St Bridget’s Old Church, Beckermet, Cumbria: Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment

A desk-based assessment was carried out prior to the installation of new drains and a soak away at the St Bridget’s Old Church, Beckermet. The site is situated within the churchyard of the Grade II* Listed St Bridget’s Old Church, which has at least early medieval origins and contains two cross-shafts thought to be of 9th to 11th century date that are Scheduled Monuments. The main significance of the proposal stems from the proximity of the proposed drains to the church, although the cross-shafts are some distance to the south and should not therefore be affected by the proposal. The proposal will cut across the location of the formerly oval-shaped graveyard boundary, which was extended in the late 19th century, and evidence pertaining to the earlier boundary might be exposed below ground. There is a high potential for archaeological remains dating from the early medieval period onwards being present within the churchyard, with earlier remains a lesser possibility, although this is uncertain since no previous archaeological work has been carried out at the site. The chances of encountering undisturbed archaeological deposits within the graveyard, however, are diminished since the soil horizons will most probably have been turned over many times during its use, conceivably over several centuries.

The full report is available on the Archaeology Data Service website: https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archiveDS/archiveDownload?t=arch-700-1/dissemination/pdf/greenlan1-133123_1.pdf