Highlights of the 2007 season of Excavation
Unfortunately I couldn't be around to report on the 2007 season but several helpful people have provided information and images which I hope to put together very shortly to describe what went on.
Peter Noble our Project Officer was joined by three other members of the University of Manchester Arcaheological Unit: Adam Thompson, who has returned to us regularly for the last few years, along his colleagues Ruth Garrettand Brian Grimsditch.
Trench 51
Another huge open area was opened up at the east end of the garden (towards the Old Vicarage gate and driveway and next to Trench 18 which has remained open since 2003 as it exposed such a splendid section of Deep Defensive Ditch. A section of this area was then walled off and thanks to Ann and John's exceptional generosity, ownership transferred to Stockport MBC to create a public viewing area. tantalising glimses of what might be a second entrance to the Hilltop Settlement were exposed but we must wait for Peter's Report to see what his analysis of the excavation revealedTrench 52
One continuing question has always been about the relationship between the inner and the outer ditch. Are they part of the common occupation or are they in fact from completely different times? In an attempt to answer this , a long trench was opened parallel to the Church wall to find out if the Inner Ditch cuts accross the area within the outer ditch.Trench 53
Unexcavated gaps in the western end of the garden were also excavated in order to complete the study of this area.Even more complicated archaeology emerged however with pits, postholes and linear features, which far from answering any questions raised a whole raft of new ones! A large postpit at the western end of this area looked superficially very similar to the medieval postpits but our Project Officer needed the whole of the winter to analyse the results, obtain expert reports and write up the results, which we hope to have available shortly.....