Souvenir booklet of the

2012 Dig The Abbey

community archaeological
dig at Polesworth Abbey
July 16th to September 8th
ABOUT DIG THE ABBEY

POLESWORTH ABBEY

Polesworth Abbey is set for an exciting new By Michael McAllister

future, with new refectory and accommodation,
a new vicarage and learning centre.
Polesworth Abbey,
The Abbey site, a Scheduled Ancient Monument
Archaeology,
protected by law, has been investigated for its
archaeology. Hundreds of local people have
Digging dirt,
taken part in the Community Archaeology
Getting hurt,
Project. This souvenir booklet tells the story of
Aches & pains,
Dig the Abbey in words, photos, drawings and
poems. It presents the future of the Abbey
Weather rains,
plans for conservation, drawings of the new
Finding treasure,
buildings and a colourwash view of how the
Thats the pleasure.
whole site will look. Father Philip said, As well as uncovering physical artefacts from
the past, volunteers and visitors have become aware of the spiritual aspects of the
Abbey site. The Dig is about the future of the Abbey site. The Abbey site is important in
our community. We hope that you will enjoy seeing the results of the archaeology and
the artwork along with the plans for the future.

A word from Tim Upson-Smith

Community Archaeologist
There is something of a misconception
about archaeology. It is in essence a
destructive process whereby we take
away layers of history to see what lies
beneath. In order for communities to
grow they need to know where they
came from, how this relates to what we
see in the present and how it can impact
upon the future. Therefore our role is
not to preserve past in a time capsule
but to interpret what we find and help to tell the story of
the Abbey. Much of what we find will return to the earth
to be built upon. Just as the Saxons built upon Roman
remains and in turn were built upon by our medieval
ancestors. Our work at Polesworth Abbey represents a
continuum, the preparation for the next phase.
There was an Archaeologist called Tim
Since school he has a boyhood whim
To dig holes in the ground
And find clay pipes abound
It was joy and pure heaven to him
John Varsey

At Dig The Abbey we have accrued many many boxes

of finds, many broken pots and tiles, but also some
lovely pieces including this laundry token, fragment
of Bellarmine pot, a clothing pin and selection of
decorated floor tiles.

The Abbey is open every day (including Saturday and Sunday)

for morning prayer at 8.30am and Evening prayer at 6.00pm. These services
are mainstay of our parish life and are open to everyone. Requests for
prayers can be left on this website just email polesworthabbey@aol.com

www.digtheabbey.co.uk

ALL ABOUT THE DIG

WHERE WE HAVE DUG THIS YEAR

PRECINCT BUILDINGS
These are on the site where the new parsonage will
be built and is the section of the dig that had the
most time spent on it. It is a very large area that
posed some very interesting questions. There have
been several buildings on this site constructed over
hundreds of years, each one demolished and re-built
over. One was an Elizabethan timber framed building
which may have been an ancilliary building the Manor
House which stood where the vicarage is now. We
have also discovered seven burials, which may relate
to the Saxon Abbey which stood on this site prior to
the Benedictine Abbey.

Dig

There was scraping

To find the ancient stone walls

The historic dig.
George Mather The Polesworth School 2012

A beautifully preserved Tudor drain

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Films and photographs from the dig can be found on our website at www.digtheabbey.co.uk

www.digtheabbey.co.uk

DINING HALLS
This area has proved to be the jewel in the crown
at this years dig. Both the outer and inner walls of
the cloister have been revealed showing that it was
quite a bit bigger than originally thought and a little
further south and west. Also in this area we have
been looking for evidence of the Frater, the Nuns
dining hall. What we found were 24 in-situ decorated
medieval floor tiles plus a remarkable series of levels
not normally found in such an area.

Arrows denote the width of the cloister

The Abbey Dig

The sound of shovels hitting the ground,
Handling the dirt all around,
Each person has their place.
A steady thing not a race,
Being strong,
Be good with this thing it may take long,
Everything is old
You better not drop them, youve been told.
Dust and mud,
Is good,
Get a spade and help in the Abbey Dig.
Harry Wall Austrey Primary School 2012

In-situ Medieval floor tiles

CLOISTER CORNER
Excavations in the corner of the Cloister have helped
us to confirm that the Cloister was bigger than had
originally been thought as we have found the return
of the western inner cloister wall as it turns to join
the remaining North cloister wall.
Parts of An Abbey
Cloister - A square twin-walled corridor that
connected all areas of the Abbey
Chapter House - Where the Nuns would gather to
hear the rule book and Bible read.
Frater - The refectory or dining hall.
Dorter - The dormitories, where the Nuns slept.
Reredorter - The toilet and washing building.
Pottery Shard
Brittle mottled green
Fired from clays softness;
Shaped for practical utility
------ I like that.
Toad-like skin is all my decoration.
Fashioned by capable hands
To a daily importance
----Of peaceful use
Gina Coates 2012

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Sunday Service at 10.00 am
The Abbey is open: Tuesday to Friday 11 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 4 pm,
Saturday 11 am to 1 pm Sunday 8 am to noon and 2 pm to 4 pm.

www.digtheabbey.co.uk

KITCHEN
This area posed some interesting
questions once we started to excavate
as we found the level of the floor
changed dramatically. A photograph
in the Abbey archives shows that the
Victorians cut through the existing
Abbey cloister kitchen wall to make
a series of steps down to the lower
garden, and the pattern of the
remaining wall confirms this. We also
found an almost complete 15th century
Transitional Midland Purple jug from
Nuneaton.
Relic
This relic cleaned in my hand,
Smooth sides, oval,
Ridged knuckle at one end;
The other snapped, sharp and jagged,
Honeycomb structure revealed;
A broken leg of lamb, discarded,
Hidden for a thousand years
Remnant of a nuns feast day
St Editha, eleven twenty five.
Janis Kind 2012

5th century Transitional Midland Purple from Nuneaton

NORTHANTS ARCHAEOLOGICAL TEAM & Peter RALi Studios

Northamptonshire Archaeology is a contracting service of Northamptonshire County Council, providing a full
range of archaeological services on a commercial basis to the public, private and voluntary sectors.
www.northantsarchaeology.co.uk/

Mark Holmes

Mark is the chief

archaeologist
on the team
and has primary
responsibility
for interpreting
what has been
found on the dig.
He will also be
writing the final
report.
Jonathan Elston

Tim is the
community
archaeologist
and is
responsible for
recruiting and
inducting the
volunteers as
well as having an
overview of the
Tim Upson-Smith project.

Jonathans main
focus this year
has been to
work on Area A
to ascertain its
history which
stretches back
well before
Saxon times.

Angela has been

heading up the
finds at the dig
and teaching
volunteers how
to clean and
number the
hundreds of
finds from the
Angela Warner trenches.

James has been

responsible for
Trenches 6 & 7
and has helped
to discover the
layout of the
reredeorter and
its intricate
James Ladocha drain systems.

Peter Ralley

Peter has worked

on many projects
at the Abbey
and manages
all the film,
photography,
websites and
media related
issues.

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Films and photographs from the dig can be found on our website at www.digtheabbey.co.uk

www.digtheabbey.co.uk

ABBEY TOILET
The south east corner of the excavation is in the
part of the Abbey called the reredorter. In other
words it was the Nuns dormitory, wash room and
toilet. We have found the remains of the wall that
formed the corner of the reredorter part of which
was demolished in the 1950s when the river was
re-directed. One of the loveliest finds of the dig is
on this trench in the form of a beautifully preserved
stone drain with V shaped base that would have
taken all of the waste away from the building.
Blessed Feet.
Sit laus Deo Patri
(Praise be to the God the Father)
the nuns of the abbey sing their song
The bell tolls calling for blessed prayer
The carved Arden oak glows warmly in the sun
Little remains as we trowel away
Slate, brick, tile, bone and pottery
Tiles in situ the painted surface worn and cut.
Uncovered blurred by the sun.
But a night the blessed ghostly slippered feet leave not a mark.
Pauline Gurney. 2012

ROMAN VILLA?
A trench was created to try find the continuation of
the drain from the Abbey toilet trench. We did find a
drain but one that was running North to South away
from the building rather than West to East as in the
Abbey toilet trench. It appears to be a Medieval drain
but does not fit in with the general pattern of the
site. This will require further investigation hopefully
as part of Dig The Abbey 2013 There is also evidence
of a Roman settlement here. Roman roof and floor
tile fragments were found, and a heating-system tile
too.
Benedictine Novice
Can you, Benedictine Novice,
your life to Christ avow?
Will you lay prostrate before the Cross,
your existence to endow;
Will you pledge three vows to
God and Man in fervent reverence,
Of Chastity and Poverty, and strict Obedience;
Will your robes of white be changed to black?
The silver ring to wear, a Bride of Christ,
A servant good, His Crucifix to bear;
Tony ODonnell 2012

The Abbey is open every day (including Saturday and Sunday)for morning prayer at 8.30am and Evening prayer at 6.00pm.
These services are mainstay of our parish life and are open to everyone.
Requests for prayers can be left on this website just email polesworthabbey@aol.com

www.digtheabbey.co.uk

Interpretation of an archaeological site is all about

working out what you see in front of you and making
statements about what you know to have been here.
Its also about speculating about what may have
been on the site based on evidence that cannot be
quite tied together. Another way of interpreting the
site is from a creative aspect; photographs, drawings,
paintings, words and poetry.
Mal Dewhirst - We have been lucky
enough this year to be award a
grant from the Arts Council to run a
series of poetry workshops headed
by Polesworths own poet, Mal
Dewhirst. Some of the results are
shown on here along with some of
the many other creative responses
we have received from volunteers
and visitors.
Abbey Haikus
Dig

There was scraping

To find the ancient stone walls
The historic dig.

Garden

In the big garden

There was lavender and mint

By the old stone walls.
Church

In the old abbey

There was an old effigy

Books line the large walls.
George Mather The Polesworth School 2012

Local students get ready for their foray into the world
of archaeology-based poetry.
Entrenched
I cannot smell
through cavities
clogged with soil.
No sound penetrates
clay-packed passages.
All taste gone,
save that of dust
clinging to my jaw.
I cannot see
beyond blackness
of earth-encrusted orbs.
Cold touch
remains.

The ground
caresses me,
compresses me.
Vibrations
from
unsuspecting footsteps
pass over me.
I am hidden here
without light
without smell
without taste
without sound.
Margaret Torr 2012

Time
Once upon a time I see,
A man like you, a man like me,
He writhed and squirmed until he grew,
All made of clay; through and through.
Hes of the Earth and Ocean deep,
Woken from an endless sleep,
Never made, nor resurrected,
From the Earth he was erected.
Since that time he began to ponder,
Of many lands which he could wander,
He came across a new found life,
A land of joy among the strife.
Its there he found his love most true,
A woman like me, a woman like you.
All made of clay through and through,
Its from their loins that new life grew.

Poetry isnt all about words, on this dig its also

Lauren Parsons The Polesworth School 2012.
about getting down in the trenches for inspiration.

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Films and photographs from the dig can be found on our website at www.digtheabbey.co.uk

www.digtheabbey.co.uk

Brian Benbow

Visual interpretations of the site

produced by volunteers working on
the dig who were inspired by their
surroundings

Alice Benbow

Caroline Smedley

Elizabeth Babington

Malcolm Lockett
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The Abbey is open every day (including Saturday and Sunday)for morning prayer at 8.30am and Evening prayer at 6.00pm.
These services are mainstay of our parish life and are open to everyone.
Requests for prayers can be left on this website just email polesworthabbey@aol.com

www.digtheabbey.co.uk

POLESWORTH ABBEY DEVELOPMENT PLANS

In 2010 the Gatehouse at Polesworth Abbey was completely refurbished making it

the magnificent building you see now. After many years of being used as flats, or the
home of the Girls Friendly Society or even the headquarters of the Home Guard, it
has now returned to its original use, namely as accommodation for visitors to the
abbey.
The plan now is to return the greater part of the Abbey site to one of its original
functions, that of a place of education. Those plans are ambitious with extensive
buildings in the area, which was once the refectory and dormitory areas of the
Abbey and will once again serve those functions, but to 21st Century standards.
The existing parsonage will become let-able accommodation and a new parsonage
will be built in the place where the precinct buildings were. Attached to this building will be a series of
educational rooms which will complement the coach house which in turn will be upgraded.
The concept behind this development is to build upon the very strong sense of community engagement
that extends far beyond the confines of Polesworth itself and across the whole world. Visitors to the new
Polesworth Abbey site will be here for their own pilgrimage for just the same reasons that pilgrims have
travelled for thousands of years.
Dig The Abbey has made a mark in the passage of history. We now have a much clearer picture of what the
medieval Polesworth Abbey looked like and it will help to shape the future.
The ever-changing face of Polesworth Abbey

Saxon Abbey

Norman Abbey

Elizabethan Manor House

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Booklet produced by Peter RALi Studios www.rali.org.uk

Victorian Vicarage