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| Monument Name |
Waltham Abbey-Abbey Farmhouse |
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| SMR Number |
1920 |
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| Summary |
3 small trial trenches excavated in 1985 by Waltham Abbey Historical Society for Lee Valley Regional Park Authority. |
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| Description |
3 small trial trenches excavated in 1985 by Waltham Abbey Historical Society for Lee Valley Regional Park Authority. 2 by the house produced no significant archaeological features. The other produced remains of 2 buildings. Foundations for the first building were found c2ft 3" (69cm) down from the recent ground surface. A clay and gravel layer with a thin layer of mortar and and roof tile fragments were found from the building. It is suggested to be the corner probably of Musty's Building 4, previously discovered in 1972. Destruction debris, post medieval, was found. 3ft 2" (97cm) from the recent ground surface. Part of an earlier building, Building 11 (not previously encountered) was found. A plinth of mortared stone was the base for the sill of a timber-framed building. This must lie south west- north east or north west-south east depending whether the wall found was a side or east wall. A floor of roof tiles was found 'in situ', 4ft 2" (1.27cm) from the recent ground surface. A mortared pile of roof tiles could be the remains of a hearth or oven. A hole with a stone pad at the bottom could be from a scaffold post. A pit dug into the natural clay was the earliest feature on the site. If the water table was at the present level, the building would have been flooded, it seems. The pit produced a sherd of c1177, the start of the monastic period. A sherd of 1450-1550 suggested that building 11 lasted at least until then. A sherd of c1250-1350 in the 'scaffolding post hole' suggests that the building wasn't built before then. Building 4 was built after Building 11 went out of use and was covered by 1ft 6" of soil, after 1450-1550. Building 4 has a broad range of 1450-c1530 for its construction. Its destruction date is suggested as 1540-1640. It seems that Building 11 lies below Classroom 2 of a proposed information centre. The remains seem well preserved, perhaps because the building became flooded. <1> In 1993 a watching brief was undertaken on the foundation trenches for the consturction of an extension to the SE corner of the Countryside Centre (also known as Abbey Farm). Six trenches were dug but only one, Trench 5, contained datable material - pottery from C11-C13. Fragments of bone were also found in this trench (between 1.5m & 2.5m below ground) suggesting possibly a large medieval pit. Map and section drawings with report. <4><5><6><7>
Site Assessment = Trial excavations to assess site in advance of construction of information centre by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority. Well-built medieval timber- framed building found to underlie the proposed area of Classroom 2. Future excavation envisaged subject to timing and funding. <1> |
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| Monument Type(s) |
FLOOR (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
BUILDING (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
BUILDING (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
HEARTH (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
OVEN (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
PIT (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
POST HOLE (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
WALL (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
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| Monument Class(es) |
SUB SURFACE DEPOSIT
TILE
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Period
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1066AD to 1539AD Medieval
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| Status |
Not Known |
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| Administration Area |
WALTHAM ABBEY, EPPING FOREST, ESSEX |
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National Grid Reference
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Square: TL30SE
Ref: 380007 |
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| Finds |
CLAY TILE (Dated 1066AD To 1539AD)
POTTERY VESSEL (Dated 1066AD To 1539AD)
POTTERY VESSEL (Dated 1066AD To 1539AD)
POTTERY VESSEL (Dated 1066AD To 1539AD)
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| Events |
SALV EXCAV by Huggins, PJ, 1985
Austin, L & Havis, R
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Sources
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Map : Waltham Abbey (Ordnance Survey)
Desc Text : Abbey Farmhouse 1985 Trench 3 (Huggins, PJ) Dated : 1985
Excavation report : Trial Excavations at Abbey Farmhouse, Waltham Abbey, Essex, 1985 (Huggins, PJ) Dated : 1985
Map : Abbey Farmhouse Excavations 1985 Trench 3 (Huggins, PJ) Dated : 1985
Desc Text : Watching brief report Waltham Abbey Countryside Centre, Waltham Abbey (Austin, L and Havis, R) Dated : 1993
Graphic material : Plan-measured Waltham Abbey Countryside Centre, Waltham Abbey (Austin, L and Havis, R) Dated : 1993
Graphic material : Section: Waltham Abbey Countryside Centre, Waltham Abbey (Austin, L) Dated : 1993
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