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Reports from the first excavation at Badby 1966
Mrs G. Brown excavating on the site of a ploughed-out manor found substantial foundations of at least two periods, arranged round a cobbled courtyard. This courtyard was filled in and the masonry levelled in the 17th century, but the moat continued to be filled with water. (Wilson, David M., and D. Gillian Hurst. 1966. “Medieval Britain in 1965.” Medieval Archaeology 10 (1): 168–219)
Mrs G. Brown excavating on the west side of the site now known to be a grange of Evesham Abbey revealed earthworks covering masonry of the 14th and 17th centuries and earlier timber structures. Of 14th century date was a cobbled kitchen containing ovens and a well. (Wilson, David M., and D. Gillian Hurst. 1967. “Medieval Britain in 1966.” Medieval Archaeology 11: 262–319)
Interim report Badby 1968
[Source? Not Medieval Archaeology or Northamptonshire Archaeological Society Bulletin]
A second season’s work took place at Badby, near Daventry, Northants during May and July 1968. It was once again sponsored by the School of History, University of Birmingham with a grant from the Ministry of Public Buildings and Works and was directed by Margaret Gray with the assistance of G. Lewis, Mrs D. Orr and J Roberts. The labour force was provided by boys from the Norton House Approved School at Kineton under the direction of Mr. M. Egginton and Mr. R. Walker, by students from the School of History, University of Birmingham and from the Training College of Coventry. During July the excavation was directed by G. Lewis.
The site is a moated monastic grange of the Abbey of Evesham; as a result of the 1967 excavations the following three periods were suggested:-
I. Thirteenth century stone-built hall with pitched stone footings.
II. Bakehouses constructed to the north of Period I buildings in use in fourteenth century.
III. Extensive alterations and additions to previous buildings during fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
The 1968 excavations were undertaken to:-
1. Cut a section across the moat.
2. Remove the Period III levels from the remainder of the bake-house and from its east exterior.
3. Extend the excavation of the Period I Hall eastwards to find its extent.
The Moat. A section across its south side showed that although this moat may originally have been constructed in Period I and have been in use in Period II, it had been cleaned out in Period III and a well-built stone wall, 2 metres high with a buttress had been constructed as a revetment to the hill-slope behind it. The moat was 11 metres wide and 3 metres deep. There was no indication where the material from the original construction of the moat had been placed.
The Bake-Houses were shown to have two phases with two entrances at different levels and two series of bake-ovens.
The Period I Hall. The eastern wall of this building was not reached owing to the complexity of the Perion II, III and post -medieval layers laying over it. 14 metres wide, in length it already extends to 18 metres. During Period III this became a courtyard, with a pitched stone roadway leading to an elaborate entrance.
A total of eight coins was found, five of them being post-medieval. The pottery was of the same types as that recorded in the 1967 excavations.
I should like to thank Mr. Green, the owner of the land, for his willing co-operation for once again making the site available for excavation.
Margaret Gray
Illustration – map showing the position of the site. [? – Not from BPA2000]
The First Dig
These excerpts from Gwen Brown’s excited messages tell how the first dig unfolded. It was an amateur rescue dig as the land was being used for crops for the first time.
[Helen WhatsApp 19650123 Letter.jpg – need better copy]
First part of Gwen Brown’s letter missing “Investigation carried out 26th Jan”
This is the plan of what was eventually found after later digs undertaken by Margaret Gray.
Page amended 7 November 2026