| Summary: | Report presenting the results of an archaeological excavation undertaken to the rear of the Guardhouse. The excavation was required as a condition of planning permission and listed building consent for the extension and reordering of the Guardhouse as a restaurant. The excavation comprised initial test pitting with 7 pits, followed by the complete excavation of the footprint of the extension.
A thick layer of crushed local limestone was exposed in most of the pits at about 450mm below ground level. This was an extensive deposit, interpreted as a levelling layer associated with the construction of the fort. In pit 3 it was found to have been cut by a later rubbish pit (1048). The north and east walls of a building were partially exposed in pits 6 and 7, that in pit 7 cut through by a later culvert. An internal wall of the building was revealed in pit 2. Stone, brick and slate rubble layers in pits 2, 5, 6 and 7 represent demolition layers. All seven pits were sealed by recent garden deposits.
The earliest deposit revealed by the excavation was the levelling layer, within which were set several walls of two buildings (A and B) and a low tunnel extending southwards from the Guardhouse (not excavated). Layers of demolition rubble filled the interior of both buildings. A stone and brick culvert was also recorded, several postholes and pits, including part of the large rubbish pit seen in Test Pit 3, in the north-east corner of the site. Its primary fill consisted of a dark, loose, silty sand containing ash and coal fragments, burnt bone, animal bone and marine mollusc shells. Several 19th century pottery sherds were also recovered. A second rubbish pit (1041) to the east of Building B was not excavated. However, its upper fill was sampled and found to contain a high proportion of animal bone. It appears to post-date Building B.
Finds recovered include post medieval pottery, clay pipe, bone, shell, building material. There were no finds predating the Napoleonic fort. |
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