Archaeological Investigations at Swavesey, Cambridgeshire 1990

A two week archaeological evaluation was undertaken in the (Scheduled) fields north of Taylor’s Lane and in the allotments south of the ‘castle’ Mound, Swavesey. The rectification of arial photographs demonstrated that the laying-out of the still extent ridge-and-furrow in the latter area pre-dated the construction of the town rampart. A pair of recently backfilled, formal ponds, probably associated with either the Castle or a Manor, were found to lie immediately south, and related to, this field system; an embanked stock enclosure conjoined their eastern side. In short, these investigations demonstrated that a remarkably preserved, medieval agricultural landscape survives in earthwork form across the western third of this area. Two probable medieval field-ditches were found in a field immediately to the northeast. Trenching in the allotment area south of the castle discovered a dense multi-phase settlement complex: a multitude of pre-Roman Iron Age (Belgic) features (including a kiln) and a number of large pits and ditches (at least one of which is thought to have had a defensive function) dating to Saxo-Norman times. This settlement complex extends well beyond the area of the Scheduled Ancient Monument