Iron Age burials and medieval farm buildings at Horse and Groom Inn, Bourton on the Hill

Back in 2013 Urban Archaeology's Chiz Harward was seconded to LP Archaeology to excavate a site next to the award winning Horse and Groom Inn in Bourton on the Hill, in the heart of the Cotswolds. 

The site contained evidence for Iron Age occupation: with at least one probable roundhouse, whilst a pit contained the crouched burial of an adult male carbon dated to 235-87BC. Isotope analysis indicates he did not grow up locally, and may be from Scotland or the European Continent; intriguingly the isotope analysis also suggests a diet low in animal or marine protein. The skeleton of a baby was also found in the pit, with parts of two further baby skeletons found on the site.

The crouched Iron Age burial

The site also revealed the extensive remains of medieval farm buildings, probably related to extensive sheep farming. Documentary research by Professor Christopher Dyer shed further light on the history of the farm and the development of the area’s sheep farming industry.

Aerial view of the medival farm buildings

Reconstruction drawing of medival farm buildings

The site report will be published in this year’s Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society. Chiz Harward would like to thank the Greenstocks at Horse and Groom Inn for commissioning and supporting the excavations and everyone who worked on the site and post excavation work. 

Previous posts on the site:

http://urban-archaeology.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/urban-meets-rural-in-cotswolds.html

http://urban-archaeology.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/normal-0-false-false-false-en-gb-x-none.html

http://urban-archaeology.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/a-series-of-small-wallsin-cotswolds_18.html 

http://urban-archaeology.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/construction-demolition-and-recycling.html

http://urban-archaeology.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/iron-age-burial-and-medieval-farming.html

http://urban-archaeology.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/photo-rectification.html

http://urban-archaeology.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/more-news-from-horse-and-groom.html

http://urban-archaeology.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/horse-and-groom-inn-burial-carbon-date.html

http://urban-archaeology.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/pottery-illustration-at-horse-and-groom.html

http://urban-archaeology.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/horse-and-groom-inn-excavation-medieval.html