More information : (SE 72498995) Site of a medieval hall, 58ft by 30ft, excavated by Hayes in 1960-63, who found three phases of construction, the latest dating from the 13th to the 16th century. A cutting across the surviving NW angle of the earthwork, which surrounded the hall, suggested that possible Roman constructions had been re-used, and also revealed the bottom half of a possible corn-drying or malting kiln, 11ft by 9 1/2ft by 4 1/2ft high. A neolithic pot, potsherds, flints, an axehammer and a scalene triangle of microlithic type were found by R.K.Whitaker under the hall in 1962. Now in Ryedale Museum. (1-3)
SE 725899 Two beehive quern upper stones were discovered by F.Walker in a paddock behind the New Inn in 1933, and were removed by L. Lazenby of Pickering. Excavations by Close, Cook, Hayes and Spratt in 1967 revealed no Roman remains, but the corner of a building, approximately 28ft by 17ft, with associated 13th or 14th century potsherds. 43ft from the S. wall of the paddock, the line of a bank and possible ditch led to a circular kiln, 5ft 6ins in diameter, with a flue 2ft 9ins to 3ft wide, similar to that described by Authority 2. A chalk spindle whorl was also found, in the garden of a council house. (4-5)
SE 72498997 The exposed foundations of the medieval hall are 16.0m long and 8.0m wide, with walling 0.6m thick. There is a doorway on the S. side, and the dividing wall has two socket holes for timber framing.
The surrounding earthwork is still visible on the W. and N. sides. It consists of a bank, now turf-covered, with a maximum height on the N. of 1.3m. At the NW angle an area of disturbed ground with nettles indicates the area of excavation around the kiln site.
Surveyed on 1:2500 MSD.
The medieval building in the field to the S. of the New Inn, now
a private house, is not visible on the surface. No surveyable
traces of the circular kiln were found in the pasture. The potsherds and spindle-whorl from this area are now in Ryedale Folk Museum.
Research in the Central Reference Library, York failed to reveal historical references to this building. The earthwork is an enclosure bank only; the assertion that "possible Roman constructions ..." had been re-used could not be confirmed. (6)
Wrathmell notes 'Manor house excavated by R Hayes, earthworks around present village'. The excavation report is in the 1986 Ryedale Historian and documents seven sections cut through a 3m wide ditch identified as the manor house's boundary dtich and an open area excavation of a chronological sequence of two buildings dated by pottery to 13th to 17th centuries. These were identified as industrial or domestic quarters with the speculation that the main hall lies underneath the early eighteenth century Manor House farm house.
There has been a number of new houses built in the village and there is currently one empty plot up for sale, pegged out for two new houses. Graham Lee reports that the evaluation and watching brief work has turned up very little of interest.
There are some slight area of earthworks around the village. To the south of Grange Farm there are a set of truncated house platforms extending eastwards from beneath the field wall, however the field itself has been improved and is fairly featureless. There are also some very ephemeral earthworks to the north of Viewly Farm, and some more obvious ones (standing up to 0.2m) to the east of New Inn Farm.
The level of survival of medieval settlement remains at Spaunton does nt appear to reach the threshold for national importance as it is suspected that many other villages in the area will have a similar range of surviving remains. It is therefore proposed that this site is put on hold and consideration is given to the selection strategy within the settlement local region CEYKS2 and the quality of the other sites on the Wrathmell list. (7)
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