On Monday 2 June volunteer excavators led by Simon Coxall, along with his Warboys Archaeology Group (WAG) and Oxford Archaeology East got underway with the opening of two trenches at Clavering Castle focussed on the eastern side of the castle.
On the first couple of days the excavators predominantly demolition rubble such as roof tiles, but other finds too some worked flint and some medieval nails, a musket ball and most interestingly a fourteenth or fifteenth century French jetton. According to one of the WAG team, Andrew Noakes, the jetton is quite a rare item because it features a Moor’s head. The inscription in French translates as ‘For the queen and her almonry’.
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The Clav25 dig at Clavering Castle was sadly hit by rain on the third and fourth days but nevertheless there was good progress in both trenches. In Trench 1 a sandy grit surface was reached which proceeds 2m north to south across the centre of the trench. This is interpreted as the central trackway of the Castle’s entrance court. Some sherds of late medieval/ early modern pottery were recovered from the demolition layers immediately overlaying the trackway. The trackway appears to extend across the area between the evidence for flint structures to the east and west. Meanwhile, at the southern limits of Trench 2, a ditch has been exposed which appears full of demolition material. Material coming out of the trenches includes a lot of roof tile and oyster shell, but very little pottery so far.
With the trenches starting to show promise more we will have an update at the end of the week, weather permitting. If it isn’t being kind then early next week.