All Saints Church, Wykeham, North Yorkshire: A Report on Test Pit Assessment and an Archaeological Watching Brief

Two test pits were excavated in advance of the service trench installation to assess ground conditions for percolation and to investigate the character of the below-ground deposits. Test Pits 1 and 2 were of identical dimensions, each measuring 0.65m x 0.65m in plan and 0.60m in depth. At the base of each pit, a smaller, centrally placed excavation measuring 0.30 m x 0.30 m x 0.30 m was dug, following the standard structure for percolation testing. The stratigraphy in both test pits was consistent. The upper deposit, recorded as Context (1), consisted of a very dark brown sandy silt with approximately 20% small gravel inclusions, extending to a depth of 0.24 m. This sealed Context (2), which consisted of a light brown made ground composed of soft to firm silty sand, containing roughly 15% gravel and 5% large inclusions of fragmented sandstone and ceramic building material, including brick fragments. This context was observed to a depth of at least 0.90m in test pit 1. The sandstone fragments were checked onsite for tool marks/carvings; however, they were poorly degraded and none were visible. An archaeological watching brief was undertaken at All Saints Church, Wykeham, North Yorkshire, during groundworks for the installation of a new non-mains foul drainage system within the churchyard. The site is of known archaeological interest due to the presence of the former 14th-century St Helen's Church and its associated burial ground, as well as evidence for wider prehistoric to medieval activity in the surrounding area. No significant archaeological features or artefacts were identified during the monitored works. Only two small, disarticulated fragments of human bone were recovered, and no residual finds were present. The absence of disturbance typically associated with reworked burial grounds suggests that the earlier medieval burial horizon has not been extensively impacted and may remain preserved beneath the current ground level. Although 19th-century landscaping associated with the construction of the present church has altered the upper soil horizons, the watching brief indicates that the potential for intact medieval deposits remains at depth in undisturbed areas of the churchyard.