DocumentaryStorm

Aston Eyre, Shropshire

In this episode, Time Team’s efforts are concentrated as much above the ground as beneath.

They travel to Aston Eyre, Shropshire where a farmhouse converted from a medieval gatehouse is just the starting point for three days of hard work. Behind it is the derelict Old Hall that, in the 14th century, was the great hall of the lord of the manor, which now is – according to Tony – a ‘whole complex of buildings, a jumble of remains that will provide a unique picture of medieval life’.

Over the centuries, the hall has been greatly altered, but as the Time Team bring their expertise to bear on the standing buildings as well as excavating the foundations of long-gone structures and mapping out the surrounding area, the deserted manor comes to life. And from the written records of the period, we discover a poignant tale about the fate of the family who lived in the manor house at Aston Eyre.