This excavation is taking place at Manor Farm, Bredenbury. The Holloway being investigated is accessed from the old London To Aberystwyth Coach road to the dwellings mentioned above.
This year the group decided to investigate a point where a substantial Holloway (ancient sunken track) met a small stream. This would be where the track entered the stream, and turned at right angles, following the stream course, before turning right into another Holloway, which leads to a set of earthworks, which were the site of an old Farmstead.
A few small stones had been observed at this point. Excavations began, and slowly, more stone began to appear. We came down onto a, roughly level surface of laid stones. This surface met the stream, about, 60cms above the base of the stream, and could not have been the original entry into the the stream, because to enter the stream the original surface would have to be a ramp, or gentle slope into the stream. A step of this height would not allow access. The trench was widened across this surface, to define the edges of this surface. A substantial stone wall, some 60cms wide, and 2.5 metres long was discovered. This wall appears to have been built to prevent the South Eastern side from collapsing into a hollow at the stream edge. We discovered that the stone and earth that the wall held back, was a later deposition of material, that had likely come from the demolition of buildings, including a Blacksmith Shop, a Smallholding and the aforementioned Farmstead. These were taken down to allow Bredenbury Court to create a Parkland, without the clutter of buildings, that stood in this area.
This excavation is ongoing and more of this deposited material is being removed to allow us to see the original trackway hidden beneath it.