Stratton, Biggleswade: 1,300 Years of Village Life in Eastern Bedfordshire from the 5th Century AD

Stratton, Biggleswade: 1,300 years of village life in eastern Bedfordshire from the 5th century AD presents the results of 12 hectares of archaeological excavation undertaken between 1990 and 2001. As well as uncovering roughly half of the medieval village, the investigations revealed that Stratton’s origins stretched back to the early Anglo-Saxon period, with the settlement remaining in continuous use through to c. 1700. In contrast to many of the other major excavations of Anglo-Saxon settlements, the evidence from Stratton provides insights into the lives of a low-status rural community, whose development can be traced over the course of more than a millennium. This book presents a chronological account of Stratton’s development; evidence for its economy, trading relations, industrial activities and agricultural landscape; and a discussion of how people lived and died there before the village was finally extinguished by the creation of the classic estate landscape of Stratton Park.

Table of Contents:
Preface ;

Summary ;

Chapter 1. Introduction ;
Introduction ;
Location, topography and geology ;
Project background and nature of the investigations ;
Nature of the post-excavation analysis ;
Nature of the phasing structure and contextual hierarchy ;
Archaeological background ;
Historical background ;

Chapter 2. Pre-Settlement Landscape ;
Neolithic to Bronze Age (Period 1) ;
Early Iron Age (Period 2) ;
Period 3 structural narrative (early Anglo-Saxon: c. AD 400–600) ;
Period 3 artefacts ;

Chapter 3. Early–Middle Anglo-Saxon Settlement ;
Period 4 structural narrative (middle Anglo-Saxon: c. AD 600–850) ;
Period 4 artefacts ;

Chapter 4. Late Anglo-Saxon / Saxo-Norman settlement (Period 5: c. AD 850–1150) ;
Period 5 structural narrative ;
Artefacts ;

Chapter 5. Medieval settlement (Period 6: c. AD 1150–1350) ;
Period 6 structural narrative ;
Artefacts ;

Chapter 6. Late medieval to post-medieval settlement (Periods 7–8: c. AD 1350–1700) ;
Period 7 structural narrative ;
Period 7 artefacts ;
Period 8 structural narrative ;
Period 8 artefacts ;

Chapter 7. Building forms ;
Sunken-featured buildings (SFBs) ;
Earthfast timber buildings ;

Chapter 8. Overview of the artefacts ;
Pottery ;
Ceramic building material ;
Other artefacts ;

Chapter 9. The vegetational history of Stratton ;
Introduction ;
Woodland Resources ;
The surrounding environment ;
Cultivation of crops ;
Conclusions ;

Chapter 10. Faunal remains ;
Introduction ;
Animal exploitation at Stratton ;
Cattle ;
Sheep/Goat ;
Pig ;
Horse ;
Dogs ;
Cats ;
Deer ;
Hares and rabbits ;
Other mammals ;
Birds ;
Amphibians and fish ;

Chapter 11. Discussion ;
Introduction ;
Settlement origins, development and demise ;
Farming economy, diet and the surrounding environment ;
Manufacturing, consumption and exchange ;
Death and burial ;

Bibliography

About the Author :
Drew Shotliff is Operations Manager at Albion Archaeology. He holds a BA in Modern History from Oxford University and an MA in Archaeological Practice from Birmingham University. He was project manager for the excavations at Strattion. As well as considerable experience of British archaeology, he has worked on projects in France, Ecuador and Sri Lanka. ;

David Ingham is Archaeological Project Manager at Albion Archaeology. He holds an MA in Classics and an MSt In Professional Archaeology from Oxford University. He is the editor of Bedfordshire Archaeology as well as Secretary for CBA South Midlands and East Midlands.

Review :

‘This report marks a useful interim stage in our understanding of Stratton. Now the accumulated data can be used to devise a clear picture of the settlement’s development with plans of each period which select the most important features.’ – Christopher Dyer (2022): Medieval Settlement Research, Vol. 37

'Overall this is an invaluable report on a fascinating site, although it would have been useful to learn of the landscape as it was in the 19th century – including the Roman road that ran through the site and its two remnant moated manorial sites – as a background to the excavation plans.' – Stephen Rippon (2022): Medieval Archaeology, 66/2

'...the volume's many contributors have made a significant contribution to medieval archaeology.' – Stephen Mileson (2023): Current Archaeology 391