Record Details

Summary

A remains sandstone built wall of possible 14th century date and subsequent brick-built wall and associated surfaces wall of possible 17th or 18th century date identified in the area to the south of Sandford Street during an archaeological evaluation in 2002. The wall remains are thought to represent the remains of subsequent buildings which would have once fronted on to Sandford Street in this area. Evidence for 16th century tanning was also recorded on the site (see PRN 50369).

Monument Type(s):

• BUILDING? (MEDIEVAL - 1300 AD to 1399 AD)
• BUILDING? (Elizabethan to Georgian - 1600 AD? to 1799 AD?)

Associated Events:

• EST744 - An archaeological evaluation at junction of Sandford Street and Swan Road, Lichfield. (NRHE Name - Land at Sandford Street / Swan Street / Swan Road) (Ref: Project No. 986 / Report No. 986)

Protected Status:

Full description

The excavation of two archaeological evaluation trenches on land at the junction of Sandford Street and Swan Road in October 2002 produced evidence of an unbroken sequence of occupation and activity dating from the 13th century onwards. The evaluation also highlighted the change in nature of the activity and occupation within the site, from being predominantly residential in the medieval period to a more industrial focus in the post-medieval period.
A layer and a possible ditch containing pottery dating to the 13th century were identified as the earliest phase of activity on the site (see PRN 05520). These features were truncated by several phases of later activity. Clay-lined pits similar to those identified during excavations on the northern side of Sandford Street were recorded. These were identified as 16th century tanning pits. Further evidence for the tanning industry, in the form of worked bone and horn cores, was recovered from several pits (see PRN 50369).
Foundations of a roughly constructed stone building, truncating the upper fill of a possible early town ditch (PRN 05520), was also recorded. The wall survived to one course deep and was mainly aligned north-west to south-east, with a possible return visible at the north-eastern end. 14th century pottery was recovered from the upper fill of the ditch. Speed's map of 1610 shows a structure in this area which may relate to the stone structure identified.
A south-east facing section of a brick wall was also identified. It was aligned roughly north-east to south-west and interpreted as the remains of a cellar relating to former buildings fronting onto Sandford Street. At the north-eastern end a brick and sandstone wall was also identified, abutted by a brick surface. The excavation report suggests that the brick surface and wall were 'almost certainly' associated with the Turks Head Inn, identified in this area on Snape's map of 1781. (JM, 26/3/03) <1>

Examination of the later 19th century 1:500 Ordnance Survey Town Plan of Lichfield indicates that the Turks Head was actually located further to the west (within the area now occupied by the north-south alignment of Swan Road), suggesting that the while the walls and surfaces identified during the archaeological evaluations in 2002 may well belong to properties fronting on to Sandford Street, they are not likley to represent the remains of the Turks Head Inn (see PRN 50368). (SB, 12-Aug-2015) <2>

Sources and further reading

<1>	SST3701 - Evaluation Report: Eleanor Ramsey (Birmingham University Field Archaeology Unit). 2002. Junction of Sandford Street and Swan Road, Lichfield, Staffordshire: An Archaeological Evaluation 2002.
<2>	SST4583 - Watching Brief Report: Mike Sims (Oxford Archaeology South). 2011. Compost Site, Manor Farm, Wall, Lichfield: Archaeological Watching Brief Report. SST4582.

Related records

05520

Parent of: Possible Town Ditch Remains, Sandford Street, Lichfield (Monument)

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