David Jones

On the south bank of the River Coquet, 3 km west of Alwinton, are the remains of a deserted settlement that is believed to be of medieval origin. Referred to as Linbrig, the settlement is divided into two parts separated by some 350 m; one is bisected by the road along the valley, while the other lies to the southeast on an area of rough grazing closer to the river; some structures in this latter part have been investigated by Coquetdale Community Archaeology (CCA). These excavations located over fifty pieces of well-dressed masonry, some being re-used in the buildings while others were not part of the structures. Some have been identified as of medieval ecclesiastical origin and appear out of place in what was almost certainly an upland farming community. In light of these finds, the history of both the site and the surrounding area is examined by reference to previous investigations and documentary sources. It is shown that the settlement was situated on the medieval manor of Aldensheles; a fourteenth-century Patent roll entry refers to a now-lost chapel on this manor and this may be the source of some of the dressed masonry. The history of the manor, its likely medieval boundaries and subsequent changes to them and possible sites for the chapel are discussed.

On the south bank of the River Coquet, three kilometres west of Alwinton, are the remains of a deserted medieval settlement called Linbrig, built on a manor once known as Aldensheles. Among the 20 or so ruined structures on the site is a slumped circular earthwork some 6 m across on the crest of a steep slope leading down to the riverbank. Contiguous to it and at right angles to the river are the ruins of a rectangular building divided into two parts by a cross-wall. Excavation of half of the circular structure and part of the adjacent building confirmed suggestions that the structures formed the remains of a kiln and an attached building. Analysis of deposits from within the cylinder-shaped kiln bowl showed that its function was to dry grain and provided information about the fuel used, the crops handled and the surrounding ecosystem. Radiocarbon dating and pottery confirmed that the kiln was active in the 14th century and thus broadly contemporary with other structures on the Linbrig site investigated by Coquetdale Community Archaeology (CCA). The deposits also suggested that the heat source for the drying process was a fire in the kiln bowl itself, rather than hot air delivered through a flue from a nearby fire. A steep channel leading uphill from the base of the kiln bowl could have acted as a stoke-hole, assisted a draught through the kiln fire, provided warm air for the adjacent building and facilitated the clearance of burnt debris. The drying capacity of the kiln is estimated and compared with the amount of crops that might have been harvested locally. The uses to which the dried grain was put are discussed and its calorific value is assessed against the needs of the local population.

SUMMARY This paper presents the results of investigations carried out on the site of a medieval mill in Upper Coquetdale, Northumberland. Excavation uncovered the masonry of a wheel pit for a low breast-shot configuration. Downstream was a timber structure with the remains of an underwater planked floor, and immediately upstream were the probable remains of a sluice. On the bank, a paved area was the source of two medieval coins and a medieval key; thirteenth-and fourteenth-century pottery was found across the site. Further upstream from the wheel pit, a large timber structure was uncovered on the riverbed. The remains are likely to be those of a fulling mill associated with Newminster Abbey, an early example of its kind. Only a handful of medieval mills have been excavated in Britain. Very few incorporate the remains of wheel pits, of which this may be the best-preserved masonry-lined example found, as well as one of the earliest to hold a wheel with a low breast-shot configuration.