Saxon Gamlingay

The following pages are a summary of the findings of the Hertfordshire Archaeological Trust (HAT). The full document has been considerably reduced on these pages. Full copies of the findings are available from the trust.

Gratefull thanks are expressed to the Trust for being able to publish this information on these web-pages.

The Seed Warehouse, Maidenhead Yard
The Wash, Hertford, SG14 1PX

INTRODUCTION

Geology and
Topography

Previous
Historical
Development

Historical Development
of Gamlingay

Excavation
Methodology

The Report

The

Excavation site shown in red

following report deals with the excavation of a Saxon farmstead and cemetery by Hertfordshire Archaeological Trust (HAT) during August to October 1997. The excavation was the culmination of a series of archaeological works on the site. It was executed on behalf of the landowner, Merton College Oxford, as part of a planning condition required by South Cambridgeshire District Council (on advice from Cambridgeshire County Council County Archaeology Office) prior to proposed redevelopment of the site for industrial use. Previous elements of the project included a desk-based assessment and trial trench evaluation (undertaken by HAT during August/September 1996) (Murray 1996, a & b). The site comprised c.3.92 hectares of then arable land immediately south of Station Road, Gamlingay, Cambridgeshire (NGRTL 24305190) .

The archaeological desk-based assessment and field evaluation was carried out in accordance with a design brief issued by Cambridgeshire County Council Archaeology Office (CCC CAO) and a specification of works prepared by HAT. The subsequent excavation was carried out according to a further brief and specification.