EAA 110: The Saxon and Medieval Settlement at West Fen Road, Ely: The Ashwell Site

Excavations by the Cambridge Archaeological Unit in 1999 and 2000 on a housing development site off West Fen Road, to the west of Ely city centre, produced abundant evidence for Mid and Late Saxon and medieval settlement. Established in the early 8th century the site saw continuous occupation, often within the same ditched property boundaries, for almost 800 years, until its eventual desertion in the 15th century. A detailed reconstruction of the settlement history of the site indicates a very stable, but gradually evolving settlement which probably provided food and other services, originally to the monastic settlement, then to the abbey and subsequently to the bishops. This report deals with a selection of the excavations within the area, and includes some details on the pre-Saxon background. Discussions on the buildings, enclosures and settlement sequence, as well as on the artefacts and environmental evidence form the main basis of the report.