EDO188 - Feltham Farm, Bourton; excavations

A rescue excavation ahead of road construction associated with the A303 Wincanton to Zeals road improvements. The work was commissioned by Somerset County Council and funded by English Heritage. The site was first recognised during topsoil stripping when scatters of iron slag, medieval pottery, and what was thought to be limestone flux material (though later proved to be natural shale) were seen in an area around 15 metres by 20 metres on a north-east facing slope overlooking the river Stour some 300m to the north east. A mechanical excavator was used to clear spoil from a nearby drainage ditch from the site. After clearing of topsoil the area was cleaned manually, revealing a spread of mottled blue-grey silty clay cut by modern land drains. The clay varied in depth from 0.1m in the east to 0.25m in the west, and contained medieval pottery and lumps of iron smithing slag. Beneath this were two spreads of limestone rubble. Large amounts of smithing slag and some burnt stone and charcoal were concentrated over the rubble spreads, which were interpreted as the truncated remains of hearth bases. The site was interpreted as a medieval smithing area along with a possible medieval lane nearby. Smithing activity appeared to extend to the north of the site.