Monument record 7419/2 - Medieval rural settlement, Saighton Camp

<1> Northern Archaeological Associates, 2013, Saighton Camp, Chester. The Roman and Medieval Archaeology, R3550 (Client Report). SCH7335.

Remains of a possible rural settlement was identified during archaeological investigations at Saighton Camp in 2011-2012. The evidence was recorded in the southern half of the site some distance from the road and appears to represent three phases of activity in the medieval period.

The earliest phase of activity consisted of a ditch [575] 0.96m wide and 0.23m deep that may have formed part of an enclosure with several internal ditches that may represent internal divisions. Only the northern and eastern arms of the enclosure were identified. A small area of cobbling [593] was also encountered along with a drainage gully. Several sherds of Ashton type pottery of a 13th to 14th century date were recovered from the fill of the enclosure ditch. Traces of further cobbled surfaces were also indicated elsewhere in the enclosure.

The second phase of the settlement was characterised by the re-cutting of the main enclosure and internal divisions. The main enclosure ditch was more substantial than that of the first phase, measuring 2.7m in width and 1.05m in depth. An entrance some 5.6m was identified on the northern side of the enclosure. A radiocarbon date was recovered from the fill of the enclosure ditch produced a date of 1325-1433 AD along with a quantity of Ashton type ware. A contemporary annexe comprising a northern and eastern arm was added to the eastern side of the main enclosure. Finds from within the enclosure included cow and horse bone along with two sherds of 13th-14th century pottery. Two linear ditches within the main enclosure were recorded on an approximately north-south alignment and contained pottery of a 14th to 15th century date. Several features were encountered within the enclosure although they could not be reliably dated to any phase of activity. The features included a hollow [712] and a series of sub-oval postholes arranged in two parallel rows. The fill of one of the postholes produced a radiocarbon date of 1039-1164 AD and several fragments of 13th-14th century pottery.

The third phase of activity saw the addition of a small number of features to the enclosure including a gully [633] cutting the northern edge of the main enclosure containing several fragments of 13th-14th century pottery and several fragments of burnt stone. The gully cut across the main entrance to the enclosure and may represent a change in use or abandonment of the area. A large oval cut at the western end of the northern arm of the enclosure may represent a pond feature cutting into the former ditch.