EDO5141 - Former Saunder’s Garage, Digby Road, Sherborne; Evaluation Trench 1

Niall Oakey conducted an archaeological evaluation at the former Saunder’s Garage, Digby Road, Sherborne during 2002 in advance of proposals for a residential development on the site. The evaluation consisted of the excavation of four trenches measuring 4m x 1.5m, located in areas likely to be effected by the development. No material earlier than the 13th century was recovered and all medieval artefacts were recovered from residual contexts. Much of the site was occupied by late 19th century converted stables, the construction of which appears to have truncated earlier features. The earliest documented structure on the site was the parish workhouse, in use from the late 18th to the early 19th century and demolished by the late 1860’s. partially robbed wall foundations of one wing of this building were revealed at a depth of 0.81m. Other features included a thick layer of topsoil (0.5-0.8m) over much of the site suggesting a long period of agricultural or horticultural use; and a functioning late 19th century stone culvert in Trench 2. there was also extensive disturbance from 20th century buildings a services up to 1.2m deep in places. Trench 1 was located in the open yard to the north of the garage buildings and was located as close to the alignment of the former SW wing of the Digby Tap building as possible. It was heavily disturbed by modern services and machine excavation was halted at a depth of 0.43-0.57m below the modern ground surface when metal pipes were encountered. The earliest deposit was a sandy silty loam seen at the base of later features but not excavated. Of the later features, all were relatively modern and the only one of significance was the possible robber trench [1012], flat bottomed with steep sides. At the base of this trench was a single course of limestone rubble bonded with mortar that may represent the remains of the robbed wall foundation of the western wall of the more westerly N-S aligned wing of the late 18th-19th century workhouse visible on early 19th century maps.