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Summary

A small, stone building which was used as a shelter and store by those working the cultivation terraces on the Weston Plat. The remains of other buildings, shown on the 1889 Ordnance Survey map may survive in the dense undergrowth nearby.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BUILDING (Built, XIX - 1801 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

Group of three small buildings depicted.

Planel, P., 2010, Weston Plat Report (Report - Survey). SDV365801.

Monitoring and recording of a small, stone building at Weston Plat undertaken in July 2010 prior to its demolition and rebuilding.
The building is situated by the pathway leading to the plat. It is possibly the westernmost of three small buildings shown in this area on the 1889 25inch Ordnance Survey map, although this is too far from the path. However, it is possible that the line of the path has changed. The remains of the other two structures may be the hollows and rubble walls now covered by dense vegetation 10m to the east. Only the one building is shown on the 1905 map.
The building was used into the mid 20th century as a shelter and store for those working the Weston Plat, and was accessible by tractor. It was refurbished in 1948. A photo taken at the time shows a single storey building part built into the bank, with white-washed rubble stone walls, a sloping corrugated roof and a door at one end.
At the time of the monitoring and recording in July 2010, the vegetation had been cleared from around the building and the roof removed. The north wall is built into the hill slope, the west wall substantially so and the east wall, which was leaning outwards, partially so. Considerable excavation of the hill slope had been necessary in order to create a level platform for the building. Investigation of the west wall showed that there was an outer lining of tiles between the rubble wall and the bank. The wall and tiling appeared to have been built together, course by course, each row of tiles resting on the course below. On top of the wall was a layer of flashing. All water from the roof had drained into the ground on this side of the building; the flashing and tiles used, in the absence of a gutter, to prevent water penetration.
A large block of limestone ashlar was found on the east side of the entrance, presumably reused. Another piece had been built into the east wall.
Removal of debris in the south-west corner of the interior revealed a layer of earth and decayed mortar below which was a beaten earth floor of keuper marl. Finds included a small stone with parallel striations found in the wall by the entrance, green ribbed glass, a shoe polish tin which still contained polish, a sauce bottle, gloves and a plastic bag the label of which stated that it had contained ‘Dinkum Overalls’.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8996 - Monitoring and recording of a building on Weston Plat

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