Hemington Quarry, Castle Donington, Leicestershire, UK: a decade beneath the alluvium in the confluence zone

Two papers presented at the “ Alluvial Archaeology in Britain ” conference in 1991 demonstrated the geoarchaeological potential of palaeochannels along the Hemington reach of the River Trent. Clay (1992) reported on the rescue excavation of a 12th century water mill site, while Salisbury (1992) described the evidence for palaeochannels and some of the preserved structures within. This paper describes subsequent discoveries at Hemington in the last ten years, focussing specifically upon the medieval riverine structures. The tally to date is impressive with a water mill site, three successive bridges, forty-six fish weirs, six “shoots” (bankside installations) and a large weir associated with unique evidence for inland river fishing. The paper will also touch upon the constants and changes in alluvial archaeology at Hemington Quarry over the course of the decade.