A medieval deposit interleaved with alluvial clays was encountered adjacent to Church Field which contained finds dating to the medieval period. Although appearing to lie in
a shallow depression is probably a dump rather than a cut feature, its edges on excavation being unclear and the overall depth of the feature being less than 130mm. As significant assemblage of pot (35 shards), was recovered from the excavation of this feature which includes tile, (3 shards), as well as shards from domestic vessels. Three pieces of slag, presumably indicating metal working somewhere in the vicinity were also recovered from the excavation of the feature.

The pottery from this feature includes a number of shards green glazed vessels probably jugs and bowls as well as unglazed vessels. Some of the latter have sooty residues on the exterior suggesting that they had been used for cooking. Although there were no indications of structural remains present on the site the cooking pots suggest that there was settlement in the immediate vicinity in the medieval period. This suggestion is strengthened by a small assemblage of roof tile from the feature some of which has vestigial glaze, dark green/brown in colour, on the edges.

The fills of of the feature contained fragments of coal. The coal fragments are similar to those present in fills of excavated features from the medieval features excavated in Church Field. The presence of coal does not necessarily suggest a post medieval date for the feature since Attenborough lies on the same bank of the Trent as Clifton pit and both settlements are on coal measures that lie comparatively close to the surface, Such a resource may well have been available in the medieval period. In 1475 Lenton Priory, who owned the fish ponds brought a seven year lease from the Carthusians of Beauvale for mining coal from Newfield. The Willoughby family also had considerable mining interests in their manor at Wollaton in the same period.

Laurence Platt, 2013, Attenborough Fish Ponds: Report of an Archaeological Watching Brief in Advance of New Flood Defences (Unpublished document). SNT6026.