Early Saxon and Medieval Remains Between the High Street and the Round Moat, Fowlmere

Between the 14th of February ad the 1st of March 1999 the Archaeological Field Unit of Cambridgeshire County Council undertook the excavation of two areas to the south of the High Street, Fowlmere. Area 1 Covered c 500 sq m. and Area 2 measured roughly 3m sq. The work was commissioned by Mr P Thwaites of the Ashwell Group Ltd. in advance of the proposed development of the site for domestic housing. The excavation was undertaken by M Hinman in accordance with an AFU specification dated 14th January 1999 and approved by S Kaner of County Council Archaeology Office.

Excavation has demonstrated the presence of at least three phases of activity within the development area, ranging in date from the early Saxon period to post Medieval periods. Evidence of domestic occupation included the discovery of a sunken featured building, the first in Fowlmere, datable to c 500 AD, possibly contemporary with the remains of a small pony buried in an adjacent but undated post built structure. During the Medieval period the site appears to have occupied a peripheral location in relation to the settlement core evidenced by a number of boundary/enclosure ditches.