Prehistoric Remains and Medieval Burials at Oxney Grange, near Eye, Peterborough: An Archaeological Evaluation

Between 12th and 22nd December 2005, Cambridgeshire County Council Archaeological Field Unit (CCC AFU) conducted an archaeological evaluation by trial trenching at Oxney Grange, Peterborough (TF 224 009) in advance of the redevelopment of the area for dwellings.
The evaluation revealed postholes and a ditch dating to the Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age. The character of the remains implies domestic activity. Given the location of the site – on a gravel promontory just to the north of Flag Fen – finding remains of this date in this position is not unexpected. The evaluation also discovered significant remains relating to the medieval monastic site of Oxney Grange. These included graves, pits and some very substantial ditches. The graves were on an east to west alignment and had no grave-goods. They were interpreted as Christian burial, presumably the graves of the monks living on the grange. The ditches were thought to be internal boundary ditches, and were dated from the 13th to the 14th century. They were presumably contemporary with the medieval moat that is still faintly visible in the fields surrounding the site. Also discovered was considerable post-medieval activity, in the form of landscaping/build-up layers, garden soils, demolition layers, a concrete path and a modern yard surface.