Medieval stone foundation of a private chapel on land at the former car park off Ravensdale (EHER 80502)

This investigation has determined that historic activity on the development site dates to the medieval period, c.12th to 14th century. The predominant features revealed by the excavations were a series of stone foundations.

Excavation, 2019 This investigation has determined that historic activity on the development site dates to the medieval period, c 12th to 14th century. The predominant features revealed by the excavations were a series of stone foundations. In 2004, another stone wall foundation was uncovered just to the northeast of the church, and was interpreted as the southern external wall of a private chapel dating to the 12th-15th century. The foundations uncovered during this investigation appear to form part of this same structure. Artefactual evidence was recovered from some of these foundations, permitting a more accurate dating to the period from the mid 12th to the 13th century, broadly contemporary with the construction of the existing church. The excavations also revealed evidence of earlier activity at the site represented by two large pits. As both pits were overlain by a foundation dating from the mid 12th to the 13th century, it is likely that their origins lay in the 12th century. One of these pits contained animal bone. A further pit containing a considerable amount of oyster shell was also uncovered. It yielded no dating evidence, but was also overlain by a foundation, and probably formed part of this earlier phase of activity at the site. Together, these features appear to be the product of domestic activity in the vicinity of the church in the period prior to the construction of the putative chapel. An undated ditch was also uncovered. While this feature may have also formed part of the earlier phase of activity described above, it was cut by one of the two aforementioned pits, and may therefore instead form part of a still earlier phase of activity. The residual presence of Roman brick and tile in a number of features provides some evidence of activity within the area during this period. Roman building materials were also extensively used in the construction of the church. It is likely, therefore, that a Roman villa stood in the vicinity, possibly at the site of the later manorial complex. <1>