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Summary

Excavations in 1977 and 1982 revealed the site of a medieval house on the north site of Lower Fore Street. The site was redevloped after 1700. There is a reference in 1783 to a newly built house with tenement extending from Fore Street to Margaret Street. The pottery recovered included a quantity of imported wares. A small amount of Roman material is indicative of Roman activity in the area.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 448698
• National Monuments Record: SY08SW24
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY08SW/51
• Pastscape: 448698

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HOUSE (XIV to XVII - 1301 AD to 1700 AD)

Full description

National Monuments Record, 17/08/2012, 448698 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV349985.

Excavations in this area uncovered the remains of Medieval buildings and Roman pottery and flue tiles; possibly indicating the site of a Roman villa.

Weddell, P. J., 1978, Interim Report, 173 (Article in Serial). SDV349714.

Weddell, P. J., 1978, Untitled Source, 459 (Article in Serial). SDV349715.

Weddell, P. J., 1980, Excavations at 3-5 Lower Fore Street, Exmouth, 91-115 (Article in Serial). SDV349705.

Excavations at 3-5 Lower Fore Street revealed at least three phases of building on this site, from the 12th or 13th century. The earliest phases were of timber, with the best evidence surviving from the 14th century in the form of floor levels and a stone hearth. In the 16th century there was a change of alignment and stone foundations were first used. There was also evidence that Fore Street may have been wider at one time. A large quantity of more than 200 sherds of medieval and 450 sherds of post medieval pottery was recovered during the excavation. It is significant mainly for the high proportion of imported types, from France, North Germany, the Rhineland, Holland, Portugal and Spain, and the predominance of Donyatt Wares over local exeter types and North Devon wares. Other finds include clay pipes, coins (Edward I-III, Charles I), flints (flakes, blade), wooden objects (comb, bowl, platter) from a stone-lined pit filled with medieval and post medieval rubbish, a fragment of bone comb from a 16th century rubbish pit, animal bone, marine molluscs and fish bones. A small amount of Roman material, pot and tile fragments, suggest a building with a hypocaust nearby. The report also includes a section on the history and development of Exmouth.

Weddell, P. J., 1982, Further Excavations at Lower Fore Street. Interim Report (Report - Interim). SDV349713.

Further excavations in 1982 established the western extent of the medieval building. Evidence suggests the existence of a hollow way, succeeded by a series of metalled streets, probably from the 13th century onwards. The changing frontage of Fore Street was recorded in several places, this was enlightened by a small trench cut across Fore Street itself. Further Roman tile was recovered.

Weddell, P. J. + Henderson, C. G., 1985, Excavations in Exmouth 1982-4, 40 (Article in Serial). SDV354905.

Weddell, P. J. + Henderson, C. G., 1985, Excavations in Exmouth 1982-4. Preliminary Report (Report - Interim). SDV349678.

Youngs, S. M. + Clark, J. + Barry, T., 1986, Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1985, 114-198 (Article in Serial). SDV24583.

A late medieval house, discovered in 1977, was excavated in 1985. It lay parallel to Lower Fore Street, on the north side of the street. Subsequent to the development of Lower Fore Street as a hollow way by the late 14th-15th century two, possibly three, small rooms (shops?) were added to the house. The main house was rebuilt to roughly the same plan in the 15th or 16th century.

Weddell, P. J., 1986, The Excavation of Medieval and Later Houses and St. Margaret's Chapel, Exmouth 1982-1984, 107-111, figure 2 (Article in Serial). SDV109145.

Medieval house aligned east-west along Fore Street (previously Lower Fore street). Excavation in 1977 suggested timber walls, though there was uncertainty about the front wall. Occupation levels were 0.15 metres thick. Open hearth. Ten per cent of the pottery consisted of imported wares, mainly from saintonge. Three coins of EdwardI to III.
Excavations in 1982 uncovered the west end of the building and identified 7 phases of activity:
1) 12th-14th century. Hollow way.
2) 14th-15th century. Cob wall, possibly a boundary feature, constructed on the same alignment as the hollow way.
3) 14th-15th century. Cob wall utilized as front wall of house. It is now thought likely that all the walls were of cob. The house was entered at the west end, and was probably of cross-passage plan. Floor of hard clay.
4) 14th-15th century. Modifications to doorway and raising of floor levels. Roman tile used as packing for post-hole for door/gate post. Phase may have ended with a fire.
5) 15th century. Further raising of floor.
6) after 1450. Extension over former street. Remaining area in front of house possibly fenced off as a yard. Interior resurfaced, and new doorway at west end.
7) 15th-16th century. Extension over street at west end, further extension at east end probably for garderobe.
A path was maintained up to the line of the old passage until the mid 17th century. It was then presumably enclosed, as pits were dug here. After 1700 the whole site was redeveloped with stone-footed walls. This is probably the redevelopment referred to in a 1783 reference to a newly built house with tenement extending from Fore Street to Margaret Street. A 1787 advertisment refers to houses of "hewn stone and covered with slate".

Allan, J. + Richards, M., 1998, Lantern Fragment from Exmouth, 173-180 (Article in Serial). SDV349984.

A 19 centimetre diameter wooden disc recovered from a stone-lined pit during the excavation at Lower Fore Street in Exmouth was originally thought to be a platter or flat dish. It has now been interpreted as the base of a wooden lantern. The oak fragment is a flat board 12-13 millimetres thick with a groove around the rim containing four regularly spaced holes of circa 9 millimetres diameter. The missing area of rim would have allowed a fifth hole at equal spacing. At the centre is a small hole 7 millimetres wide on top tapering to 4 millimetres on the bottom. The fragment shows strong similarities to the bases of 16th century lanterns from the wreck of the Mary Rose from Portsmouth Harbour.

Turton, S. D., 2009, Archaeological Assessment of Proposed Exmouth Strand Enhancement Scheme, Exmouth, Devon, 9 (Report - Assessment). SDV344641.

Pink, F., 2014, South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey Desk-Based Assessment (Interpretation). SDV357736.

Casimiro, T. M., 2015, Portuguese Faience in South-West England, 346 (Article in Monograph). SDV365403.

Portuguese faience, including an example of a large Wan Li-style dish, found during Exeter Archaeology excavation.

Devon Committee for Rescue Archaeology, 21/02/1977, Worksheet (Worksheet). SDV350200.

Excavation in Lower Fore Street on a site occupied by 17th or 18th century dwellings revealed a series of occupation phases beginning in the 13th century. The most substantial evidence of medieval occupation was that of a timber building with a large hearth. Some Roman material was also found and it is possible that there is a substantial building of the period nearby which remains undiscovered.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV109145	Article in Serial: Weddell, P. J.. 1986. The Excavation of Medieval and Later Houses and St. Margaret's Chapel, Exmouth 1982-1984. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society. 44. Paperback Volume. 107-111, figure 2.
SDV24583	Article in Serial: Youngs, S. M. + Clark, J. + Barry, T.. 1986. Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1985. Medieval Archaeology. 30. Unknown. 114-198.
SDV344641	Report - Assessment: Turton, S. D.. 2009. Archaeological Assessment of Proposed Exmouth Strand Enhancement Scheme, Exmouth, Devon. Exeter Archaeology Report. 09.23. A4 Stapled + Digital. 9.
SDV349678	Report - Interim: Weddell, P. J. + Henderson, C. G.. 1985. Excavations in Exmouth 1982-4. Preliminary Report. Exeter Museums Archaeological Field Unit Report. A4 Stapled + Digital.
SDV349705	Article in Serial: Weddell, P. J.. 1980. Excavations at 3-5 Lower Fore Street, Exmouth. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society. 38. Paperback Volume. 91-115.
SDV349713	Report - Interim: Weddell, P. J.. 1982. Further Excavations at Lower Fore Street. Interim Report. Unknown.
SDV349714	Article in Serial: Weddell, P. J.. 1978. Interim Report. Medieval Archaeology. 22. Unknown. 173.
SDV349715	Article in Serial: Weddell, P. J.. 1978. Britannia. 9. Unknown. 459.
SDV349984	Article in Serial: Allan, J. + Richards, M.. 1998. Lantern Fragment from Exmouth. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society. 56. Paperback Volume. 173-180.
SDV349985	National Monuments Record Database: National Monuments Record. 17/08/2012. 448698. National Monuments Record Database. Website.
SDV350200	Worksheet: Devon Committee for Rescue Archaeology. 21/02/1977. Worksheet. Worksheet + Digital.
SDV354905	Article in Serial: Weddell, P. J. + Henderson, C. G.. 1985. Excavations in Exmouth 1982-4. Exeter Archaeology 1984/5. A4 Stapled + Digital. 40.
SDV357736	Interpretation: Pink, F.. 2014. South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey Desk-Based Assessment. AC Archaeology Report. ACD618/4/3. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV365403	Article in Monograph: Casimiro, T. M.. 2015. Portuguese Faience in South-West England. West Country Households 1500-1700. Hardback Volume. 346.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV4620 - FLINT (Unknown date)
• FDV5208 - POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• FDV4622 - TILE (I to Unknown - 43 AD)
• FDV4794 - POT (XI to Unknown - 1066 AD)
• FDV4619 - COIN (XIII to XIV - 1201 AD to 1400 AD)
• FDV5211 - COMB (XVI - 1501 AD to 1600 AD)
• FDV4618 - POT (XVI to XVIII - 1501 AD to 1800 AD)

Associated Events

• EDV4728 - Assessment of Proposed Exmouth Strand Enhancement Scheme

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