St. Kyneburgh's Nunnery

The site lies over the north wing of the large Roman villa in Castor known as "The Praetorium".

 

Two features cut through a Roman mosaic were take to be "Grubenhäuser" - sunken huts of Saxon origin. What appears to have been a reused Roma latrine pit held a remarkable amount of Middle Saxon pottery and artefacts including iron knives, a pair of shears, a spindle-whorl and a bone pi-beater - all associated with cloth production. Pride of place was accorded to a double-sided bone comb with incised decoration.

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If the site is indeed that of St. Kyneburgha's nunnery, as sems likely it should date to c. AD 665+ - 870, when the Danes ravaged the area.

 

C. Dallas, The Nunnery of St. Kynebugha at Castor, Durobrivae 1, p. 17