PENPERGWM ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS 2012 - A MEDIEVAL MILL?

AT COED MORGAN, ABERGAVENNY, MONMOUTHSHIRE, SOUTH WALES

ARCHAEOLOGICAL REPORT, MEASURED SURVEYS &

INTERPRETATION

JOHN BOWLER

THANKS GO TO THE POWELL FAMILY AT BRYNRHYDDERCH FARM FOR ACCESS AND TENANT

FARMERS SHANE MORGAN FOR SUFFERING TRENCHES AND SPOIL HEAPS

© JOHN BOWLER / TROSTREY EXCAVATION GROUP – JULY 2013

www.trostreyexcavationgroup.org.uk

CONTENTS:-

SUMMARY 3

SITE INTERPRETATION 4

TROSTREY EXCAVATION GROUP 6

FEATURES, SURVEY AND INTERPRETATION 6

PARISH BOUNDARIES 12

DRESSED STONE FIND 13

MILL STONE FIND 14

ABERFFRWD MILL 19

TIMELINE 56

GLOSSARY 57

THANKS 58

PENPERGWM MILL ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS 2012

Favorable negotiations took place prior to the 2012 season with Mrs. Powell, the present

landowner, to dig the probable mill site at the end of the fairly obvious mill stream, where the

Ffrwyd Brook reverts to a natural course. The nearby manor house and adjacent chapel,

surrounded by a defensive double ditch was the subject of an earlier five year, part time,

archaeological excavation from 2006-2010 undertaken by amateurs digging on a part-time (2

day week) basis for five seasons.

The purpose of the new dig was to confirm

the existence of a medieval mill at this

location and find dating evidence. The

importance of this was because

uncertainty still remained as to the date of

the nearby large, ‘L’ shaped timber framed

manor house, which used an old millstone

as the foundation for the column at the

internal angle, taking a double loading.

The manor house had a later stone

extension which was dated to 1250-1350

from decorative Monnow Valley pottery

from this period found within. The aerial

photograph below was taken in 1997 by

John Sorrell, who discovered the site, and

was the basis upon which Geoff Mein

began negotiations with the then land

owner, Mr Powell of Brynrhydderch Farm,

the tenant farmer and Mike Anthony at the

Council for British Archaeology (Wales) to

excavate the site, after CADW and GGAT

had advised John it was not scheduled.

Digging began in 2006 and ended in 2010.

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The site is approximately one mile north from the B4598 Raglan to Abergavenny road at

Penpergwm, Monmouthshire on the right hand side of the lane to Coed Morgan, just before

the bridge crossing the Ffrwd Brook at O.S. Grid Reference E3345 N2109. The nearest Post

Code is NP7 9UY.

It is within a low lying field of approximately 16 hectares [40 acres] bordered at the bottom of

the picture (north) by the meandering Ffrwd Brook and at the top of the picture (south) by a

former mill leat which obviously follows a man-made course running from SO 34041 09769

to SO 34539 10682. The ground slopes gently from the leat to the brook. The field was

earlier divided in two, the part where the buildings were found called Cae Garw [Rough

Field] and the remainder Lower Bail's Meadow. The main site is a regular trapezium shaped

area, raised about 700mm above the lowest part of the surrounding field, measuring 35-55m

wide by 50m long. In front of the banking lay two 700mm deep ditches though the existence

of paired ditches was only confirmed by excavation between the chapel and the brook. The

raised defensive platform is approximately 40m from the Ffrwd Brook and 85m from the

nearest road. The site area within the defenses measures 0.22 hectares [½ acre] while the

area including defenses measures 0.32 hectares [¾ acre]. There appears to have been an

access road/causeway extending eastward from the longer south boundary, crossing the mill

leat, just south of the present road, where there are remains of a bridge. These features are

marked on the aerial photograph below. The site has plenty of evidence from the air of

extensive water management including water filled ditches, lakes and fish ponds.

Aerial Photo John Sorrell

In the field at the right hand side of the photograph, beyond the road, the outline of the mill pond remains [wine bottle shaped in plan] which would obviously fill were the stream dammed at the road. A small stream, still follows the 250 metre long mill leat, reverting to a natural line from the tree at the top left hand corner of the photo. This was the location of the mill and the focus of the 2012 excavations.

DOUBLE DITCH

NORMAN CHAPEL

CHAPELCHAPEL

BANK

CAUSEWAY

FIELD

BOUNDARY

MILL SITE

MANOR HOUSE

EARLY MEDIEVAL CHAPEL

MILL STREAM

DITCH

MILLSTONE FOUNDATION KITCHENS

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Excavations confirmed the aerial view finding:-

o Double ditch defenses fronting an earth rampart topped by a timber palisade forming a

trapezium shaped enclosure.

o Large stone built Norman chapel/small church with an Early Medieval timber framed

building beneath.

o Large 25% stone 75% timber framed Norman manor house, much altered.

o Site of kitchens.

o Causeway approach road and site of bridge/entrance across ditches.

Historical research suggests:-

o The Early Medieval timber building may have been the ‘lost’ church of Lann Coit

(Lanncoit) founded in 600 after the battle of Llantilio Crossenny and dedicated to St

Teilo.

o The Norman stone chapel/church was probably built before 1100 and in use until 1350.

o The earliest part of the much altered manor house (timber framed portion) was probably

known as Dyfnwal (Downwall) Manor and the seat of Dyfnwal ap Caradog (c.1090-

c.1150), grandson of Ynyr, the last Prince of Gwent. It was the birthplace of his sons

Seisyllt in c.1120 and Morgan ‘Wyn’ in c.1125. Parc Lettice and Castell Arnallt were part

of this large estate.

o After his father Dyfnwal’s death in c.1150 and brother Seisyllt’s murder in 1175 the

house may have been occupied by Morgan ‘Wyn’, accounting for the area being known

as Coitmorgan (Morgan’s Wood).

o Until as late as 1129 the Church of Lann Coit is mentioned as within the See of Llandaff

but then disappears from the records. In 1228-9 Hubert de Burgh orchestrated a land

swap with Llandaff for Abbey Dore to acquire Linchott to build a grange there. Abbey

Dore already had a church and a grange at Llanddewi Rhydderch. Lanncoit and Linchott

may be one and the same. Timber was granted from Grosmont Wood by Hubert for its

construction in 1233.

o The Manor of Coitmorgan was retained by John the elder, Lord Bergavenny, who had 30

free tenants there, (from his succession in 1269?) until his death in 1313 and by his son

John until his death in 1325, according to Bradney who called the estate Llangattock-

Coed-Morgan.

o During the period 1325-1349 Coitmorgan/Coithmorgan was in the hands of Sir William

de Hastings, who also held the nearby manors of Penrhos, Tregare, Bryngwyn,

Llanvetherine Llanfaenor , Henllys (Cwmbran or Farm at Tregare) and Blaina Gwent.

o After William’s death, as he had no heir, the estate was seized by the Crown and

became part of the dower of Agnes Mortimer, the widow of Lawrence, Baron Hastings,

and her second husband, John Hakelut.

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o As late as 1615 Dyfnwal (Downwall/Donewall) Manor was part of the Llanover estate

together with Parc Lettice and Castell Arnallt.

o The present day name for the area of Coed Morgan appears to be an amalgamation of

the Latin name of the church founded in 600, Lann Coit (Church in the Wood) and the

later owner of the estate after 1175, Morgan Wyn ap Dyfnwal. It is odd that such a long

established hamlet has no church today but shares that of Llangattock-nigh-Usk at the

Bryn.

FEATURES, SURVEY AND INTERPRETATION

After a preliminary ‘recce’ on the 15th March when a few stones were found grouped together and the possibility of a wall to excavate led to excavations commencing on 22nd March 2012. The photograph shows Sue with 'Dorothy’s' spade and Maurice clutching John's 'high tech' dowsing rods.

Although no finds or dating evidence was discovered during the season a number of features were excavated and recorded together with some additional ancient features which were identified still existing in the landscape. These were surveyed and drawn out on four A1 sheets then reduced to a scale of 1:50 and traced off onto a single A1 sheet. Owing to the overall size of the site the A4 sized further reduced drawing below is at an approximate scale of 1:166 so much of the detail has been lost. However, the original larger drawings showing individual stones and post holes have been retained and are still available for reference. Below the key features of the site are described. These are identified on the reduced measured survey drawing using coloured reference letters. Change and flooding, together with some modern fill material, have taken their toll on the evidence so although there are bits of several features remaining the lack of dating evidence leads one to surmise that they may not have co-existed contemporaneously but actually indicate a variety of uses over quite a long timescale. This has made interpretation very tricky.

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A

B

C

D E

F

G

H

I J

K

L

O

N

M

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AB The first trench located from a couple

of large rounded stones turned into the

foundations of 14m long wall extending far

into the field which could easily be

followed with a probe even further into the

field. As it was only 450-500mm wide this

was probably a boundary wall built after

the chapel and mill were demolished as it

contained an dressed stone 'arch springer'

which may have come from the chapel

door and a lump of running mill stone of

similar material to that found under the

manor house. These are covered in detail

later.

CD The very prominent straight line

across the field on the aerial photograph,

nearly at right angles to the wall, which

previously was assumed to be a modern

land drain, was in fact a ditch period with

or earlier than the wall as a purpose made

800mm wide sluice gate was constructed

where it passes through the wall. After the

sluice gate a narrow 400-450mm wide by

7m long channel was formed with posts

on either side at 500-700mm centres and

turning to run parallel with the wall

towards the stream. Near the sluice, just

below the surface were the remains of two

flattish stones on the line of the drain

which might just have been the remnants

of a line of removable slabs to cover the

drain yet still give access for cleaning.

The fact that the earlier excavation

had found evidence of two rood

screens in the chapel had led to

the possibility that the site had

been a monastic grange in the

early part of the 13th century. A drainage ditch

running through a building might therefore be

interpreted as a reredorter [monastic conveniences]

but the wall under excavation turned out to be a

boundary not a building and anyway it was hardly

convenient sited so far from the chapel and manor.

Following the Papal Bull of 1215 that all churches

have a screen to protect the holy sacrament from

misuse parish churches then looked inside the same

as monastic places of worship, which already had a

screen to separate the monks at the altar end, so

monastic buildings acquired a second screen to

maintain their distinction.

DRESSED STONE

PART MILL STONE

SLUICE GATE

POST HOLES / CHANNEL

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EF The shallow 's' shaped 700-800mm wide clay bank, raised 700mm at its highest, with the

remains of an ancient hedge atop, pictured below, was initially assumed to be relatively

modern. On closer inspection it was found to have been deliberately made this shape by a

series of posts at 700-1000mm centres on either side, it is 13m long. Originally it must have

had vertical sides supported by cross members between the posts and been much higher.

Its purpose eludes us.

GH In the stream was a line of stones which were probably the remains of the foundations to

a retaining wall to provide a firm bank to the stream though it was difficult to separate stones

still in place from ones that had fallen into the stream, bearing in mind that most of the stone

had been robbed out. An attempt to show the actual line of the 10.5m long wall on the plan

has been made using dotted red lines.

IJ A sparse 4m long line of stones remained on the surface which were probably the remains

of the foundations to a retaining wall to provide a change of level between the artificial bank

to the stream GH and the higher 'level platform', but again most of the stone had been

robbed out.

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L In the mud between the snaking bank

EF and the stream two groups of stones

were found. One comprised a large piece

of conglomerate with a square 200mm

post hole formed by four stone sides and

with a matching post hole beneath

suggesting the foot of the original post had

rotted and been replaced by the

conglomerate as a pad stone repair. The

second group of three interlocking stones,

closer to the stream had an adjacent area

of cobbled stone floor alongside. Again

further excavation downstream in this

vicinity might prove fruitful.

K On the steep bank to the stream was a

600mm wide stone wall which was

probably the remains of the dam. Above

this, excavation identified a line of four

post holes at 600mm centres. These are

at 80° to the dam and are highlighted by

an orange line on the drawing. Beyond

this was the end of a 600mm stone wall at

45° to the dam. How these features

interrelate or whether they are

contemporaneous is unknown. Further

excavation upstream is probably required

in this area though the ground quickly runs

into modern supporting the bridge.

O In two places on the 's' shaped clay bank there are two small projections at 45° comprising

a few vertical stones 800mm apart with double post holes suggesting some sort of

construction. If one projects their line to the far bank, as shown in orange on the plan, then

they meet at right- angles at a stone. This may be stretching the evidence though the

isolated large stone on the other side of the clay bank might have played a part in a square

construction though flood damage has destroyed any evidence around it.

DAM

STREAM

POST HOLES

SURVEY PEG

STREAM

SURVEY PEG

SQUARE

POST HOLE

FLOOR?

K

L

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NO The present field boundary adjacent to the site is an ancient one comprising a

substantial ditch and bank with a hedge atop the bank. At the mill site the ownership

changed at the time the boundary was constructed as the ditch switches from one side of the

hedge to the other with an outlet into the stream. At this point there are the sparse remains

of a stone channel at the bottom of the ditch. The illustration below demonstrates 'the

Hedge/Ditch presumption' whereupon the ditch and bank are constructed in history by the

owner on his land to mark the extent of his ownership but the later Ordnance Survey map

records the centre line of the hedge on top of the bank 9and not the far cut of the ditch)

which actually deprives the original landowner of a couple of metres of land all around his

estate.

THE HEDGE DITCH/

PRESUMPTION

Mr A's

LAND

Mr B's

LAND

Mr A's

LAND

Mr A's

LAND

Mr A's

LAND

Mr B's

LAND

Mr B's

LAND

Mr B's

LAND

Mr A DIGS DITCH ON HIS

LAND TO MARK BOUNDARY

DITCH SPOIL USED TO MAKE

BANK ON Mr A's LAND

HEDGE PLANTED ON BANK

BECOMES O.S. MAP BOUNDARY

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PARISH BOUNDARIES

Composite of the separate 1840 Tithe Maps of the parishes of Llangattock-juxta-Usk, Llanviangel-

juxta-Usk, Llansanffraed and Llanddewi Rhydderch, where they meet [with a little adjustment].

Apportionment descriptions are included.

LLANDDEWI RHYDDERCH

Cae Garw

[Rough Field]

Lower

Bail's

Meadow

LLANSANFRAED

LLANGATTOCK-JUXTA-USK

LLANVIANGEL-JUXTA-USK

Stone marking the meeting of the Parish

Boundaries, recorded in the Book of

Llandaff [1120-40] and still in place in 1840.

Shown on Llansanfraed Tithe map only

Rushy

Mead

Old Wood

[Water & Alders]

Excavation

Site

Mill Leat

Ffrwd

Brook

Glan-y-Nant

Cae Pentwyn

Great

Werninog

The Rough

Worlod y gof

Big

Meadow

Little

Rough

Old Field

Meadow

Little Field

Pound Meadow

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DRESSED STONE FIND

The piece of dressed stone found in the foundations to the field boundary wall is from a

stone doorway as it incorporates an integral door stop in section. Because the two bonding

planes are neither parallel nor symetrically tapering, but in fact taper asymetrically with one

face at right angles, then it is neither from the vertical jamb nor a voussoir from the curved

arch, but actually from the point where the two meet ie. the 'springing' of the arch.

Unfortunately this cannot be used in dating the chapel for two reasons. Firstly it was found

out of context and secondly, after carefully measuring the distance to the convergence of the

tapered planes the radius of the arch was found to be 1000mm, which means it could have

been made either for a 2000mm wide Norman, circular arched doorway or a 1000mm wide

Early English, pointed arch doorway, as both require an identically shaped 'springing' stone.

This is illustrated in the drawing and photographs below.

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MILL STONE FIND

The first photograph below is of the section of 'runner' mill stone found in the foundations of

the boundary wall excavated. A photograph of a modern bed stone with iron rind is illustrated

below, alongside a sketch showing where the piece of millstone found on site would have

been located in the mechanism. In the illustration the rind is reduced from four to two

projections to make the drawing earier to visualise though two, three or four arms could have

been used.

Part Millstone find, Photo J Bowler

Bed Millstone

It ought to be possible to date the piece of millstone found on site by reconstructing the

probable shape of the piece of iron in the centre to drive it which is called the rind

(alternatively: - rhyne, rynd, rynde or rinde). The rind, usually has four arms in a cross shape

and locks into a matching recess cut into the upper 'running' millstone from below, called a

'Spanish Cross', to drive it round and carry its weight, which can be several tons. The drive

shaft and/or rind is arranged in an adjustable fashion so that the pressure on the grain may

be reduced or increased by raising or lowering the running millstone. This is achieved either

by lifting the whole drive shaft, rind and stone when the rind is permanently fixed to the shaft

or by sliding the rind and stone up the shaft on a cam, using a square drive shaft to maintain

drive via a matching square hole in the rind.

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An opening is needed at the centre of the running stone to provide space between the stone

and vertical driveshaft, so that the grain may be poured in and work its way between the

stones to eventually emerge at the periphery as flour. The drive shaft may hang down from

above, and usually does in windmills for obvious reason, but usually pokes up from below

through a hole in the bed stone, in water mills to keep the flour dry and well above the level

of the water powering the mill.

One would expect that the earliest

example of a mill rind found in Britain

might date from the Roman period though

any illustration of one has proved elusive

so far. The rind seems to have been use

as a symbol to represent millers and

milling. The earliest example, pictured

below, comes from a gravestone,

presumably of a miller, at Stobo Kirk , near

Peebles in Scotland. The date of the stone

is not known but the Kirk was founded in

the 6th century and rebuilt in the 12th

century.

No one seems to have researched rinds, presumably as they are not dateable and once

worn out have rusted away or gone for scrap to be made into something new. However, I

have made a breakthrough which is followed up below. A few medieval families of note,

presumably owning mills, have incorporated a mill rind in their heraldic shield. I was looking

at the French words for 'mill rind' as we're in the Norman period. The French is 'fer de

moline' which literally means 'iron of the mill'. 'Fer de moline' is also the term used to

describe the feature on heraldic shields, which still uses Norman French for descriptions, as

I'm sure you know. Though rare, heraldic shields incorporating 'fer de moline', seem to have

been introduced in the right period. By looking more closely at options for reconstructing the

cut in our mill stone to receive the rind, it was hoped that the shape needed to interlock with

and drive the part millstone uncovered on site, would match one of the heraldic designs and

thereby provide an approximate date. Possibly it was in the French style.

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In heraldry a mill rind or fer-de-moline (French, literally "iron of a mill") is a rare heraldic

charge, which takes its name from the fact that its form is based on the physical object. An

example is found in the arms of Sir William Saunsum (illustrated below) and blazoned in the

English Medieval Roll of Arms of Edward II.

Cross Cercelee Cross Moline

The exact form differs in variety from that illustrated in the Saunsum arms to a form almost identical to the "cross recercelée/cercelee", appearing as an exaggerated form of the "cross moline", as borne by Ferre. The evidence for the cross recercelée variety being correctly seen as a fer-de-moline is that the arms of Guy Ferre (also illustrated below) were certainly designed to be canting arms (which represent the bearer's name in a visual pun) and that the arms sculpted at Butley Priory are indeed those of Guy Ferre (d.1323), who acquired the advowson (right of patronage of a church or ecclesiastical benefice) to that estate shortly before the gatehouse on which they appear was built.

The De Molines family of Sefton, England, whose surname eventually evolved into Molyneux, bore the cross moline on their coat of arms from early medieval times.

The arms of Sir William Saunsum, Or a fer-de-moline sable (a gold shield with a mill rind in black)

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The fer-de-moline as depicted in French heraldry.

Crest of Baron Lisle (d.1355), KG, drawn from his garter-plate in St George's Chapel, Windsor, a mill-stone argent pecked sable the inner circle and the rim of the second the fer-de-moline.

Arms of Sir Guy Ferre (d.1323), steward of Queen Eleanor of Castile: Gules, a fer-de-moline argent over all a bendlet azure and his armorials again in flush work above the pedestrian entrance of Butley Priory, Suffolk. Reference/source: Boutell, Charles. Heraldry Historical & Popular, London, 1863

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Alongside is a reconstruction of the sort of shaped rind that would have been used to drive the part millstone found on site. With only one quadrant of the 'Spanish Cross' remaining symetry has been assumed in interpolating the whole rind. Symetry has also been assumed with the single slot remaining itself, which is not actually quite symetrical, but so nearly so that it was probably intended, with slight variance a result of the mason's cutting or wear from slight movement between stone and metal during working. The hole in the stone, were the millstone complete, would have been about 200mm (more on top where the grain was fed in to form a funnel) and the whole rind would have been 400-450mm accross. Assuming the stone was worn down to the metal like a brake pad worn down to the rivets then the rind was 15mm thick. Also each 'tang' had three spikes to fix it to the stone.

From this heraldic research one might well consider that the part millstone found comes from the early 14th century and was made in the Norman style during the occupation by Sir William de Hastings (1325 - 1349) though it might easily date from a century earlier but there doesn't seem to be any 13th century devices for comparison

Illustrated below are a variety of early rinds but their date is not known.

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ABERFFRWD MILL

Aparently, though not originally known as Aberffrwd Mill, there used to be a Post-Medieval corn mill at the confluence of the Ffrwd Brook (Ffrood Mawr (Medieval Welsh) Frutmur (Medieval Latin)) with the river Usk, adjacent to Aberffrwd House. It had a 580 metre mill race, now cut by the A40. It is located on the right hand side of the old Raglan to Abergavenny road just after the entrance to Llansantfraid Court Hotel and over the Aberffrwd Bridge. Aberffrwd MillI was part of the Llanover Estate which also had mills at Glanffrwd and Ochran. Possibly it was a replacement for the mill at the Penpergwm dig site further upstream on the Ffrwd Brook. Old Glanffrwd Mill is at Coed Morgan and not on the Ffrwd Brook, while Ochran Mill is on the Llanover side of the river Usk. A further mill was located upstream from the dig site at Llangattock Mill Farm.

Other Mill higher upstream.

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