Saxon and Medieval ditches at Church End, Rampton

From the 19th April to the 21st April 2016 Oxford Archaeology East undertook an evaluation on land east of The Rectory, Church End, Rampton, Cambridgeshire (TL 4286 6805). This evaluation comprised three trenches, two measured 15m in length and the third measured 30m in length. A soil horizon was seen throughout these trenches and in many cases it sealed ditches which were largely on a north to south or east to west alignment. Test pits were excavated through the soil horizon which was found to contain small quantities of Late Saxon and medieval pottery along with animal bone.
Most of the ditches excavated were found to contain Late Saxon or medieval pottery, although the majority of the features were assigned a 12th to 13th century date. Most of the ditches were small in size and are thought to relate to a water meadowing system. An exception was Boundary Ditch 4, excavated at the southern end of the site, and this is thought to represent a roadside boundary ditch. The features uncovered are broadly contemporary with the church to the north and the SMV and Anarchy castle to the east.