Early 19th century Napoleonic barracks on land at Weeley (EHER 80367)

Geophysical survey identified a probable trackway oriented SE-NW and leading to Napoleonic barracks known to be situated on the site from documentary sources. Subsequent trial trenching tested a sub rectangular and a square enclosure also detected on the survey, and interpreted these as the likely remains of the camp. In August 2021, open area excavation investigated several areas of the site and found extensive remains of the camp, comprising the foundation walls of 17 brick-built barrack buildings of several standardised designs. Small ditches and gullies were interpreted as the remnants of the earliest phase of the barracks before the construction of more permanent structures. The Napoleonic barracks is a unique site with no similar site of this era having been investigated on a such a large scale before.

June 2020. Geophysical survey. Archaeological activity was detected in three main areas. In the East of the survey area was a linear anomaly generally oriented SE-NW and has been interpreted as a trackway leading to Napoleonic barracks known at the site. In the same area, a sub rectangular enclosure measuring 25m by 10m and a square enclosure measuring 12m by 12m are probable structures associated with the camp. A spread of anthropogenic material of archaeological origin was detected in the South of the surveyed area. It is possible this feature corresponds to building material used during the development of the camp, either dumped as waste, or destroyed as the land has been cultivated by deep ploughing since. <1> January 2021. Trial trenching. Area 6 contained a large number of post-medieval features, mostly associated with the Napoleonic camp and barracks formed at Weeley in the late 1700s/early 1800s. These included brick footings made from unfrogged handmade bricks and potential building construction cuts. The possible remains of a camp kitchen and large extraction pits or cess pits were also identified. Several military buttons including one from the 11th Light Dragoons were recovered, as well as gunflints from either ‘Brown Bess’ muskets or dragoon carbines and other post-medieval finds.<2> August 2021. Archaeological excavation. All features of definite Napoleonic origin were in Area 7 and are associated with the military barracks of Weeley Camp. The features have been grouped into at least 17 buildings and their associated drainage ditches and gutters with the addition of several probable rubbish pits and other features which relate to the demolition of the barracks. Early camp features. Around the northern edge of Area 7 were several small ditches or gullies containing early 19th century material which were truncated by the barracks buildings and gutters. These features may represent the remnants of the earliest phase of the barracks before the construction of more permanent structures. Within the footprint of Building 15 lay a small pit containing burnt material and two possible ovens were originally revealed by evaluation Trench 103. The ovens contained a heated clay lining overlain by burnt material. Barrack buildings. Seventeen buildings were identified during the excavation. In the Northern part of Area 7, Buildings 10-17 were arranged in two rows on an E-W alignment. In the central part of Area 7, Buildings 4-9 extended in two rows on a N-S alignment. A single row of three buildings (Buildings 1-3) extended from East to West across the Southern part of the excavation. The evaluation demonstrated these buildings surrounded a central open area. Sixteen of the buildings (all apart from Building 3) were delineated by backfilled foundation trench cuts which had been robbed of their brickwork. In situ brickwork only survived in a few locations, particularly in Building 1. Most of the buildings (Buildings 4-6, 8-10 and 12-17) had the same type of rectangular outline, which measured up to 37m by 20m across. These buildings appear to have had square fireplaces built onto their Western, Northern or Eastern walls. This arrangement is most obvious in Building 13, where five fireplaces survive, possibly due to the use of stone rather than brick in their foundations. Three of the buildings (Buildings 1, 2 and 11) were smaller and lacked fireplaces. In the N-E corner of the excavation, Building 11 measured 12.2m by 5.6m across. It contained a series of large postholes along its central axis which possibly supported an upper story; a feature‐type not observed in the other buildings. Building 14 was generally similar in layout to most of the buildings but differed in its use of three large postholes in its NE corner instead of a brick foundation. Finds recovered from these buildings include coins, fragment of a wooden ruler, iron nails, iron objects, glass, pottery, CBM, clay tobacco pipe and animal bone. Drainage and other features. An extensive network of drainage features related to the military barracks were also investigated and comprised gullies and gutters. A scattering of 20 pits of varying size were interspersed between the barrack buildings. At least some of these features appear to have been used to dispose waste from the barracks. There were also a few spreads of material across the excavation area. Some of these layers contained large amounts of tile or other building rubble which probably resulted from the demolition of the barracks. Significance of the site. The Napoleonic barracks is a unique site with no similar site of this era having been investigated on a such a large scale before. Documentary sources relating to the barracks suggest that it initially consisted of a tented encampment before the construction of more permanent buildings on the site. This earlier phase seems to have existed for only a few months in 1803 <4> before being replaced. Excavation of the 17 building foundations revealed four different layouts and two or three different methods of construction. Whilst most of the buildings probably accommodated soldiers and provided storage, differences between building layouts may indicate which were intended to house officers or enlisted men. In Building 14, the presence of hammerscale is indicative of on-site smithing, and a number of unique features, including large postholes in its NE corner, a possible clay floor and an unusually wide foundation may relate to its use as a forge. <3>