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Summary

Archaeological evaluation and excavation on the site of the rear parts of three medieval burgage plots that once fronted Wolborough Street found evidence for activity from the 13th to the 19th century.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BURGAGE PLOT (XIII - 1201 AD to 1300 AD (Between))
• COBBLED SURFACE GENERAL (Constructed, XIII - 1201 AD to 1300 AD (Not applicable))

Full description

Hughes, S., 2015, 22-26 Wolborough Street, Newton Abbot (Report - Evaluation). SDV359590.

This document sets out an interim summary of results from a trial trench evaluation on land at 22-26 Wolborough Street, Newton Abbot, Devon. The results of the trial trenches established the presence of activity dating from the late medieval to post-medieval period and the post-medieval period to the 19th century. These were overlain by modern surfaces or cut by modern intrusions.
Late medieval to post-medieval activity was exposed in Trenches 1, 2 3 and 4 at a depth of between 1m (5.5m aOD) and extending to at least 1.6m below existing levels. Trenches 1-4 contained a broadly consistent sequence of deposits, which have been split into two distinct phases (Phases 1 and 2). Phase 1 (shown as green on Figure 2) generally consisted of a dark grey waterlogged organic clayey-loam probable occupation soil (Plates 3-7). This was present at a depth of approximately 1.2 metres below existing levels. The waterlogged nature of this deposit had allowed the preservation of organic material such as wood including cut timbers, some of which that were probably in situ. A piece of leather was also recovered from this deposit. Other finds recovered from this phase included animal bone, shell and 15th to 17th century Totnes-Type pottery. The basal level of these deposits nor the natural subsoil was not exposed.
Phase 2 activity (shown as yellow on Figure 2) consisted of levelling or made ground dumped deposits of gravel-rich silty-sand with medium to large stone rubble and gravel inclusions, which sealed the waterlogged deposits below (Plate 4). A quantity of horn cores from cattle were recovered from these dumped deposits as well as 15th to 17th century Totnes-Type pottery. This phase of made ground formation was cut by a stone wall footing in Trench 3 (Plates 4 and 6), a ground beam slot with in situ timber in Trench 1 and was overlain by a cobbled surface in Trench 4 (Plate 7).
Phase 3, comprising the later post-medieval to 19th century activity (shown as blue on Figure 2), consisted of further made ground deposition to around 0.6m to 0.8m below existing levels. Through these layers a series of stone wall footings were constructed, which were likely to relate to 18th to 19th century tenements that formally fronted Wolborough Street. In Trenches 1 and 4, these levels included cobbled surfaces that would have been located in the yard areas to the rear (Plate 8), while to the northwest a former cobbled surface along the line of Sun Court was exposed (Plate 9).
In the area fronting Wolborough Street, which was targeted by Trench 5, later postmedieval levelling deposits were exposed to a depth of at least 2 metres within a machine excavated sondage. There was no exposed evidence for earlier activity in this part of the site, with only made ground and the stone footings of the recently-demolished buildings present (Plate 10). In Trench 4 all deposits were truncated to the southeast by a large modern intrusion, with this perhaps the result of fuel tank removal associated with the former garage that occupied the site.
The evaluation has established that there is good preservation of later medieval to post-medieval occupation on the site. The earlier soil deposits forming Phase 1 exposed at a depth of 1.2 metres below existing levels are of probable late medieval date. The presence of the buried occupation soil in Trenches 1-4 suggests that this material is present throughout the northwest portion of the site. Based on the presence of organic material such as wood and leather recovered from the waterlogged conditions, the potential for similar preservation elsewhere is likely.
The made ground layers overlying the waterlogged soils that form Phase 2 indicate that the area was subsequently elevated to 1 metre below existing levels, probably in the early post-medieval period. The presence of cattle horn cores within these dumps are likely to represent waste from associated craft working, perhaps carried out in the vicinity. In Trenches 1, 3 and 4, where a probable timber sill beam, a stone footing and cobbled surface were exposed at this subsequent level, the potential for structural remains to be present at this depth is therefore probable.
The Phase 3 later post-medieval occupation on the site was exposed in all trenches and is likely to be associated with the 18th and 19th century tenements that formally occupied the site. Surfaces associated with this period were present at around 0.6m below existing levels with variable depths of associated the footings up to the current ground level.

Cotswold Archaeology, 2017, Excavations at Wolborough Street, Newton Abbot, 4-5, 7 (Article in Serial). SDV363850.

Excavations were undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology in 2016 on the site of the rear parts of three medieval burgage plots that once fronted Wolborough Street. Two large town houses were built on the front of the plots in the late 17th-18th centuries.
Evidence from the excavations indicated activity on the site from the 13th century. The earliest evidence comprised a cobble surface. The burgage plots appear to have been originally bounded by shallow gullies.
Later medieval activity was evidenced by timber posts and stone walls forming the plot boundaries together with drains and ditches and the remains of a the rear of a stone-built property.
Due to water-logged conditions organic material had survived. This included structural timbers and also several barrel bases, one of which contained a child's leather shoe, possibly dating to the 16th-17th century.
In the later medieval period a building with stone footings was built across two of the plots. It had a stone floor and was open at one end. The building appears to have been left to collapse and its thatch roof rotted down in situ, leaving a thick peaty deposit. This has yet to be analysed.
The burgage plots were subsequently sealed and the ground level raised by the importation a layer of sand and gravel. This occurred in the late 17th century, prior to the building of the Georgian town houses. The footings of these later houses were observed together with two wells, one of which contained a complete millstone. The millstone, 0.7 metres diameter, was of Dartmoor granite and is considered to have come from a horse powered mill.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV6242 - ANIMAL REMAINS (Undated)
• FDV6239 - ANIMAL REMAINS (XV to Post Medieval - 1401 AD to 1750 AD)
• FDV6241 - ANIMAL REMAINS (XV to Post Medieval - 1401 AD to 1750 AD)
• FDV6240 - SHERD (XV to Post Medieval - 1401 AD to 1750 AD)
• FDV6238 - STRUCTURAL TIMBER (XV to Post Medieval - 1401 AD to 1750 AD)
• FDV7426 - BARREL (XVI to XVII - 1501 AD to 1700 AD)
• FDV7427 - SHOE (XVI to XVII - 1501 AD to 1700 AD)

Associated Events

• EDV6961 - Evaluation, 22-26 Wolborough Street, Newton Abbot (Ref: ACD1030/2/0)

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