An Arcaheological Watching Brief at Manor Farm, Alsop-en-le-Dale, Ashbourne, Derbyshire

An archaeological watching brief was undertaken at Manor Farm, Alsop-en-le-dale, Derbyshire in July 1999. The farm lies at SK 161552. The watching brief was required as a condition of planning permission for the erection of a new barn. During the topsoil stripping, several small stone features were revealed immediately below the topsoil. These were shown to be the remains of two walls, a possible wall/paved area and a small patch of stones thought to be the result of ground clearance. These features were interpreted as Late Saxon or medieval in date, as pottery from these periods was associated with each feature, and was also found in small quantities in the soil across the entire stripped area. A small amount of post- medieval pottery was also found in association with these features, but this was attributed to the fact that the features lay directly underneath the plough soil, and were not sealed by undisturbed deposits. A few pieces of material indicated that some metalworking or a hot fire may have occurred in the area. The features appeared to be the remains of field or paddock boundaries and agricultural activity, and it is likely that they continue northwards, into the area still remaining under pasture.