Staveley Hall Excavation - August 14th - Sept 1st 2006
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We plan to continue our excavations of 2005 and have located three areas which we hope will help us to understand more about the phases of development of the old Staveley Hall and outbuildings and medieval use of the site before then. One section is to the SE of the front lawn, the second section is a small area bordering the car park and finally we plan to move on to a small area alongside the church to the rear of the hall (not the bowling green!!)
We found some interesting artefacts last year and our fingers are crossed for more this year, but we also very keen to find more evidence of how the layout of the old Hall(s) and out buildings developed. Towards the end of last years excavation we found evidence of a staircase in the old Hall. It would be very exciting if this was a staircase leading to a cellar. If so then this may be a key to uncovering much more information about the layour of the old hall (which we already know to be expansive).
There is the tantalizing thought that Ascoid Musard, who owned Staveley as his main holding at the time of the Domesday book (1086) - could well have sited his house here. Although it seems very likely - the Hall has an ideal position on a hill overlooking the surrounding area - we do not know for certain, but perhaps we will do soon...!
