See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

An access pit, large pit and later floor levels were discovered during excavation to the rear of 39 Fore Street, Totnes. A quantity of post-medieval pottery and residual medieval pottery was recovered.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX86SW/137

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FLOOR (Unknown date)
• PIT (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD (Between))

Full description

Griffith, D.M. and Griffith, F.M., Excavations at 39 Fore Street, Totnes Draft and Interim Report (Unknown). SDV350598.

39 Fore Street, Totnes. A quantity of post-medieval pottery was discovered during alterations to an extension to the gallery and back block of the house. Salvage excavations in August 1982, showed the pot had come from an access pit, 4.5 metres x 1 metre plus, of dry stone construction. The pottery both within the pit and within the pit wall was of two groups, imported and local, dating to circa 1620. The imported group was of a remarkable range - from most European countries, and including sherds of Wan Li (Ming) porcelain. There was also a quantity of animal and fish bones from contexts, a small number of bone and metal artefacts, and a silver penny of Edward I (1272-1307). Other features in the area included an earlier and large pit (?well), and later floor levels. Residual medieval pottery was also recovered.

Egan, G., 1983, Post-medieval Britain in 1982, 188 (Article in Serial). SDV350595.

Griffiths, D. + Griffiths, F. M., 1984, An excavation at 39 Fore Street, Totnes, 77-100 (Article in Serial). SDV343214.

An excavation of 39 Fore Street, Totnes. Whilst carrying out alterations to the rear of the house a large quantity of post-medieval pottey was recovered. A subsequent excavation was carried out to establish the context of the finds.

No medieval features were excavated, sufficient residual medieval finds were recovered in later contexts to indicate that the tenement was occupied in the 14th and 15th centuries. The earliest datable finds were the coin of Edward 1 and Saintonge green-glazed pottery of the late 13th or 14th centuries.

The majority of the pottery related to the 16th/17th century. A large quantity of animal bones were also recovered.

Note from HER Officer - Analysis sheets of the animal bones may go to the Devon Record Office, currently with Bill Horner.

Allan, J. P. + Pope, P., 1990, A new class of south-west English pottery in North America, 51-59 (Article in Serial). SDV177637.

Totnes-type fabric formed the bulk of the post-medieval pottery assemblage.

Keystone Historic Buildings Consultants, 1996, Assessment of Civic Centre Area, Totnes (Report - Assessment). SDV340328.

Ordnance Survey, 2012, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV348725.

Pink, F., 2014, Devon Extensive Urban Survey Project. Rapid Assessment of Archaeological Interventions (Report - non-specific). SDV357343.

An excavation was undertaken at 39 Fore Street by Devon County Council in 1984.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV5411 - An Excavation of 39 Fore Street, Totnes

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.