EDO5611 - White Mill Pond, Shapwick; observations and recording 2010

Dr Ian Powlesland carried out an archaeological watching brief on habitat enhancement works at White Mill Pond, Shapwick. This was during the clearance of a leat (artificial watercourse) and the mill pond to enable water to flow again. Groundworks took place during the second week of September 2010 while water levels were low all week. Work started with the clearance of the mill leat entrance. This was done using a high jib 360º excavator and tracked dumper to load and remove spoil from the pond. The original leat entrance beside the bridge was too soft for the machines, so large wooden mats were used to allow access to the pond. At this point, excavation of surface vegetation commenced at the north end of the pond. This caused water ingress, and as such contexts were hidden as soon as they were revealed. Finds recovered from the spoil included small amounts of domestic refuse and building materials dated between 18th and 20th century. Excavation at the north end of the pond was started in front of the wheel race of the mill. 0.2-0.3m of pond silt and vegetation was removed. A single upright wooden post was noted near the wheel pit, possibly forming part of a screen around the wheel pit. A large pit was found directly in front of the wheel arches, measuring about 8m long by and 6m wide and with steep sloping sides going to a metres depth. The remodelling of the leat entrance area was the final stage of the project. This involved the stripping of topsoil, and enhancing the profile of the banks. An area of soft ground in the entrance was scraped and re-filled with clean stone in order to allow access for the excavator for future maintenance. No further archaeological features were encountered during these final stages.