Yes, it's still spring, and now we have cygnets on the lake once
more.
After the none stop
action of the Easter 'Big Dig', going here there and everywhere, May
saw us settling back into our two days a week routine with our
attention focused for much of the month on the raised area of
terracing alongside the small gorge to the south west of the House of
Diversion. In an effort to understand what was going on we extended
the open area in as many different directions as we could manage yet
still its date and function remained elusive, the primary issue being
the lack of finds to demonstrate what this cobbled area was used for.
A single stake hole and a large square post-hole remain the only clues
to an upstanding structure on the site. The incorporation of cow bones
into the surface to the south west and the find of a single horseshoe
suggest agricultural use whilst the absence of clay pipes argues
against 'leisure' pursuits.
In sunshine and shade the cobbles go on.
A close up of a raised central area lined by unusually large
stones.
Ian and Emily survey the site recording spot heights at 1 metre
intervals
Here's our horse shoe and here's a narrow extension to the north to link
two open area excavations together.
As we extend the trench southwards into the valley side Joe prepares for
some section drawing.
Up at finds we have recovered and cleaned (Thanks Liz) as huge slab of
fossil bearing ironstone, possible part of Sir Anthony Cope's original
collection. Verna boxes pots.
Ian plans....
... whilst Joe draws sections.
Some days are busier than others, we're running out of chairs at coffee
time.
Leonie and Liz wash the cow bones
recovered from the cobbled surface.
As the end of the month approached and we ran out of cobbles to
clean up the side valley we started to prepare for opening up new
areas by strimming (thanks Ian) and weeding.
Here's the before and after down on the House of Diversion.
John cuts a super highway through to the Temple of Flora whilst there is
much debate on the fishpond site.
... and finally , a brand new trench, essentially an extension of the
2014 section dug down the face of the great east terrace but now
extending out to the edge of the square moated area
