The Animal Bones from The Highwayman Pub and Hotel, Kidlington, Oxford
1. Introduction
This paper reports on the animal bones recovered from the excavations in the Walled Garden of the Highwayman Pub, Kidlington, Oxfordshire. The excavations were conducted as part of a two-weekend Community Archaeology event
in May 2019, led by the Cherwell Archaeology Group.
a. Site and environment
The site of the Highwayman Hotel is located in the north of Oxford, approximately 1 kilometre from the centre of
Kidlington, alongside the Oxford to Banbury Road and within metres of the Oxford Canal.
The first registration found for this as an alehouse is in the Recognizance Book for 1753-1759 where Anstis Faulkner
is listed as Landlady and was granted the licence[i] . Called ‘The Anchor’, it is not known whether The Anchor was
the original name or whether this was adopted later. The Highwayman Hotel as it is now called has been situated in
the same location since 1753 albeit with different titles and licensees. An 1899 Map[ii] shows the Railway Hotel, as it was then called, with a Cattle Market possibly located within the boundaries of the Hotel land, and the hotel plot backing
on to Allotments. The current Walled Garden appears to be situated on one of these areas.
b. Phasing and contexts
The animal bones analysed here all originate from Trench 2. The majority of animal bones recovered from The Highwayman originate from context (003A), that is at an excavation depth of 300mm.
2. Methodology
Animal bones were hand collected broadly in line with ‘Guidance for the collection, documentation, conservation and
research of archaeological materials’ [iii]. The analysis was conducted according to the recommended best practices in the English Heritage guidance, ‘Animal Bones and Archaeology: Guidelines for Best Practice’ [iv] .
Taxonomic identification of bones was made with assistance from guides by Schmid [v] and from Roelie Reed in person.
Roelie’s reference collection as well as that developed as part of the Marcham Dig were also utilised. It was not possible to identify a few small bones and fragments. These were too small and non-diagnostic to suggest a taxonomic class or category
of mammal. They appear to be mammalian rather than from a bird skeleton.
3. Results
a. Preservation
The preservation of the bones was good to fair. This and the absence of significant amounts of degraded bone in the
excavation trenches may infer that the soil is of low acidity. The bones retrieved lacked any scratches, cuts or butchery
and there was no evidence for burning or for gnawing by carnivores.
b. The fauna
The animals found here include cattle (Bos taurus) and the afore-mentioned one or more small mammals.
There were some 60 cattle bones from the entire Dig, all excavated at 300 mm context 003A.
The weight of bones in total was 670g. Table One, below, summarises the bones found.
Table One: Bones excavated from Trench 2:
1. Introduction
This paper reports on the animal bones recovered from the excavations in the Walled Garden of the Highwayman Pub, Kidlington, Oxfordshire. The excavations were conducted as part of a two-weekend Community Archaeology event
in May 2019, led by the Cherwell Archaeology Group.
a. Site and environment
The site of the Highwayman Hotel is located in the north of Oxford, approximately 1 kilometre from the centre of
Kidlington, alongside the Oxford to Banbury Road and within metres of the Oxford Canal.
The first registration found for this as an alehouse is in the Recognizance Book for 1753-1759 where Anstis Faulkner
is listed as Landlady and was granted the licence[i] . Called ‘The Anchor’, it is not known whether The Anchor was
the original name or whether this was adopted later. The Highwayman Hotel as it is now called has been situated in
the same location since 1753 albeit with different titles and licensees. An 1899 Map[ii] shows the Railway Hotel, as it was then called, with a Cattle Market possibly located within the boundaries of the Hotel land, and the hotel plot backing
on to Allotments. The current Walled Garden appears to be situated on one of these areas.
b. Phasing and contexts
The animal bones analysed here all originate from Trench 2. The majority of animal bones recovered from The Highwayman originate from context (003A), that is at an excavation depth of 300mm.
2. Methodology
Animal bones were hand collected broadly in line with ‘Guidance for the collection, documentation, conservation and
research of archaeological materials’ [iii]. The analysis was conducted according to the recommended best practices in the English Heritage guidance, ‘Animal Bones and Archaeology: Guidelines for Best Practice’ [iv] .
Taxonomic identification of bones was made with assistance from guides by Schmid [v] and from Roelie Reed in person.
Roelie’s reference collection as well as that developed as part of the Marcham Dig were also utilised. It was not possible to identify a few small bones and fragments. These were too small and non-diagnostic to suggest a taxonomic class or category
of mammal. They appear to be mammalian rather than from a bird skeleton.
3. Results
a. Preservation
The preservation of the bones was good to fair. This and the absence of significant amounts of degraded bone in the
excavation trenches may infer that the soil is of low acidity. The bones retrieved lacked any scratches, cuts or butchery
and there was no evidence for burning or for gnawing by carnivores.
b. The fauna
The animals found here include cattle (Bos taurus) and the afore-mentioned one or more small mammals.
There were some 60 cattle bones from the entire Dig, all excavated at 300 mm context 003A.
The weight of bones in total was 670g. Table One, below, summarises the bones found.
Table One: Bones excavated from Trench 2:
Part of Skeleton |
Specific Bone |
Number(s) Excavated |
Skeletal Age |
Front Limb |
Humerus |
1 |
Immature |
Radius |
2 |
Immature |
|
Ulna |
2 |
Immature |
|
Lower Limb(s) |
Carpals |
16 |
Immature |
"Heel" |
Calcaneous |
1 |
Immature |
"Ankle" |
Astragalus |
2 |
Immature |
Foot |
Metapodia |
8 |
Immature |
|
Phalanges-Proximal (P1) |
7 |
Immature |
Medial (P2) |
3 |
Immature |
|
Distal (P3) |
1 |
Immature |
|
|
Epiphyses |
17 |
Immature |
c. Age at death
Whilst it was not possible to estimate the exact age of death, the juvenile age of the bones was determined by the
lack of fusion and consequential rougher surfaces of the ends of the bones. Epiphyses, which would be fused to the
ends of the bones in a mature animal were found in some quantity (17).
4. Discussion
We know that there has been a pub and/or hotel on this site since 1753, and that the soil excavated was not noticeably
acidic, so that animal bone has survived in good condition. With the Cattle Market located close-by on the 1899 Map the excavated bones were examined closely for any signs of butchery and primary butchery waste – high numbers of vertebral
and rib fragments would not be unusual in these circumstances. The complete absence of such skeletal elements and the absence of any cuts or marks indicating butchery has taken place, and perhaps the fact that the bones found are from one
or more lower limbs may suggest that these are discarded domestic waste – the remains of one or more meals perhaps.
Beef shank provides cuts of beef from the shin and leg of cattle. Leg muscles are generally well-used, making these cuts of beef relatively tough and requiring long and slow cooking. It is interesting to surmise that beef shank from an immature animal
might have been less tough and perhaps more palatable.
Finding the bones and inferring a connection with cooking and eating also concurs with the likely use of the excavated area
of the Walled Garden as an area for kitchen and domestic waste disposal. An ashy layer mixed with 3 fragments of ceramics, gives an indication of the type of domestic rubbish which was deposited. The excavated bones are not darkly coloured as is
often the case with those of older (earlier) origin and are likely to have been deposited relatively recently – probably during
the 20th Century at earliest.
Other artefacts found within the Trenches in this area are probably of Victorian origin and support this supposition.
Examples include blue and white pottery; a Railway workers badge; a fastener such as might be used on the Bib of working dungarees.
5. Summary
There is no evidence for burning, for gnawing by carnivores or for butchering. Neither are there remains of wild animals,
such as deer or rabbits, which could indicate poaching as the source of meat. These are the remains of one or more domesticated animals, Bos Taurus, most probably slaughtered offsite and brought in. On site slaughter would generate
more diverse skeletal elements.
As this is such a small assemblage, a more detailed report is not possible, however the surface of the Trench with a light ashy layer mixed with fragments of ceramics, gives an indication of the type of domestic rubbish which was deposited.
At the lower context of 300mm unburned animal bone and the absence of butchery marks further supports the interpretation of at least part of this Trench as a domestic rubbish dump.
Eileen Anderson
August 2019
Appendix One: 1899 Map Showing the Railway Hotel, Now the Highwayman Hotel
Photo 1: Example of excavated bone - unfused metatarsal Photo 2: Example of excavated bone - unfused radius
(Bos taurus) (Bos taurus)
Photo 3: Bones in-situ during excavation (1). Photo 4: Bones in-situ during excavation (2).
Photo 5: Bones and associated finds (from context) after removal from trench.
References
[i] Personal communication LT
[ii] Porthaven Properties No 2 Ltd, Gravel Pit Allotments Site Investigation Report, 11628/GNS/15/SI
[iii] Guidance for the collection, documentation, conservation and research of archaeological materials. Parker Heath (2016)
[iv] Animal Bones and Archaeology: Guidelines for Best Practice. Baker and Worley (2014)
[v] Atlas of Animal Bones. Schmid (1972)