NHER 66681 (Monument record) - Medieval to post-medieval and undated remains

October 2020. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site.
The two trenches excavated revealed a number of pits, possible post-holes and linear features, the majority of which were probably associated with medieval to post-medieval phases of activity.
Two sherds of Iron Age pottery represented the earliest evidence for activity on the site, although both were likely to have been residual within later features. These included a sherd of probable Late Iron Age pottery that was found in a pit that also produced a small number of lava quern fragments. A sample taken from the fill of this pit produced little of note. This feature lay adjacent to several undated post-holes and a pit containing fragments of medieval roof tile. Also of probable medieval date was a short length of north-west to south-east aligned ditch in the south-west corner of the site that produced several sherds of high medieval pottery (along with the other residual Iron Age sherd).
Also present in the south-west corner of the site was a west-north-west to east-south-east aligned foundation trench filled with chalk rubble and mortar, and capped with a single course of post-medieval brick. This trench was abutted to the north by two floor foundation layers. The bricks are of 17th- to 19th-century date, suggesting these remains were associated with a row of buildings shown along this section of The Street on 19th-century maps. A similarly-aligned irregular linear feature to the east was potentially some form of garden feature.
Unstratified finds were limited to several sherds of Saxo/Norman and medieval pottery.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 25 February 2023.