Previously unrecorded medieval buildings found at Huttons Ambo

This article is from Current Archaeology issue 417

Subscribe now for full access and no adverts

Recent excavations in Huttons Ambo in North Yorkshire have uncovered two previously unknown medieval buildings as well as hints of an Iron Age or Roman settlement.

In the 1950s, excavations within the parish – which shares its name with a type of 13th-century glazed pottery – had revealed the presence of 12th- and 13th-century fortified buildings in the village of Low Hutton. Over half a century later, Ethos Heritage CIC returned to the site this summer to build on small-scale excavations in 2023 that had unearthed Roman and medieval pottery, building materials, and animal bone, as well as Bronze Age and Neolithic finds, collectively spanning 6,000 years of human occupation.

A highlight of 2024’s investigations was the discovery of two previously unknown medieval buildings. The first, dating to the 13th century, is potentially connected to Hutton Colswain, a nearby 12th- to 13th-century fortified manor which lies around 400m away, and is listed as a scheduled monument. Evidence of large post-holes and daub are believed to be part of a structure within this first building, which appears to have had a plastered exterior, and showed evidence of fire damage. Both structures were associated with a large amount of 13th-century pottery, as well as a metal belt-buckle dated to AD 1250. This latter object was cast from copper alloy, taking the form of an undecorated double-loop oval around 13cm long.

Pottery proved similarly instrumental to dating the second medieval building on the site, which was very large, and is thought to have been built in the 15th century. While only a small part of the structure has been excavated so far – a wall measuring an impressive 26 metres in length – Ethos Heritage CIC have established that it probably remained in use until the 18th century, and although there is at present no evidence of it having been remodelled, a 12th-century window arch indicates that older building materials had been recycled during its construction. This building is thought to have been a wealthy rural residence, based on the large quantities of domestic pottery uncovered within its footprint, but no records survive attesting to the existence of such a dwelling in the area.

Earlier archaeology also emerged during the project: the team identified an Iron Age or Roman site, which appears to have been inhabited between the 1st and 3rd centuries – although analysis is at an early stage, it is believed that its occupation was continuous throughout this time. Finds from this area of the site included Iron Age and Roman pottery – the absence of local Roman Crambeck ware suggests that occupation did not last beyond the 3rd century – as well as Roman building materials and local grey ware, which matches fabric manufactured at the nearby Norton kilns. The site was surrounded by a large, well-preserved bank and ditch, and the team also noted several large pits that had been previously identified during geophysical surveys carried out last year by Ethos Heritage CIC, James Lyall, and the Huttons Ambo History Group (funded by CBA Yorkshire and Ethos Heritage CIC).

Small finds are currently being photographed and processed, and excavations are intended to continue next year in order to further interrogate the features uncovered and answer questions raised during the 2024 campaign. The project team hope to establish the Roman site’s function more clearly, and to gain a better understanding of any potential building phases of the 15th-century residence.

Text: Rebecca Preedy / Photo: Ethos Heritage CIC