NHER 35473 (Monument record) - Medieval earthworks

January 1995. Air Photo Interpretation.
Earthworks of probable medieval date are visible at this location on aerial photographs (S1) and (S2), taken on 19 April 1976.
See cropmark transcription (S3).
D. Voisey (NLA), 23 January 1995. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 12 April 2021.

December 2015. Geophysical Survey and Trial Trenching.
In late 2015 the large field to the east of this site was subject to two phases of archaeological evaluation. It appears that around this time a rudimentary earthwork survey was also undertaken within the plots to the east and south of Manor Farm cottage (TF 7245 1910). Although the results of this survey were never formally released, the figures in a subsequently issued report suggest that a series of north-east to south-west and east-north-east to west-south-west aligned linear earthworks were recorded.
An initial geophysical survey of the field to the east of the earthworks (NHER 64842) revealed a series of apparently interconnected north-north-west to south-south-east and east-north-east to west-south-west aligned positive linear anomalies that appeared to define a rectilinear field or enclosure and a number of apparently contemporary field boundaries to the east and south. Thanks to cartographic research undertaken in 2018 as part of a desk-based assessment of the land north of Manor Farm Cottage (see below), it is now known that the both the enclosure and the apparently related linear anomalies all correspond with field boundaries shown on a 1726 map of Gayton (S4). It also appears that one, possible two, of the northernmost earthworks recorded by the 2015 earthwork survey probably also correspond with boundaries shown on this map. It is also notable that the line of another earthwork to the south was potentially continued by the southern side of the enclosure, providing a further hint of a relationship between these features and the sub-surface remains identified by the geophysical survey.
The subsequent trial trenching was primarily focused on the field to the east, although two trenches were also placed within the southernmost of the paddocks containing the earthworks (NHER 64843). The westernmost of these targeted a north-east to south-west aligned earthwork at TF 7251 1901. This trench revealed three ditches, although none appeared to be contemporary with the earthwork - two appearing to be sealed by the surviving bank deposit, which was in turn possibly truncated by the third. Unfortunately, no dating evidence was recovered from any of these features. More pertinent evidence was actually revealed by the trenches excavated in the field to the east of the earthworks. Although dating evidence was scarce it was notable that nothing of post-medieval date was recovered from the ditches corresponding with the boundaries on the 1726 map, suggesting that they may well have had much earlier origins. Two north-east to south-west aligned ditches identified at the western edge of the field potentially represented the continuation of features associated with the mapped earthworks. One of these was cut by a ditch that contained a late medieval brick. Also of interest was a deposit identified close to the ditch forming the southern side of the enclosure revealed by the geophysical survey. This may have been the trace of a bank deposit and therefore potentially evidence that this field had have once contained similar earthworks to those that survive to the west.
See report (S5) and NHERs 64842 and 64843 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 12 April 2021.

October-November 2018. Desk-based Assessment.
Assessment of proposed development site comprising five small fields and paddocks surrounding Westhall Farm, three of which fall within the northernmost part of the area initially recorded as containing earthworks.
A walkover survey undertaken as part of this study confirmed the survival of earthwork features, recording two arms of a probable enclosure ditch and another, straight ditch in the plot immediately to the north of Manor Farm Cottage. A north-north-west to south-south-east aligned broad hollow was also identified in the plot to the east, south of Westhall Farm. This latter feature appears to correspond with a boundary shown on a map of 1726 (S4), which, as noted above, also depicts boundaries that appear to correspond with earthworks at this site and sub-surface remains identified to the east.
It is suggested that the earthworks may well represent an area of medieval settlement adjacent to Gayton Common, which is shown on Faden’s map of 1797 (S6) to have occupied a large area to the west of the site. An enclosure map of 1813 (S7) marks much of the land in the vicinity of this site as 'Old Inclosed Land'.
See report (S8) and NHER 64845 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 12 April 2021.

April and October 2019. Earthwork Survey.
Survey of proposed development site at Westhall Farm.
This work saw a detailed examination of the northernmost part of the area in which earthworks had originally been recorded as present, plus additional areas to the north and east.
The most significant earthworks identified lay in the western and central parts of the plot immediately to the north of Manor Farm Cottage and are therefore presumably amongst the features that had previously been observed on aerial photographs. These earthworks consist of a series of reasonably well-preserved ditches that appear to have defined several separate plots, within which two possible building platforms were identified. Although the plots appear to be aligned parallel to the extant bridleway that crosses the northernmost part of the site, the orientations of the ditches are markedly different to those of the (presumably later) features likely to be associated with West Hall Farm. The latter include a brick wall and associated earthwork ditch that lie along the northern boundary of this plot. This boundary has been in existence since at least the early 18th century and from the early 19th century onwards it formed the southern side of what was first a yard associated with West Hall Farm and then a probable walled garden. Earthworks recorded in the area between this boundary and the bridleway (i.e. within the area of the former yard/walled garden) included a possible ‘L’-shaped raised platform, an adjacent, smaller possible platform and two depressions. A sub-rectangular depression at the western edge of this area corresponds with a former pond that is first depicted on the Gayton Enclosure Map of 1813 (S6). The nature of the other earthworks in this plot is uncertain, primarily due to the nature of the known late post-medieval activity. Some were clearly modern, including a small deep pit containing modern rubbish and two small mounds of modern debris. Two small negative earthworks that are also thought to be the result of relatively recent activity. These features presumably relate to the demolition of the 18th- or early 19th-century farm buildings in the latter half of the 20th century.
The northern and easternmost of the areas examined (both of which also lay beyond the extent of the features visible on aerial photographs) contained earthworks likely to relate to medieval or post-medieval arable cultivation. These comprised a group of probable ridge and furrow earthworks to the north of the bridleway (consisting of three furrows and two ridges) and a second, much less well defined set of possible ridge and furrow earthwork revealed to the south-east of Westhall Farm.
Information from draft report. Final version awaited.

The mapped extent of this record has now been extended to encompass the potentially archaeologically-significant earthworks recorded in the plots to either side of the bridleway running between Springvale with Vicarage Lane [1]. Due to their extremely subtle nature the possible ridge and furrow earthworks to the east of the main group have been excluded. It should also be noted that, as discussed above, many of the earthworks recorded immediately to the south of the bridleway are likely to represent features of post-medieval to modern date. The probable ridge and furrow earthworks to the north are though of probable medieval to early post-medieval date.
P. Watkins (HES), 12 April 2021.

October 2019. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of land at Westhall Farm.
This work saw a number of trenches placed across the various earthworks that had been recorded to the north of Manor Farm Cottage by the preceding earthwork survey.
Numerous ditches were exposed, which were probably associated with several phases of Late Saxon to medieval activity. Although the ditches directly associated with the linear earthworks represented the most recent of these phases of activity, the limited number of finds recovered from these features were all of medieval or earlier date. As at the site to the south-east (NHER 64842), nothing of late medieval to early post-medieval date was recovered. A single possible beamslot was the only evidence that the possible platforms recorded had been the sites of buildings.
The earthworks in the plot to the north of the main group were found to be of limited archaeological significance, proving to be of either indeterminate nature or clearly the result of modern disturbance (most likely the demolition of farm buildings during the latter half of the 20th century).
Neither of the areas of probable ridge and furrow earthworks was investigated as these lay beyond the footprint of the proposed development.
See report (S9) and NHER 64845 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 12 April 2021.