Possible extent of graveyard of St. Peter's Church, Mancetter

1 At least seven graves were recorded during fieldwork at Gramer House, Mancetter. Pottery from one grave was dated to the medieval period. It is suggested that this represents a shift of the graveyard boundary. The remains of a wall bisecting the trench could have been this boundary in the 19th century. The acidic soil had led to poor preservation.
2 Final report on work carried out 1. Severn features interpreted as being graves were recorded in trench 1. A disarticulated skill suggests further graves were present. The graves were dated to between the 13th and 16th cemeteries based on a single sherd of medieval pottery from the fill of one of the graves. The graves were aligned east to west with the head at the west end, typical of Christian medieval burials. Only one skeleton was subject to osteo-archaeological analysis, due to the poor preservation. The retrieval of holly seeds from environmental samples taken from the fills of the graves has been suggested to represent the placing of wreaths of holly upon the bodies during internment, a ritual now recognised as being common from around the country from various periods. The presence of human remains on the site dating from the medieval period suggests that the western boundary of the cemetery associated with St Peters church included some or all of the area excavated (trench 1). The wall recorded may actually have been the cemetery boundary for some time during the late 19th century.