EDO5106 - Land at the rear of Sherborne House, Sherborne; evaluation trench 1

AC Archaeology conducted an archaeological evaluation of land to the rear of Sherborne House, Sherborne on behalf of the owners, Dorset County Council, during late January and early February 1997. The work comprised the machine excavation of five trenches in area B, and three 2m x 1m hand dug trial pits in area C. A sequence of intercutting 13th-century pits and a possibly associated mortar surface was revealed in the northern part of Trench 1. Indications suggested that this was the southern extent of medieval activity continuing up to the Coldharbour Street frontage. The other trenches in area B contained post-medieval and modern pits and linear features. These may be associated with the former formal gardens of Sherborne House. The trial pits in area C contained no archaeological features, although moderate quantities of medieval and post-medieval finds were recovered (1). Trench 1 measured 11.5m x 1.6m and was excavated by machine to a maximum depth of 0.65m. The trench was N-S aligned and located on a south facing slope towards the northern boundary of Area B. Medieval deposits in this trench included a mortar surface towards the centre and a sequence of intercutting pits at the northern end. The mortar surface appeared to have a slight camber and the pits contained burnt material suggestive of an industrial function dating from the 13th-14th centuries. Two post-medieval pits, in the centre and southern end of the trench, were also excavated.