Tr 3 (The Kinecroft) Background
'Kine' is an archaic name for cattle or oxen. As with the Bullcroft, it may have been used for grazing livestock for much of its history. But important questions remain. Was it always an open space? Did the street grid, and houses alongside the streets, ever extend across the Kinecroft? Are traces of ancient houses hidden beneath the grass? The excavation may provide some answers.
The open spaces of the Kinecroft, bordered by its earthen ramparts (marked by the distant line of trees).
Location of trench
The trench, up to 20 x10m in size, will be situated near the middle of the Kinecroft, roughly opposite the Coach and Horses pub. It has been placed to pick up traces of any settlement activity to the south of the possible continuation of a road line across the Kinecroft. The image below shows the location of the trench superimposed upon the results of a geophysical survey carried out using a resistivity meter. Hidden within the greyscale plot are numerous features of interest. In the lower right corner, for example, you can just make out the zig-zag of WWI practice trenches. Note also the two faintly visible concentric circles just clipped by Trench 3. What could these features represent? Let's hope we find out and uncover more of Wallingford's hidden past...
Location of Trench 3, superimposed on the plot of the geophysical results, on a map of south and central Kinecroft (thanks to Gerard Latham for resistivity plot).
