Monument record 1623/1/3 - Brixworth Churchyard

Late Saxon cemetery and Medieval settlement identified during excavations. Two crouched inhumations were also recorded. The cemetery dates from the 8th-11th centuries and relates to Brixworth minster. Part of the cemetery precinct was also excavated. The latest occupation included a 13th century building.

{1} Finds of March 27th 1888. 3 skulls and other human bones were exhumed from Brixworth vicarage garden at c.18ins depth and about 30yds from the existing churchyard. Probably part of the Saxon churchyard.

{2} Finds of 1939. Two possible Saxon or medieval crouched skeletons were found near the vicarage.

{3} Minor excavation by Rev.Freeman in July 1949. The site was to the rear of the vicarage. Five skeletons were revealed from 1-2ft below the ground surface. Photo.

{5} Burford uncovered a number of burials in his excavations over the years. On page 2 he found a burial on the south side of the church next to the wall. Inside the tower (page 3) he found some human remains and under the Lady Chapel (page 3).

{6} Romano-British and medieval pot sherds were found in an excavation to the west of the vicarage at SP74667118.

{7} In July 1949 a small excavation, c6ftx3ft, was undertaken on the 'west side of the vicarage on the lawn' by Rev Freeman. The remains of four or five skeletons were found and others were thought to be immediately adjacent. Densely buried, with at least two layers. All aligned east-west; no grave goods. A further hole was opened up further north on the lawn, but only 19th century disturbance was encountered. Two further skeletons had been found in 1939 a little to the north-east and are described as lying in a crouched position.

{9} Minor excavation of 1972 by P.Everson in the vicarage garden. 11 Christian inhumations were revealed, 2 were C14 dated to 840AD +/-70 and 780AD +/-80; the date range of the burials appears to have been AD700-1200. The burial ground formed part of the Saxon monastery or parish churchyard.

{15} Minor excavation of 1972 by D.N.Hall at Brixworth Glebe (SP747712). An area 40ft x26ft was excavated for The Brixworth Archaeological Committee, to the west of P.Woods excavations. Three late Saxon inhumations were revealed on an east-west orientation; no grave goods were recovered. Probably part of the Saxon churchyard.

{16} There were burials from graves in the porticus chambers. Fig.7 and fig.8, plans of trench location for the excavation.

{17} Excavation by M.Audouy. At least ten burials were identified. C14 dating samples were taken.

{20} (SP 747712). An excavation was carried out in 1972. Four phases of occupation were revealed. The first phase was the Late Saxon cemetery, the second phase consisted of four rubbish pits possibly contemporaneous with the cemetery. St Neots Ware dates this phase to around the 10th-11th centuries. The third phase was the building of a wall between 1000 - 1100 AD. The final stage was the main phase of occupation. A large building with four rooms was constructed in the 13th century, this building was possibly associated with drying kiln and was totally demolished in the early 1700s.

{21} In 1986, on the south of the side of the house an excavation to create a reduced level for patio led to the destruction of 8-10 graves. The site was visited and bones were piled in one corner of the trench. Edges of burial cuts could be identified and were 25-27ch in depth and appeared to be intercut.

{23} A sizeable cemetery lay to the west of the church which is confirmed by burials which have been reported since the 18th century. Several were recored by Bridges in 1720 as 'dug up in the Brewhouse and Cellar' and in the mid 19th century Watkins noted decayed coffins and skeletons were found during the rebuilding of the vicarage.

{26} Two skeletons found in 1939 at SP 74657120 in apparently crouched position. No finds were recorded with them. Five Skeletons were found in July 1949 at SP 75667118. Excavation adjoining W side of vicarage in 1949 revealed human remains and some Medieval pottery (sherds) but no evidence of Roman work other than isolated potsherds. Excavations carried to bedrock. Both indicated sites are now occupied by the vicarage garden. No surface finds were made during investigation. The vicarage is empty, there being no incumbent in Brixworth at the moment. Rev Freeman and R.W Brown have both left the area. Frost was not contacted. Northampton Museum have no information and the present location of the sherds was not determined. Monastic cemetery and medieval settlement (SP 74647121), in the vicarage garden, immediately E of Brixworth church, on Northampton Sand at 120m above OD. Various excavations in the area have revealed burials. Two skeletons, described as lying in a crouched position, were found in 1939, and in 1949 a small excavation uncovered 4 or 5 skeletons in at least two distinct layers. In 1972 further work was undertaken and part of the monastic precinct of the Saxon church, including a section of its boundary and part of the cemetery within, was discovered. The precinct boundary was a large ditch, running N-S, V-shaped in section, 3.4m wide at the top and 2m deep. A radiocarbon date of 710 ad+/-80 was obtained from the organic material in the primary silt. The later fill of the ditch contained Saxo-Norman pottery including Stamford and Northampton wares. Inside the boundary 11 inhumations were excavated, all orientated E-W, with no evidence of coffins or grave goods. Radiocarbon dates 840 ad+/-70 and 780 ad+/-80 were obtained from 2 of the burials and all must have been earlier than 12th century features which had cut into them. The latter indicated that in the post-Conquest period the area was in secular use, and this continued until the 15th century when the area was abandoned.The remains included evidence of stone and timber buildings and walls, as well as rubbish pits.

Late Saxon burials and Medieval building (SP 747712), located immediately south of the church, just beyond the churchyard boundary. An excavation in 1972 revealed three late Saxon burials, orientated E-W, without grave goods, and four possible contemporary pits containing domestic refuse and St Neots ware pottery. Subsequently, perhaps in the 11th or 12th century, a wall was built across the site and this was replaced in the 13th century by a large building 10m by 5m, divided into four rooms. Other buildings were added later;the whole site was levelled in the early 18th century.

<1> 1888, Northampton Herald, (unchecked) (Article). SNN20801.

<2> Northampton Museum Topographical Index, (unchecked) (Index). SNN1470.

<3> 1949, Chronicle & Echo, (unchecked) (Article). SNN20807.

<4> 1949, Mercury & Herald, (unchecked) (Article). SNN20808.

<5> Burford J.W., Untitled Source, (unchecked) (Unpublished Report). SNN43806.

<6> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP77SW2 (unchecked) (Index). SNN443.

<7> BURFORD J.W., 1976, Excavations at Brixworth Church 1952-68 (Unpublished Report). SNN43805.

<8> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.30/Site 33 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77380.

<9> Brown, AE (Ed), 1973, Northamptonshire Archaeology, p.17 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN14319.

<10> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1975, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1974, p.164 (checked) (Report). SNN41605.

<11> Audouy M., 1984, Excavations at the Church of All Saints at Brixworth (Article). SNN77134.

<12> EVERSON P., 1977, Excavations in the Vicarage Garden at Brixworth, p. 55-122 (Article). SNN57459.

<13> 1973, Medieval Archaeology (17), 17/147, 181 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN35139.

<14> 1975, Medieval Archaeology (19), 19/225 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN39467.

<15> Brown, AE (Ed), 1973, Northamptonshire Archaeology, p.18 (checked) (Journal). SNN14319.

<16> Hall, D N, 1983, South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter (13), 13, 21-6 (unchecked) (Newsletter). SNN48541.

<17> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1983, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1982, p.174-5 (unchecked) (Article). SNN24591.

<19> 1973, Medieval Britain in 1972, (unchecked) (Notes). SNN57496.

<20> Williams J.H., 1973, South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter (3), p.20 (checked) (Journal). SNN896.

<21> HANNAN A., 1986, The Vicarage, Brixworth, (unchecked) (Note). SNN57499.

<22> Turner, A., 2010, Ground Penetrating Radar Survey, All Saint's Church, Brixworth (Report). SNN111803.

<23> Parsons, D. & Sutherland, D. S., 2013, The Anglo-Saxon Church of All Saints, Brixworth, Northamptonshire: Survey, Excavation and Analysis, 1972-2010 (Book). SNN111198.

<24> Annotated Record Map, Corr 6" (R W Brown 1949) inf Rev Freeman.; Corr 6" (HCR Frost 1950) (Map). SNN112961.

<25> Colquhoun, FD, 1969, Field investigators comments, 04-FEB-1969 (Notes). SNN112950.

<26> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1981, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, Page 30 (Series). SNN77381.

<27> Geake, H, 1997, Use of grave goods in conversion period England, c. 600 - c. 850, P. 171 (Monograph). SNN114719.

Record last edited

Apr 25 2025 4:15PM