Thames Valley Archaeological Services Monograph Series: Volume 8

Excavations in Medieval Abingdon and Drayton, Oxfordshire

by Sian Anthony, Graham Hull, Jo Pine and Kate Taylor

Two excavations on Ock Street, on the western side of Abingdon in Oxfordshire reveal fascinating details of medieval and early post-medieval tanning, leather working and horn processing, which apparently began on the north side of the street (75 Ock Street) in the 13th or 14th century and moved to the south side (on the site of the later Morlands Brewery) by the late 14th or early 15th century. These noxiously anti-social activities would have been located on the fringes of the town or even slightly outside it, but it appears that the proprietors made a good living from the business, as both sites were able to afford a certain amount of luxury, including imported pottery, while their workers appear to havr subsited on a diet that was more liquid than solid, presumably mainly beer (appropriate on a site that was later a brewery).

Besides the information on tanning processes, the sites provide positive evidence that Ock Street extended further west earlier than previously thought, both sites being occupied in some form from the 11th century onwards, with buildings clearly aligned along the street.

Beyond Abingdon itself, this volume also examines a small area excavation at Abingdon Road in nearby Drayton, where a medieval field system of paddocks and droveways was successively altered from the 11th to the 14th century before being abandoned. This site provides a marked contrast to the sequence of continuous urban development seen in the town itself.

A4 format, soft cover, 121pp, illustrated throughout including 20 colour plates.

ISBN 0-9544006-7-4

Price: £15.00