NHER 55101 (Monument record) - Imported 16th and 17th century material and residual medieval artefacts

September 2010. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of groundworks associated with construction of residential dwelling.
A layer of possible medieval beach sand was observed at a depth of 2m below the modern land surface and may represent a medieval inundation deposit. Borehole data indicates that a further 2m of medieval deposits could be located beneath this layer. The sand was sealed below extensive deposits of imported debris dating from the 16th to 17th century which included residual medieval artefacts including pottery and glazed roof tile fragments. These deposits could relate to the documented levelling of the area in 1678 and also the levelling of previously imported and mounded soils used to strengthen the back of the town walls during the Spanish threat in the 16th century.
An oval pit which truncated the beach sand layer in the eastern side of the site contained a single sherd of late medieval to early post-medieval pottery (15th - 16th century). A small pit in the north-east of the site truncated the 16th and 17th century debris layer and contained a silty loam fill with mortar inclusions and post-medieval pottery. A large pit in the eastern area of the site contained a residual fragment of an 18th century stoneware bottle, demolition waste comprising crushed mortar and 19th to 20th century roof tile. A well of 19th to 20th century date was revealed in the north-eastern corner of the site below the modern surface. An 19th to 20th century cistern and possible 18th to 19th century cellar were revealed along the eastern boundary of the site.
See report (S1).
S. Howard (HES), 21 February 2011.