More information : [Area TF 11725558] (2) Human skeleton in an almost
decayed wooden coffin and "an urn with brass handles" found in 1817 when a mound in Catley Close was levelled. Several further coffins were discovered when a second mound was levelled in the same year (1)
[This is possibly the burial ground of Catley Priory. Three
mounds, at TF 11725557, TF 11735562 and TF 11755569 are shown on O.S. 25" 1905. The southern two appear as soil marks on St. Joseph's A.P.F.O. 10 (See TF 15 NW 6)] (1-2)
There are no surface traces of these mounds in an area now under plough.
(3)
Three irregular shaped mounds were visible as earthworks on air photographs taken in the 1930s, more recent photos indicate they are levelled and show as soilmarks and cropmarks. They appear to align in a row and lie to the west of Catley Priory (see TF 15 NW 6). The quality of the 1930s photograph makes it difficult to ascertain if the mounds are lying on top of the medieval ridge and furrow or pre-date the ridge and furrow. There are other levelled mounds to the east of the priory, which are part of a Bronze Age barrow cemetrery (TF 15 NW 15). Therefore the 3 mounds may also have had their origins in prehistory, before being reused in the medieval period for burials.
The linear arrangement of the mounds has a parallel with Bardney Abbey, where a group of 5 mounds, lie to the west of the abbey precinct and do lie on top of medieval ridge and furrow and in this context were interpreted as pillow mounds of a rabbit warren.
(4-5)
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