Shows the plan of this trench, indicating an intricate network of small stake holes and on two occasions there was two holes next to each other. When these features were excavated it was found that in both times a stone was directly under one of the stakes. So it is assumed that in finding difficulty in getting the stake to drive in the ground it was placed next to the previous one, which was successfully inserted into the subsoil. The stakes on the whole did not seem to form any particular pattern apart from two semi circular rings of posts that was very noticeable Fig 2. Initial speculations were that these semi circular rings of stake holes could have been from some sort of smoking racks. There had obviously been many phases of these clay floor features too. In the centre of the trench the re deposited subsoil had been cut through and there were extensive layers of charcoal from what appeared to be an open fire. An AMS date was obtained for one of these pieces of charcoal and gave a date of approx 1440 AD. At the end of the third season it was suggested this particular area could have been associated with the Spring feature in the next trench especially as the brass pins were more or less contemporary with this AMS date.

       At the southern end of the trench another more substantial clay platform was unearthed. This particular clay was a darker green in colour than the clay covering the rest of the trench. There had been a marked attempt in antiquity to level this southern area by adding more than 15cm of the clay and clay addmix to make a level platform area. There appeared to be a ring of stakes on this feature indicating a temporary structure of some kind. This assumption was substantiated in a way by a ring of the clay being washed away around the edge of the ring of stakes, indicating a drip gully of sorts. At the south eastern edge of this platform the clay dropped down in what appeared to be two phases. It was suggested that this was a technique used to stabilize the floor rather than there actually being two separate floors. Embedded in the top layer of this floor was a microlith.

       It was interesting to observe the way the re deposited subsoil peeled away from this floor and how few items were excavated on the clay floor surface itself. Only a few small pieces of worn local red mudstone were found on this floor area .

     I have conducted some research into the possible uses of this type of stone in previous years and found it to be a very versatile form of natural pigment. In its raw state as it was excavated on the floor it is a rust red colour and can be used to decorate wood and stone. It is very soft and does wear away quite quickly as could be seen on the pieces excavated. This medium if baked produces various darker red shades depending on the amount of heat it is exposed to.  The floor on the south eastern side of the trench revealed a steep edge into a sort of ditch which was filled with stony pale shale. At the bottom of this feature another very finely knapped microlith was excavated. It is important to note that whereas there are remarkable few finds under the re deposited subsoil there is a plethora of finds in the topsoil above it. From early medieval ceramics to 19^th century broken used Calenick tin assaying crucibles.

    When trench A/1 was almost complete at the far south western section of the trench  a strange upright water worn granite stone protruded from the middle of the narrow floor feature. Fig 4  At first it was assumed it was the first stone in a hearth, but when fully excavated it was found to be free standing in what appeared to be the entrance to this small structure.