix to the excavation report. (1)