Courtyard Development, Sulgrave Manor, Northamptonshire Archaeological Evaluation Report

Two trenches were excavated by the Oxford Archaeological Unit at Sulgrave Manor. The trench near the former site of the Washington Elm exposed a sequence of post-medieval deposits which ended with a limestone cobbled surface located directly below the present lawn. The other trench positioned southwest of the manor revealed a sequence of medieval ditches, all orientated north-south, which appeared to have been recut at least twice. The pottery from the ditches suggests a date in the 12th or early 13th century AD. A layer cut by one of the ditches contained burnt hearth material likely to have resulted from domestic occupation. The ditches may form a medieval plot boundary and be a continuation of the earthworks which are recorded in the field to the west of Sulgrave Manor.