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Summary

A large, irregular clay quarry pit close to the street frontage, which produced a small group of 11th century or 12th century pottery. The pottery from the fill of this pit comprises the earliest-known substantial medieval group from Totnes.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX76SE/162/2

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PIT (XI to XII - 1001 AD to 1200 AD (Between))

Full description

Pye, A. R. + Stead, A. J. + Juddery, J. Z., 1991, An Archaeological Assessment and Evaluation of the Totnes Southern Area Access Road, 5 (Report - Assessment). SDV340797.

Evaluation; excavation revealed a large pit dug into natural close to frontage of Leechwell Street. This produced a small group of 11th century or 12th century pottery - a suprisingly early date for such material on a site 170 metres outside the West Gate of the Norman town. The scale of excavation was too small to establish the context of the pit. It may have been as a clay quarry beyond the early medieval limit of settlement. Figure 7.

Hall, M. and Turton, S.D., 1992, Evaluation Excavation in Leechwell Street, Totnes, 1991, 1 (Report - Evaluation). SDV350730.

In May and June 1991, a six week evaluation excavation was undertaken on the eastern frontage of Leechwell Street, Totnes.

The earliest feature recorded was a large, irregular clay quarry pit dug into the natural subsoil close to the street frontage. It was not possible to ascertain the exact dimensions of this pit as it extended beyond the area of the trench and was cut by a later wall. The pit contained a group of pottery (63 sherds) dating from the 11th or 12th century. It contained a large proportion of Exeter Fabric 20 coarsewares and some imported Normandy gritty ware.

The late medieval tenement was partly built above an 11th or 12th century pit, possibly dug as a clay quarry beyond the limit of early medieval settlements. The pottery from the fill of this pit comprises the earliest-known substantial medieval group from Totnes. The fact that the basic coarsewares were of exert Fabric indicates that the local Totnes-type ware was not yet in production.

Beverley, S. M. + Margeson, S. + Hurley, M., 1992, Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1991, 36 (Article in Serial). SDV58456.

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

Gent, T. H., 2001, Archaeological Assessment of land at St Katherine’s Way, Totnes, Devon (Report - Assessment). SDV336261.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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