Archaeology before 2012: Summary

The Archaeology of Clevedon Court: a Summary for 2012

The town of Clevedon lies by the Bristol Channel, some 14 miles from Bristol. Its former manor house, Clevedon Court, dates from at least as early as c1300. Some evidence of Romano-British (RB) occupation has been found nearby, but the historical development of the site is poorly understood.

In the 1950s and ‘60s, some archaeological investigations were undertaken at Clevedon Court. Since 2000, geophysical surveys of the grounds surrounding the house have been completed and other archaeological opportunities have occurred during work on drainage and roads. The report “Clevedon Court, the Grounds: Archaeology before 2012” includes a list of known investigations and their references; it reports on the geophysical surveys in detail; and it makes use of all investigations to draw inferences. Copies of it have been lodged with the National Trust’s Historic Buildings Sites and Monuments Record and the North Somerset Environment Record. This summary outlines the principal findings of the full report.

A Bird’s Eye View (BEV) or topographical picture of the site was painted c1730 (Figure 3). The BEV picture is a significant record, as it pre-dates the substantial changes of the modern era. The surveys have located most of the buildings and walls shown in the BEV enabling their positions to be mapped. The surveys have proved the BEV to be a reliable portrayal. A number of previously unknown features have been found and a better understanding of the site has emerged (Figure 2). A suggested development sequence of the Court and its grounds is proposed, although little good dating evidence has been found.

During the 18th & 19th centuries there was substantial landscaping work around the house, with soil removal and levelling (to the west of the house) and infill (between house and road). The evidence from the BEV and of the geophysics suggests that no significant unknown structures were lost as a result, but smaller and earlier remains must have been well disturbed and/or buried.

Excavations in 1961 postulated an RB building in the south garden. The more recent work suggests that the 1961 excavation did not penetrate the deep medieval layers, and that RB pottery and coins found there may have been re-deposited. On the evidence to date, RB occupation of the whole area was limited.

Figure 1. Clevedon Court today

The former manor house, now owned by the National Trust

Features Discovered, Located or Better Understood

10 A large volume of infill material, presumably to extend or repair the forecourt

11 Animal shelters or stables, partly buried by 10

12 A substantial terrace wall, perhaps 2m thick, apparently also the north wall of barn 14 and the only buried archaeological feature to have a distinct magnetic signature. There are other, poorly defined, features adjacent to the thick wall.

A terrace wall standing behind, and separate to, the animal shelters 11

Features 12 and 13 are aligned differently, suggesting different dates of origin

14 The medieval barn, or granary, approx 30m x 13m and presumed demolished c1775. Its southern end is under the pavement of the modern road.

15 A double barn, approx 22m square.

16 f, j, k, d, s Walls (or their remnants) shown in the BEV (Figure 2).

17 19thC wall believed to be the road wall at the time.

19thC field boundary wall suggestive of a former road line.

Remnant of wall shown in the BEV.

Unidentified Substantial Feature

20 Possibly an unknown building, but it lacks defined edges and may be rubble or geological.

Substantial Features that Remain Poorly Understood

21 A cobbled surface with an earlier (medieval?) surface beneath it. Its relationship with the barn and the road wall has not been established.

22 The ‘tank’, excavated in in 1961 but poorly documented. Its function, and relationship to other features, remains uncertain.

Romano-British Material

R1 3rd/4thC pottery fragments at several locations. In 1961 RB finds were made near [14], almost certainly above the medieval foundation level. Since then, RB finds have been made only in the general area of [R1], suggesting that it may be near the centre of RB activity. It is thought that the 1961 finds originated near [R1], being moved when footings for a new barn were dug, close to [R1]. The spoil was used to fill the area around barn [14], which was demolished in the later 1700s. Spoil might also have come from work to level the west lawn in the 1800s - the flat area surrounding R2.

R2 3rd/4thC burial. It is thought to be a random burial.

Figure 3

The c1730 Birds' Eye View Picture of Clevedon Court, showing the Geophysical Survey Results

Key

a. Modern road wall is outside the wall in the picture. The old wall survives only to the east of a’s arrow point.

b. South end of Barn [14] is beneath modern pavement.

c. Not found. Wall would be beneath modern road.

d. Not found.

e. Not found. Part of wall might form foundation of Victorian steps at west of lower terrace.

f. Wall [16f]

g. Modern wall is on same line but appears to have been rebuilt.

h. The central buttress may lie behind/under the sundial steps of c1775.

j. Weak return, wall [16j]

k. Weak return, wall [16k]

l. Not found.

m. Wall [12]

n. Wall [13] & barns [11]. Barns [11] are difficult to see in small reproductions of this picture. The space between

walls a and n appears smaller than it should and the forecourt of the house is exaggerated.

p. This wall is too close to drive to be detected even if its footings have survived. It is shown in a drawing of

c1800.

q. Wall [16q]

r. Shown on 1884OS map and found in a survey of Pond Field.

s. Wall [16s]. Only the southern end of it was detected by geophysical survey.

t. Two of the three ponds are visible in a geophysical survey of the pond field and the third still exists. {See

Council for British Archaeology South West Journal No 21 June 2008} for further information on Pond Field.

u The round tower and its adjoining wall appear to be medieval in origin, yet no evidence of any other wall has

been found adjoining them and the original functions of both remain a mystery.

A Postulated Sequence of Development

(Figures 4 to 7)

Consideration of the modern roads around the Court, the landscape and the mapped archaeological features, suggests how the site and its access have evolved.

Romano-British to 1066 (Figure 4)

Ancient routes to both to Tickenham and the Iron Age hill fort lay near the site of the Court. The RB finds suggest low status occupation nearby in the 3rd/4th centuries. Clevedon Court site pre-1066 overlying a modern site map. Conjectured lines of roads and possible area of low status RB occupation A.

1066 to 1300 (Figure 5)

Land accessed by Court Lane (some 250acres) was probably developed during the 12thC/13thC and at that time there was at least one stone building where the mansion stands today. It would have had associated animal shelters and barns nearby, presumed to be based on Wall [12] and barn [14]. The Tickenham Road passed between the house and its farm buildings.

[12] & [14] are not aligned with any other buildings and are presumed to be the earliest evidence of agricultural buildings. Wall [12] is much thicker than any other feature found.

1300 to 1700 (Figure 6)

In the years around the early 1300s the mansion was developed into the general form that has survived until today. At some date after barn [14] was built, the route to Tickenham was diverted to the south of it, the former road becoming the drive to the house. The former road/drive became disused in the early 1700s when the modern drive was built. There was little other significant change in layout until the agricultural buildings [11-14 & 17] were demolished c1775 and the area became part of the garden.

Agricultural and stable facilities Mansion [MM], wall [13], buildings [11] and pavement [17] have a common orientation. A coordinated build programme c.1300? The surrounding walls (dotted) are perhaps Tudor, and were mostly demolished c.1770.

Figure 6

c1850 (Figure 7)

The road to the west of Court Lane took its present line and barn [15] was demolished.

By the early 1730’s, new stables [31] were built behind the house with the present drive [32] to serve them. The former drive disappeared. When barn [14] was demolished c.1775 a smaller barn was built to the east (just to east of map edge). Barn 15 was demolished c.1850. Its build date is unknown.