An enclosure system dated by the presence of pottery to the 13th to 15th centuries was defined first by ditches, then by postholes after the ditches had become filled in. The enclosure system funnelled animals onto a central area of hardstanding deposit where they may have been processed in small numbers. (1)

Three shallow, flat-based ditches defined part of a system of enclosures that continued beyond the mitigation area. (1)

It is likely that all of the medieval ditches were dug as a single phase of activity. (1)

The ditches enclosed a roughly circular area of fragmentary angular limestone hardstanding deposit, which extended through a small entranceway between the terminals of two of the ditches. Another entranceway was present between the terminals of two ditches. The hardstanding deposit was around 10m by 7.5m in plan. It had been deliberately pressed into the natural substrate. One sherd of pottery is Romano-British (a greyware jar base sherd likely to be residual within the hardstanding deposit associated with the enclosure. (1)

A second phase of enclosure was defined by postholes and stakeholes, some cutting through the fills of two of the ditches. Three postholes flanked the southern edge of the northern part of one trench, and three more, and a stakehole, cut the fills of the north-eastern corner of the trench. (1)

The trial trench evaluation uncovered a series of eight postholes to the north-east of another ditch on a rough north to south alignment. One further posthole in this alignment was revealed during mitigation excavation cutting the fills of the ditch. Evaluation trenching also revealed five further similar postholes scattered immediately to the east of the alignment. (1)

The medieval sherds derived from several features, all in small quantities. Ten came from various fills of one of the enclosure ditches. This feature also produced a few post-medieval/modern sherds, but these are considered to be intrusive in the upper parts of the fill. Other sherds provide the only dating for a second enclosure ditch (13th to early 14th century), postholes (13th–15th century) and hardstanding deposit (14th–15th century), but the small quantities involved suggest that caution should be exercised in their use as firm dating evidence. (1)

Most of the animal bones came from enclosure ditches, with further material from hardstanding deposit. The identified bones are mostly from cattle and sheep/goat, they largely comprise cranial fragments and long bones, with few ribs and vertebrae. Semi-complete cattle mandibles from old animals were recorded, suggesting management for secondary products, which for cattle means milk. This indicates an emphasis on dairying within the local livestock economy. Butchery marks were noted on several bones, they include evidence that sheep/goat skulls were split down the midline (i.e. along the sagittal suture), probably to make brawn, otherwise known as head cheese, which although more commonly made from the head of a calf or pig, can also be made using the head of sheep. (1)

Horse bones came from one enclosure ditch and hardstanding deposit. Apart from a tooth, the bones are all from the ankle and foot, suggesting perhaps that they derive from the skinning process or were imported attached to a horsehide. (1)

A small amount of dog bones came from two of the ditches. (1)

A few bird bones were recovered from two of the enclosure ditches. Most are from domestic fowl and include bones from both adult and juvenile birds. One of the bird bones from one enclosure ditch is that of a small duck similar in size to a teal and was probably from a wild animal. (1)

The western side of the enclosure appears on geophysical data. (2)

<1> Ben Saunders, 2021, Early Medieval Rivet Wheat and Horse Skull Burial, and Medieval Animal Husbandry Enclosure at Cropwell Bishop, Nottingham (Unpublished document). SNT5803.

<2> David Bunn, 2018, Archaeological geophysical survey: Land to the east of Church Street, Cropwell Bishop, Nottinghamshire (Unpublished document). SNT5573.