Excavation of a Wall Foundation at Roystone Grange, Derbyshire

A small-scale investigation of a wall foundation was carried out at Roystone Grange in May 1992 and May 1993 prior to the demolition and rebuilding of the wall. The wall was first investigated in 1992. About four metres of walling was taken down and the foundations excavated and planned. The second part of the investigation was carried out in May 1993 and aimed to identify further the extent of the cobbled surface and its relationship with the wall foundations in the hope of establishing a date for the feature. The wall foundations here can be fairly reliably dated to the 1800s, the time of the Enclosures at Roystone. No finds were recovered from the cobbled surface which could help date it, but its relationship with the wall foundations show it to be of at least early 19th C date although it could well be much older. The cobbles were left in situ because they will provide a solid base for the new wall to be built on so no further investigation was possible.