Figure 1: Excavation of Test-Pit 6. Looking west.

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1 Test-Pit 6: The Parish Field, Park Street (SK ) Test-Pit 6 was excavated in the north-west corner of the Parish Field on the south side of Park Street at SK (Figure 1). Over two days, on July 2017, the test was dug to a depth of c.0.4m with six spits recorded. The excavation was carried out by Roger Thomas, Harry Whitehead, and Jean and John Wasteney. Figure 1: Excavation of Test-Pit 6. Looking west. Figure 2: Test-Pit 6 post-excavation. Looking north. A possible wall is apparent in the north-east corner and a pebble surface is present in the western half of the test. 1

2 During the excavation, c.0.3m of turf and greyish-brown clayey-silt topsoil (Spits 1-3) was removed. Beneath this, in the western third of the pit, a further c.0.1m of brownish-grey clayey-silt (Spits 4-5) overlay the remains of a clay-bonded pebble surface c.0.4m below ground level (Spit 6). In the pit s north-eastern corner, a group of large, tightly packed, clay-bonded stones was partially exposed (Spit 6). This could be the remains of a wall footing although too little was uncovered to determine its alignment and full extent. Between the footing and the pebble surface was a possible gully filled with a mix of charcoal and orangish-yellow clay. The natural substratum was not reached, and excavation was halted at the depth of the uncovered archaeology (Figure 2). In all, 189 individual finds (2.664kg) were recovered from the test (Table 1). Post-medieval and modern material was found throughout the pit and it was evident that the ground here was extensively reworked after the pebble surface and wall footing had fallen out of use. and post-medieval pottery included 60 sherds of black ware, china, cream ware, earthenware, Midland black, Midland yellow, mottled ware, salt-glazed wares, and stoneware (c ). Also present was 17 sherds of later medieval Cistercian ware and Midland purple ware (c ) and 12 sherds of medieval Potters Marston, Chilvers Coton and medieval sandy wares (c ) - Figure 3. The presence of 29 sherds of medieval and later medieval pottery, coupled with the large quantity of post-medieval and modern pottery strongly suggests that occupation in the immediate vicinity dates from at least the 12th century through to the 17th or 18th century. Figure 3:Medieval and early post-medieval pot from TP6 (left), and part of a late medieval jug strap handle (right). Figure 4:Other finds from TP6 including a clay tobacco pipe bowl (left), a slate pencil (centre) and worked leather (right). Other finds (Figure 4) included 12 fragments of clay tobacco pipe. These were a mixture of broken pipe stems and bowl fragments, all of c date. Twenty-six fragments of were also recovered, mostly modern bottle and window although two fragments of handmade green bottle are likely to be of 17th or 18th century date. Metal objects included 7 iron objects, most likely nail fragments, a piece of iron slag and a modern aluminium ring-pull (from the topsoil). A piece of modern leather, possible part of a football, was also recovered from the topsoil. The presence of a single worked flint is evidence of prehistoric activity in the wider landscape. This was a secondary flake, which is associated with the initial stages of flint working, most likely in the Neolithic period or the Bronze Age (c BC). 2

3 Given the limited size of the excavation it is difficult to interpret the uncovered archaeology but the little that could be seen appears to be evidence of a pebble surface and wall footing, and may therefore be evidence of a building formerly occupying the north-western corner of the Parish Field, presumably fronting onto Park Street. Maps dating back to the mid-19th century show the Parish Field to be part of Bosworth Park until it was given to the parish as a public field in the 1930s. However, Toby Mathews survey of the manor of Bosworth in 1592 suggests that this area may have been occupied by a farmstead belonging to the Parsonage, under the tenancy of a Thomas Whitehead in the late 16th century. It may be evidence of this farmstead that has been found in the test, but more investigation needs to take place in the Parish Field before this can be said with certainty. Test Table 1: Catalogue of finds from Test-Pit Pinkish orange 6 1 Pot 1 China/porcelain 6 1 Pot 1 Oxidised sandy High medieval 12-13thC 6 1 Glass Metal 1 Ring pull 6 1 Metal 1 Hearth slag Unknown 6 2 Stone 1 Flint - secondary flake 6 2 Glass 6 Clear curved 6 2 Glass Glass 2 Pale blue curved Neolithic/Bronze Age 6 2 Glass 1 Clear curved 6 2a 5 6 2a Carbon 1 Coal Unknown 6 2a Pot 10 China/porcelain 6 2a Pot 6 Cream ware 6 2a Pot 1 Brown salt glazed 6 2a Pot 1 Mottled ware 6 2a Pot 7 Earthenware 3mm thick 3-4mm thick, 4 body sherds, jar rim, base sherd 2-4mm thick 6 2a Pot 1 Earthenware Flower pot 6 2a Pot 1 Earthenware 6 2a Pot 1 Chilvers Coton High medieval 14-15th C 6 2a Pot 3 Chilvers Coton High medieval c a Pot 1 Midland purple Late medieval 6 2a Pot 2 Potters Marston High medieval 12-13thC + 2-4mm thick, body sherd & bottle rim sherd 12mm diam embossed circular decoration, quartered with 4 pellets 6 2a Metal 1 Fe object Unknown Most likely nails, heavily rusted 6 2a Stone 1 Fossil Mesozoic Belemnite 6 2a Leather 1 Leather 140x70mm, brown, stitch perforations on one side, three sides torn -?football 6 2a Clay pipe 3 2.4mm diam. bore 6 2b b 4 tile 16-20mm thick 6 2b Pot 1 China/porcelain 6 2b Pot 1 Earthenware Pancheon rim 6 2b Pot 1 Chilvers Coton High medieval Jar rim 14-15th C 3

4 Test 6 2b Glass 3 3-4mm thick 6 2b Glass 1 Clear curved 3mm thick Pot 1 China/porcelain 6 3 Pot 3 Earthenware 6 3 Pot 1 Stoneware 6 3 Pot 1 White salt glazed c Pot 1 Mottled ware 6 3 Pot 2 Cream ware 6 3 Pot 2 Midland yellow c Pot 1 Cistercian Late medieval c Pot 5 Midland purple Late medieval Thumbed jug fragment same as pot below 6 3 Pot 1 Medieval sandy High medieval 14th C+ 6 3 Glass 2 Clear flat 2-4mm thick 6 3 Glass 2 Pale blue curved Pale green curved Pale brown curved Pale green curved Very dark brown curved 6 3 Bone 3 Animal bone Unknown 3-4mm thick 4mm thick 4mm thick 4mm thick, body sherd, rough external texture, some iridescence Base sherd, hand blown, almost opaque, air bubbles 6 3 Metal 2 Fe objects Unknown Most likely nails, heavily rusted 6 3 Stone 1?Slate pencil 6 3 Clay pipe Clay pipe Clay pipe 1 bowl fragment 6 3 Stone 1 Roof slate Unknown Reddish orange 6 4 Pot 3 China/porcelain 6 4 Pot 5 Earthenware 6 4 Pot 1 Black ware 44mm long, 6mm diam, broken at one end, tapered to point at other 3mm diam. bore 2.4mm diam. bore Small fragment, scorching, c Swithland slate, part of drilled hole still visible 6 4 Pot 1 Midland Black Cup/jug strap handle 6 4 Pot 3 Midland yellow 6 4 Pot 3 Cistercian/M Black Late medieval/early post medieval 6 4 Pot 4 Midland purple Late medieval 6 4 Glass 1 Clear curved 2mm thick 6 4 Bone 2 Animal bone Unknown Similar decoration C. Coton S18, K40/42 (Mayes and Scott 1984). 6 4 Metal 3 Fe objects Unknown Most likely nails, heavily rusted 6 4 Clay pipe Clay pipe Carbon 1 Coal Unknown 1.6mm diam. bore 2.4mm diam. bore 4

5 Test 6 5 Carbon 4 Charcoal Unknown Pot 1 China/porcelain 6 5 Pot 1 Earthenware 6 5 Pot 1 Black ware 6 5 Pot 3 Earthenware 6 5 Pot 1 Cistercian/M Black Late medieval/early post medieval 6 5 Pot 2 Midland purple Late medieval Thumbed strap handle as above 6 5 Pot 1 Medieval sandy High medieval 14th C+ 6 5 Pot 2 Potters Marston High medieval 12-13thC Bone 2 Animal bone Unknown 6 5 Metal 1 Fe object Unknown Most likely nails, heavily rusted 6 5 Clay pipe 1 2.4mm diam. bore 6 5 Clay pipe 1 Long bulbous bowl, spur, partially-milled bowl rim, c *BM Building Material, Ceramic Building Material **The following phasing is used in this report: Mesozoic ( million years ago), Neolithic/Bronze Age ( BC), Iron Age (700 BC-AD 43), Roman (AD ), Saxon (AD ), Saxo-Norman (AD ), High Medieval (AD ), Late Medieval (AD ), Post-medieval (AD ), (AD 1850-present) 5