Test Pit at St. Winifred's Church, Manaton, Devon

Archaeological monitoring and recording was undertaken by South West Archaeology Ltd. (SWARCH) at the request of Apse Architecture and Planning (the Agent), during investigatory test-pitting in the Churchyard of St. Winifred's Church, Manaton, Devon. These works were undertaken to inform the proposals for a future extension to accommodate Kitchen and WC facilities for the Grade I Listed Church (No. 1097224). This work was undertaken on 12th May 2021 in accordance with CIfA guidelines and the requirements of the Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC). All finds encountered on site were from topsoil layers and were Post-Medieval or Modern and included 6× Victorian ceramic floor tile fragments (508g), 2×clay pipe stems (5g), 1x lime mortar fragment/plaster (6g). The articulated and disarticulated remains were left on site with the churchwardens for re-interment. Given the identification of a grave and possible second grave cut it is likely that further burials may be exposed during any future groundworks in the location. Therefore, these will need to be subject to a further program of archaeological monitoring of the groundworks as it is likely that further burials will be encountered.