The Mystery of Dovecote Hill

Students and faculty from Harlaxton have had the unique opportunity to take part in an archaeological dig at Harston – a small village some five miles from the college. Harston itself was a settlement referred to in Domesday Book (1086) and may have had more ancient origins as this dig is revealing. The site appears to be a 10^th century Saxon burgh built either as defence against Vikings or when the Saxons returned to take back the Danelaw (that area under Danish control in the 9^th and 10^th centuries). The burgh, if so it proves to be, may have been built on the site of an even earlier fortification.

Professors David Green (Harlaxton) and John Richards (Baker) have taken groups of students over to the site where they have been involved with digging, clearing the site and technical drawing. We’re very grateful for the opportunity to become involved with this fascinating project and hope that Harlaxton students will continue to play some part in the unravelling of the so-called ‘Mystery of Dovecot Hill’ when the site reopens in February/March next year.

Below are extracts from the most recent newsletters written by site director Rene Mouraille

“In September 2010 a breakthrough was made when a large wall 1.20m in width was uncovered close to the surface. Fragments of pottery from within the build of the wall turned out to be Torksey and Stamford ware all of pre-conquest origin. Furthermore beneath the Saxon wall there is evidence for a large ditch and if speculation proves to be correct, then this may be as much as 9m wide.  If this feature is defensive in structure it may well date to either the Iron Age or the earlier Bronze age. This is very exciting and we maybe on a major breakthrough in the history of not only Harston but the entire area!”

“Yesterdays work [involving Harlaxton students]  enabled us to clear all the turf and topsoil from over the watchtower feature to reveal and doorway complete with steps leading into the tower the ground floor of which comprises crushed ironstone.”

“The students from Harlaxton College managed to find the edge of the Natural in Trench 8 and also found a fantastic example of a piece of Torksey ware in the main ditch area. So we have now have got something to work against to find out if a large Iron Age ditch does exist beneath the Saxon Wall which in itself has also proved to be not on the same alignment as previously thought but at a different  angle within Trench 8.

The students also working in Michael Harrison’s section have uncovered the footings for Saxon Wall 1001. They are at least 5ft in diameter and are of an earlier build than the present Saxon boundary wall.”