TIME TEAM at Plympton

The TIME TEAM at Plympton ...the finds

This web page is not meant to be a lesson in archaeology or a potted history of medieval Britain. The Channel 4 TIME TEAM web site has an excellent reference section for reading material and research information. This is a collection of images explaining and celebrating the TIME TEAM's visit to Plympton St. Maurice and what they found there - we hope you enjoy looking at them.

Newspaper cutting -During Easter 1998, while the rest of Britain sheltered from freezing wind and rain, the TIME TEAM basked in the relative sunny calm of Devon . They were here to explore the history of Plympton St. Maurice and hopefully reveal the story of the 'Pathfields', a set of preserved enclosures by the side of the remains of the Norman Plympton Castle. The motte and Castle ruins on top are circled in red on the aerial photo. With their 'incident room' base at the Guildhall (circled in green) the team of archaeological sleuths unearthed Plymptons secrets. Houses along Fore Street were investigated (circled in yellow) turning up exciting evidence of a wealthy medieval trading settlement with merchants houses and high status buildings - one wealthy merchnant even had the road raised to look down on his neighbours and the TIME TEAM discovered the original track preserved several feet below ground behind a cellar wall!

In the shadow of the Castle, the village prospered but not after undergoing a violent period when the Castle was engaged in a bloody struggle. Stewart Ainsworth identified a small siege mound hidden in the grounds of St. Peter's Convent (small red circle north east of the Castle mound). From here attackers prepared to besiege the defenders of the Castle. Stewart said it would have been a base from which attackers could have approached and defended if they were attacked in turn. It was thought the 'mini' castle dated from the 12th century when King Stephen's army was rooting out supporters of Matilda. So much historical material was 'unearthed' in Plympton the mini castle theory of Stewarts didn't make it onto the programme but the seed has been set for further investigation.

Local Pathfields Preservation Group, fighting a proposed development on part of the Pathfields, were keen to learn if the fields had a significant history which might help protect the land. Lynchets strips running east west as a series of field 'steps' had been identified and the TIME TEAM dug two trenches to determine the history (shown as 2 orange strips). Stewart suspected that a later important landscape feature had been superimposed on the fields. A medieval park no less! Extending all the way along the Pathfields with planting, landscaping, carp lakes and possibly even deer, an impressive garden attached to a manor house at the east end at the site of the convent and siege mound was the prestigious past of the fields. Our hopes had been fulfilled.

The remains of Plympton Castle, a Norman shell keep atop the motte which overlooks Plympton St. Maurice.The mound is thought to be pre-Norman.

From the top of the motte the truncated siege mound discovered by Stewart can be seen in front of the large convent house.

Hi-ho, hi-ho it's off to work we go as the top layer of soil is removed from the garden of Carlton House on Fore Street. Photo: Western Morning News

Next door at Tan Cottage, local architect and resident of Fore Street, David Sheppard, discovered some remains of a 14th century window arch and fire place set into a wall. David wanted to build an extension which gave the TIME TEAM the perfect excuse to wreck an outhouse and dig up his garden. Photo: Plymouth Evening Herald

Plympton St. Maurice resident and architect David Sheppard inspects some of the carved stones discovered in his garden. Photo: Plymouth Evening Herald

The TIME TEAM think the limestone and granite blocks had been 'robbed' from an earlier 14th century hall on the site. David plans to keep them as a building feature and permanent reminder of the TIME TEAM visit.

David's south facing garden is transformed into an archaeological dig site as Phil Harding and Mick the Dig and colleagues begin unearthing some sizable walls.

The Earl of Devon, a Norman Baron called Baldwin (no not Baldrick!) built the castle keep in 1130. There would have been a chapel and a great hall built around it and the TIME TEAM revealed vital foundations.

All the signs point to Plympton being an important trading centre and home to wealthy merchants. Nearby Plymouth hardly existed as a settlement at that time.

Finds of domestic kitchen and tableware are soon discovered allowing Phil to put a date on the sites occupation.

Pieces of pottery are given new life on the computer of Steve Breeze and Sue Francis (pictures courtesy of TIME TEAM).

This reconstructed table bowl was identified as 17th century St. Germans ware.

This delicate find was identified as part of a high status Venetian glass goblet.

The TIME TEAMS reconstruction shows the 16th century goblet in it's full splendour.

Meanwhile deep underground in Charmian Evans' house, behind a wooden panel a strange stone window frame was discovered. It was very old and had been bricked up at a later date. Rumours of a secret passage were rife, but the TIME TEAM experts were amazed to find it was an original ground floor window.

street

Behind the wall could be seen the original medieval street level with a retaining wall forming a passageway. Heavy slate slabs laid at an angle supported the rubble on top which eventually forms the present road several feet above. No one had seen through this window on the past for centuries!

Out on the Pathfields, trenches were dug revealing distinct traces of medieval strip fields and lynchets.

But cutting across the field strips was the evidence of a substantial earth built boundary wall. Stewart Ainsworth revealed his theory about the landscaped park. Recording the archeology is an important and necessary task and detailed measurements and drawings are undertaken before the trenches are refilled.

Park The green line depicts the boundary of the parkland with the site of a long lost manor house to the east.

The story is complete. The Pathfields and Plympton St. Maurice had a rich and elevated past with wealthy merchants, a thriving trading centre, a defended stronghold and stately manor with an impressive landscaped park. The TIME TEAM placed Plympton at the forefront of medieval Britain and rewrote the history of medieval life in the South West.

Plympton has withstood the test of time. The link through the ages with those who toiled to establish it as an important settlement has been recognised and will be preserved. Plympton Pathfields Preservation Group have nominated the Pathfields and the siege mound for special protection and preservation as important and unique historic features with English Heritage and Plymouth City Council.

e. mail Pathfields and tell us what you think about our web site, the finds and the TIME TEAM visit. We'd love to hear from you. Plympton Pathfields Preservation Group

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