NHER 61174 (Monument record) - Late Saxon pit and medieval foundation deposits

December 2010 and October 2012. Excavation.
Excavations prior to construction of new substation and associated supply cable trench.
Although these small-scale works mainly disturbed only relatively recent deposits, several archaeologically-significant features were however identified. The earliest feature appeared to be a pit dug into the sandy gravel natural that was partially exposed in the cable trench. Although no finds were recovered from this pit, a Late Saxon date was suggested on the basis of its stratigraphic position. Two potentially medieval features were also identified, both of which truncated a dark layer that sealed the potentially Late Saxon pit. Although these substantial features also produced no dating evidence, both were filled with alternating layers of sandy gravel and sandy silt of a kind typically associated with the footings of substantial medieval structures. The nature and alignment of these features suggests that they were probably the foundations for a wall or building that followed the line of the cathedral precinct wall.
Somewhat surprisingly given its location no unstratified finds were recovered during this excavation.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 10 August 2015.