ENN109898 - St John the Baptist Church, 2020 (Observation)

The trial trenching established the existence of burials in the area at a depth of c.0.80m. The two headstones still standing in this part of the churchyard date to the mid 19th century, so it is known that burials were taking place then, although the north sides of churches often have fewer burials than other areas as it is deemed a less auspicious area for burial. It is entirely possible that burials had been taking place in this part of the graveyard since the church was built in the 12th century and finds of medieval date attest to the use of this part of the churchyard in the medieval period. A modern concrete surface in Trench 2 sealed any possible early remains, including burials in the centre of the proposed new building. Ground disturbance associated with the construction of the Chapter House and its associated services was record in both the test pits and one of the trial trenches. Information from OASIS online form