Quantock Village Test Pitting
Past Participate CIC led a Village Test Pitting Programme for the Quantock Landscape Partnership Scheme. Bicknoller, Crowcombe, Nether Stowey, and Stogumber were investigated, with the fieldwork taking place over four weekends between October 2021 and April 2024.
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We found lots of evidence of the people who lived in these villages in past times...
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A small quantity struck flint, and stone was recovered from test pits in Bicknoller, Crowcombe, and Nether Stowey. This represents the first direct evidence for late Mesolithic to early Bronze Age prehistoric activity within the areas of landscape that are now overlain by each of these villages.
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Medieval pottery was discovered in all four villages and provided evidence for the occupation of these settlements between the 11th and the early 14th centuries. At least six types of pottery fabric were found in Nether Stowey indicating that it was fully integrated into regional trade networks during this period.
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No later 14th or 15th century artefactual material was identified in any of the villages. It is possible that this absence is a direct consequence of climatic deterioration and plagues, which substantially reduced the population and had significant economic impacts.
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The test pits recovered evidence relating to the pottery industry that operated in Nether Stowey from around 1550-80 until at least the mid-18th century; 879 sherds of this West Somerset red earthenware were recovered, including decorated fragments and discarded waste products, such as kiln furniture. There were also possible indications that this industry may have been in production for longer than was previously believed, with forms attributed to the 18th century continuing to be made well into the following century.
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The different types and proportions of red earthenware found in each of the villages suggest that there were highly localised trade patterns along the western margin of the Quantock Hills. Other types of pottery are indicative of wider trading networks, which may have been centred upon Bristol.​
​To read more about the results please download the report here





