SNN1934 - Canons Ashby: The Woodyard, A Summary of The 1982 Excavations

The property, formerly farm buildings, lies to the south of the Priory Church within the medieval monastic precinct and partly on the site of the cloisters and other monastic buildings. The current conversion into a dwelling house and gardens involved deep trenching for water and sewage service which justified a preliminary archaeological investigation. The operation was carried out in two stages between April and September 1982 by the Northamptonshire County Council Archaeological Unit. The main objectives of the scheme were to provide a precise assessment of the archaeological evidence under threat, and ultimately, to contribute to the existing fragmentary archaeological record in locating further structural remains of the old monastery and the Cope’s House which replaced it in the 16th century. During April and May 1982, two machine-dug trenches were opened, and both were 4.6m wide and 1.00m deep, in accordance with the contractor’s specification.