| Summary: | Excavation prior to extension of bowling green pavilion. E end of excavation trench (adjacent to N side of existing pavilion) revealed part of the Norman rampart at 0.35m below present ground level. Sealed by 0.25m of post-medieval deposits and c0.12m of topsoil. The surviving top of the rampart dropped towards W, where it was sealed by a thin layer of dark brown silt with charcoal, possibly a buried medieval soil horizon. This was overlain by a further deposit of clay and shale, possibly slumped rampart, which was sealed by a post-medieval levelling layer consisting of large stones under c0.15m of topsoil. A modern pipe trench cut through the centre of the section. No finds recovered. In February/March 1997 members of the local archaeology society made observations & collected unstratified potsherds during relaying of perimeter path around bowling green. This involved removal of c0.5m of deposits below present path. A deposit of large stones was observed at S end of W section of path. This may correspond to the post-medieval levelling layer recorded during excavation, and may therefore indicate the position of another section of Norman rampart. At W end of N section of path, in situ cobbles observed sloping to N adjacent to the green's fence and also in vicinity of gate. The unstratified finds consisted mostly of post-medieval and later finds; however, 6 sherds of N Devon medieval coarsewares were also recovered, including a jug handle. |
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