The home of a retired teacher is at the centre of an archaeological dig after the ruins of a 13th Century chapel were found beneath her front garden.
Mary Hudd uncovered some strange brickwork beneath the lawn of her home in Wiltshire during the evacuation of some trees last summer.
After she invited local archaeologists to investigate, they discovered the site was a treasure trove of local history, including a Saxon structure and a chapel recorded as far back as 1209.
A large area just inches from her front drive in the village of Bincknoll has now been excavated, revealing a series of walls and foundations.
Despite losing her entire front garden to the 'Time Team-style' dig, the 68-year-old says she is delighted by the discovery.
Homeowner's shock after 13th Century chapel on site recorded in the Domesday Book is discovered beneath her front garden
Retired teacher was excavating some trees when ruins were discovered
Archaeologists moved in and found Saxon and medieval structures
Resident, 68, says she was happy to host the year-long dig at her home
Much of the structure will now have to be covered up to prevent damage
By Richard Spillett for MailOnline
15 July 2015
Daily Mail
The home of a retired teacher is at the centre of an archaeological dig after the ruins of a 13th Century chapel were found beneath her front garden.
Mary Hudd uncovered some strange brickwork beneath the lawn of her home in Wiltshire during the evacuation of some trees last summer.
After she invited local archaeologists to investigate, they discovered the site was a treasure trove of local history, including a Saxon structure and a chapel recorded as far back as 1209.
The front garden of Mary Hudd's Wiltshire cottage has been turned into an archaeological dig this year
Archaeologists have since uncovered a 13th Century chapel and a Saxon structure inches from her drive
A large area just inches from her front drive in the village of Bincknoll has now been excavated, revealing a series of walls and foundations.
Despite losing her entire front garden to the 'Time Team-style' dig, the 68-year-old says she is delighted by the discovery.
Mrs Hudd, who has lived in the cottage with her husband, Mike, 70, since 1968, said: 'It's been brilliant - just fantastic.
'I'm interested in history and archaeology anyway so to have a bunch of people here has been fantastic.
'I've certainly been helping out. I have been in the trenches on my knees. I have never spent so much time on my knees in a chapel before.
'You just can't believe it. I'm going to wake up one day and it will just be a dream.'
It is believed the site may have been used for religious purposes before the chapel's construction in a hamlet recorded in the Doomsday Book.
The ruined chapel laid undiscovered until June last year, when Mrs Hudd had 14 trees removed from her front garden.
The hamlet was recorded in the Domesday book but its chapel was thought to have been lost
Mrs Hudd says she has been more than happy to host the historical experts and even chipped in to help
She said: 'How we have managed to miss it in our garden I don't know.
'We had a drive put in in the 1970s and it missed the south west corner by inches. The east corner just misses the road. It's the talk of the village.'
The site is now believed to contain two structures.
One is an original Saxon wall, believed to be from a religious site dating back to the 11th Century. The later chapel was then built around the Saxon structure, incorporating it into the building.
The stone has slowly deteriorated or been stolen over the years, leaving just the foundations and it was last documented in the 17th century and described as 'decaying'.
Descending 4ft into the ground, all the walls remain in excellent condition despite their age - but will have to covered over again or risk further decay.
She is sad that she will now have to cover up much of what has been found, but has to in order to preserve it
Medieval Rumbler or Crotal Bell was among the artefacts found at the site over the past year of digging
The painted wall plaster of the early medieval period was also found, suggesting the chapel was decorated
Mrs Hudd said: 'We are hoping we might be able to leave the Saxon stones exposed.
'Sadly, the other wall will have to be covered up or it will just deteriorate. I will be disappointed to cover it up.'
A dedicated team of six volunteers from Broad Town Archaeology have been working on the site in their spare time.
Emma Elton, co-director of the site with Bob Clarke, said they were extremely lucky with the find.
The 26-year-old archaeologist from Melksham, Wiltshire, said: 'This is the first time I have ever found anything like this and I know Mary was very shocked.
'It was amazing to find what everyone thought was lost. Mary has been wonderful and definitely caught the archaeology bug.
'It's not what you expect to find in someone's front garden. As luck would have it, they only just missed the walls when they built the driveway and the road also just misses the building remains.'
A picture shows the house in its former state, when the chapel lay undiscovered beneath the front lawn
Mary Hudd uncovered some strange brickwork beneath the lawn of her home in Wiltshire during the evacuation of some trees last summer.
After she invited local archaeologists to investigate, they discovered the site was a treasure trove of local history, including a Saxon structure and a chapel recorded as far back as 1209.
A large area just inches from her front drive in the village of Bincknoll has now been excavated, revealing a series of walls and foundations.
Despite losing her entire front garden to the 'Time Team-style' dig, the 68-year-old says she is delighted by the discovery.
Homeowner's shock after 13th Century chapel on site recorded in the Domesday Book is discovered beneath her front garden
Retired teacher was excavating some trees when ruins were discovered
Archaeologists moved in and found Saxon and medieval structures
Resident, 68, says she was happy to host the year-long dig at her home
Much of the structure will now have to be covered up to prevent damage
By Richard Spillett for MailOnline
15 July 2015
Daily Mail
The home of a retired teacher is at the centre of an archaeological dig after the ruins of a 13th Century chapel were found beneath her front garden.
Mary Hudd uncovered some strange brickwork beneath the lawn of her home in Wiltshire during the evacuation of some trees last summer.
After she invited local archaeologists to investigate, they discovered the site was a treasure trove of local history, including a Saxon structure and a chapel recorded as far back as 1209.
The front garden of Mary Hudd's Wiltshire cottage has been turned into an archaeological dig this year
Archaeologists have since uncovered a 13th Century chapel and a Saxon structure inches from her drive
A large area just inches from her front drive in the village of Bincknoll has now been excavated, revealing a series of walls and foundations.
Despite losing her entire front garden to the 'Time Team-style' dig, the 68-year-old says she is delighted by the discovery.
Mrs Hudd, who has lived in the cottage with her husband, Mike, 70, since 1968, said: 'It's been brilliant - just fantastic.
'I'm interested in history and archaeology anyway so to have a bunch of people here has been fantastic.
'I've certainly been helping out. I have been in the trenches on my knees. I have never spent so much time on my knees in a chapel before.
'You just can't believe it. I'm going to wake up one day and it will just be a dream.'
It is believed the site may have been used for religious purposes before the chapel's construction in a hamlet recorded in the Doomsday Book.
The ruined chapel laid undiscovered until June last year, when Mrs Hudd had 14 trees removed from her front garden.
The hamlet was recorded in the Domesday book but its chapel was thought to have been lost
Mrs Hudd says she has been more than happy to host the historical experts and even chipped in to help
She said: 'How we have managed to miss it in our garden I don't know.
'We had a drive put in in the 1970s and it missed the south west corner by inches. The east corner just misses the road. It's the talk of the village.'
The site is now believed to contain two structures.
One is an original Saxon wall, believed to be from a religious site dating back to the 11th Century. The later chapel was then built around the Saxon structure, incorporating it into the building.
The stone has slowly deteriorated or been stolen over the years, leaving just the foundations and it was last documented in the 17th century and described as 'decaying'.
Descending 4ft into the ground, all the walls remain in excellent condition despite their age - but will have to covered over again or risk further decay.
She is sad that she will now have to cover up much of what has been found, but has to in order to preserve it
Medieval Rumbler or Crotal Bell was among the artefacts found at the site over the past year of digging
The painted wall plaster of the early medieval period was also found, suggesting the chapel was decorated
Mrs Hudd said: 'We are hoping we might be able to leave the Saxon stones exposed.
'Sadly, the other wall will have to be covered up or it will just deteriorate. I will be disappointed to cover it up.'
A dedicated team of six volunteers from Broad Town Archaeology have been working on the site in their spare time.
Emma Elton, co-director of the site with Bob Clarke, said they were extremely lucky with the find.
The 26-year-old archaeologist from Melksham, Wiltshire, said: 'This is the first time I have ever found anything like this and I know Mary was very shocked.
'It was amazing to find what everyone thought was lost. Mary has been wonderful and definitely caught the archaeology bug.
'It's not what you expect to find in someone's front garden. As luck would have it, they only just missed the walls when they built the driveway and the road also just misses the building remains.'
A picture shows the house in its former state, when the chapel lay undiscovered beneath the front lawn
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