NAU Archaeology, working in partnership with South Holland District Council, has completed a programme of archaeological works in and around the gardens of Ayscoughfee Hall.
This work aimed to gain a better understanding of the history and archaeology of the gardens and the way in which they developed over time. This work also had a strong focus on community participation, with the archaeological work being open to the public, volunteers and local schoolchildren.
The results of this work have been informative, with ten trenches excavated in various parts of the garden.
Perhaps one of the most interesting finds was discovered in Trench 2, close to the Hall. Here, the remains of a stove within a possible hothouse may be evidence for a heated greenhouse belonging to Maurice Johnson, the owner of the Hall.
Elsewhere, in Trenches 3 and 4, brick culverts were found. One linked the garden canal with the river and another probably ran to the Hall. The first culvert probably ensured that the canal always had a supply of fresh water.
These trenches also reminded us that Spalding has a long history, from well before the time of Maurice Johnson in the 18th century. There were Late Saxon and medieval deposits, including rubbish pits and a large wall, probably a property boundary from the time of the first Hall.
In the initial stages of the project, research was undertaken into the surviving documentary, cartographic and pictorial sources relating to Ayscoughfee Hall and its gardens. As a part of this research, several visits to the site were made by specialists in garden history and archaeology.
The resulting report provides a detailed account of the development of the gardens since they were first laid out c.1730 and includes extracts from historical maps of the site.
A PDF copy of this report can be downloaded here
To aid in the current research and help with the future management of the gardens, a detailed topographic survey was undertaken. This survey records the layout of Ayscoughfee Hall and gardens and is so detailed that it even shows the position of all of the trees.
In late January 2008, NAU Archaeology began a series of archaeological excavations at Ayscoughfee. Our excavation team will be keeping a regular diary in which they will describe the work and present its findings.
Read the excavation diary
Meet the team
South Holland Ayscoughfee Gardens Heritage Project Website
The Gardens at Ayscoughfee Hall
Conservation strategies
Conservation organisations