Interim Report

The Forensic Science Group at Cranfield University (Shrivenham) in collaboration with Ogbourne St Andrew History Group carried out an archaeological dig in the field to the west of St Andrew’s church, where suspected mediaeval remains had been detected.  

The main (tentative) conclusion was that the remains are probably mediaeval but might reflect earlier structures, possibly even Roman.  The site is of obvious significance and impressive size.  Finds of mediaeval pottery and tile fragments together with animal bones and a fragment of glass cullet (waste associated with glass production) were poorly stratified, leading to difficulty in dating or "phasing" of the site.  There is clear evidence of destruction (or de-construction) with masonry being removed and evidence of burning of some parts of the structures.  The remains closest to the church were poorly defined and it may well be that these structures were timber based.

Considerable effort remains in identifying, indexing and dating the finds, with the results eventually appearing in an additional report.

As an additional line of research, Prof. Bob Stone of Birmingham University and his team are producing a 3-dimensional image of the church exterior, from which accurate measurements of the building will be available for future generations – a very useful legacy.  This work may well be extended to produce an accurate topographical map of the church and surrounding area which will aid the understanding of the archaeological data.  In addition there is  the possibility of a future student project to create a virtual image of the church interior, which again will be a unique resource for the future.