All Saints Church, The Green, Sutton Courtenay, Oxfordshire. Archaeological Watching Brief. (OASIS ID: johnmoor1-364013)

John Moore Heritage Services carried out an archaeological watching brief during groundworks for an extension to All Saints Church, The Green, Sutton Courtenay, Oxfordshire (NGR SU 41692 85717). A total of 28 skeletons were recorded during the watching brief, in addition to four brick built vaults. Without exception the skeletons were found within earth cut graves; the grave cuts were rarely visible, except where truncation of an earlier burial had occurred. The date range of the burials encountered is uncertain, though a late-medieval or early post-medieval date is likely based on the depth of burials A proliferation of shrouded burials was evident, though four probable 18th or early 19th century burials were also recorded. Of the burials excavated 20 adults were identified, 3 sub-adults, 1 juvenile and 1 infant; 3 remained of undetermined age due to poor preservation. Skeletons 30 and 36 were the only earth cut burials associated with coffins, while two well preserved wooden coffins were present within brick vault 1006. These were dated to the late 18th or early 19th century on the basis of the lid motifs, examples of which had previously been identified on coffins during archaeological excavation at St George's Church, Bloomsbury. On the whole the burials recorded during the watching brief do not appear to correspond with any of the tombstones present prior to the commencement of works, again indicating that they are likely to be earlier in date. The exception of this is chest tombs M13 and M14, which correspond to vaulted grave shaft 1015 and grave cut 1016 (1017) and M18, which corresponds to vaulted tomb 1006.