| Summary : Medieval earthworks associated with Byland Abbey, including enclosures, building platforms, a fishpond, leat, dam, drains and ridge and furrow. The numerous building platforms indicate the sites of ancillary buildings such as barns and woolhouses, the site of a kiln or furnace to the south and the probable location of a water-mill or fulling-mill in the vicinity of Low Pasture House. Further earthworks have been interpreted as causeways and hollow ways. |
More information : The following features form part of a complex of Medieval earthworks
associated with Byland Abbey, that were mapped from good quality air
photographs. The major fishponds have been recorded in SE 57 NW 14,
and the abbey's precinct boundary has been recorded in SE 57 NW 1.
To the south of the millpond (described in SE 57 NW 14) is a long
mound (60m) of uncertain function. It could either represent former
building platforms or some kind of revetment for the millpond. It is
centred at SE 5467 7881.
Just inside the precinct boundary at SE 5487 7872 is an earthwork
enclosure (approximately 50m by 30m). It is divided into 4 smaller
enclosures, each approximately 10m by 8m, one at each corner.
To the east of these enclosures is a series of earthworks comprising
enclosures, drains and a leat. The leat runs WNW to ESE (centred at
SE 5501 7867) and was seen as an earthwork defined by 1 ditch and 2
banks, approximately 260m long. Running along the northern edge of
the leat is a long earthwork platform (approximately 90m by 10m)
with 2 small building platforms (approximately 22m by 8m), one at
each end, defined by a bank. To the east and north of this platform
is a dam and a series of drains, presumably associated with the
leat. The dam was seen as a long (approxiamtely 60m) earthen mound,
centred at SE 5511 7867. The drains were seen as ditches between 40m
and 80m in length, at SE 5501 7871 and SE 5509 7863.
A rectangular embanked enclosure was recorded at SE 5497 7873,
approximately 30m by 12m.
2 blocks of ridge and furrow were recorded, centred at SE 5471 7878
and SE 5465 7869, 50m and 180m long respectively. They seem to
respect the precinct boundary of the Abbey. The long mound which may
be revetment for the millpond may overlie the northernmost of these
2 blocks of ridge and furrow. However, stratigraphical relationships
are difficult to determine from air photographs alone. There is a
small (18m by 8m) building platform on the edge (SE 5480 7875) of the
northernmost block of ridge and furrow which is probably related to
this field system.
There is another platform of uncertain function immediately to the
west of the Abbey remains. It was seen as a large (45m by 20m)
earthwork mound. Centred at SE 5488 7888.
To the north of the main Abbey remains is a series of earthworks,
probably related to the main fishpond complex at the Abbey. It
comprises a causeway, a fishpond and an enclosure. The causeway runs
N-S is defined by 2 banks, approximately 140m long (centred at SE
5486 7902) and has another section branching off to the east, at
right angles. The E-W section (centred at SE 5493 7909) is
approximately 102m long and defined by only 1 bank.
To the west of the N-S causeway is an embanked enclosure (centred at
SE 5484 7908) which probably represents a fishpond. It is
approximately 30m by 20m.
Running at right angles to the E-W causeway is a bank (at SE 5491
7912) approximately 110m long which probably formed the boundary of
several enclosures.
(Morph Nos. HH.15.5.1, 15.11.1, 15.13.1 - 15.19.1, 15.37.1)
This description is based on data from the RCHME MORPH2 database.
(1)
Between April and July 2008, English Heritage¿s Archaeological Survey and Investigation Team carried out an investigation and Level 3 analytical field survey at 1:1 000 scale, covering 27.5 hectares, of part of Byland Abbey and its environs, in North Yorkshire. The project was undertaken to inform the management and presentation of both the Guardianship area and the wider Scheduled area. Specifically, it tested the findings of a rapid survey undertaken by members of the same team in 2004 in support of the preparation of a Conservation Statement, which had drastically revised the extent of a number of suggested large fishponds and suggested the possible post-medieval re-use of the site as a designed landscape (Pearson, Ainsworth and Oswald 2004). In addition to the analytical field survey, the project also comprised documentary research. The earthwork survey was carried out using a combination of techniques: survey-grade GPS, supplemented where necessary by `Total Station¿, was used for extensive ground modelling to address various questions relating to water management, while traditional taped survey was built in to allow training for an EPPIC placement and others. Early in 2009, geophysical survey was commissioned from West Yorkshire Archaeology Service to examine specific questions arising from the earthwork survey: the results of this were largely inconclusive. A full report, part of the Research Department Report Series, is available from the NMR, reference RDRS XX/2009. (3) |