Site record MDR23140 - Curvilinear and Rectilinear Enclosures, Former Outseats Farm, Northeast of Henry Crescent, Alfreton

Curvilinear and rectilinear enclosures, former Outseats Farm, Northeast of Henry Crescent, Alfreton, possibly of medieval date. Over the course of a series of evaluations carried out in 2018, four small enclosures were identified and recorded. Three of these were sub rectangular and one (Enclosure 4) was irregular and curvilinear. 'Previous investigations revealed a series of medieval enclosures and concluded that the enclosures were likely used for livestock containment. It was suggested that Outseats Farm may have begun life as a fold or shieling associated with a manorial estate that may have been a precursor to Carnfield Hall. Some aspects of the environmental assemblage obtained during these works potentially challenge that view, suggesting the possibility of medieval domestic activity on the site. ...This additional mitigation has expanded the known extent of the medieval enclosures and enhanced understanding of them. It is now possible to say that the irregular curvilinear Enclosure 4 appears to have pre-dated the well-planned sub-rectangular Enclosures 1–3. A series of stoney pits are similar to features in an adjacent excavation area which were interpreted as ‘stone-getting pits’ (minor quarries). This interpretation is questionable in both excavation areas as the fill of the pits contained more stone than the layers the pits were cut through. A suggestion that the features may be bloomery furnaces is unsupported by their form and by the types of slag recovered from the site. Interpretation of these features is inconclusive. A series of pits and linear features in the area of the farm buildings appeared to pre-date post-medieval development. These features were undated and exhibited no obvious pattern but could potentially be contemporary with the medieval enclosures to the east.' (1)