EDO5994 - Pound Lane Car Park, Wareham; evaluation 2011

An evaluation was undertaken prior to any future development. Five trenches were excavated mechanically to the level at which archaeological deposits or natural subsoil was exposed. Hand excavation was restricted due to the depth of the trenches. Trench 1 was aligned north-south, measured 18m x 1.2m with a depth of 1.45m. A layer sequence was recorded to the depth of the natural bedrock. A linear feature identified as a ditch and undated was found at a depth of 0.7m at the southeast end of the trench, aligned north-south, cut through natural sand. A small slot was excavated at the base and a fill identified consisting of gravelly sand. No artefacts were recovered from this feature. A layer of black humic sand with ‘frequent irregular flint nodules’ was found immediately below the layers of the modern car park. This layer is consistent with the soil horizon found across the site and elsewhere in Wareham and is noted as 'post-medieval build-up' and to be of uncertain origin. A fragment of a stone trough was found at the upper end of this layer. Various modern features were recorded including a ceramic drain set, wall footings, sewage chamber. Trench 2 was aligned northeast-southwest, measured 15m x 1.2m with a maximum depth of 2.20m. A layer sequence was recorded to the depth of the natural bedrock (sand). No archaeological features were identified and no artefacts recovered in this trench. The layer of black humic sand with ‘frequent irregular flint nodules’ found in Trench 1 was noted in Trench 2 to be of greater thickness. A modern feature was found in this layer consisting of a single brick wall footing aligned west-east which may relate to the former cottages on the site. Trench 3 was aligned east-west, measured 5m x 1.2m with a maximum depth of 0.72m. A layer sequence was recorded to the depth of the natural sand bedrock. Black humic sand with frequent flinty nodules was found immediately below the modern surface of the car park as in trenches 1 and 2, with a maximum thickness of 0.36m. One sherd of post-medieval pottery was recovered from this layer. A modern concrete drain cover ran through the centre of the trench. Trench 4 measured 1m x 1m with a depth of 1.2m and was situated adjacent to the wall of the Pound Lane car park on the rear of West Street pavement. The layer sequence was recorded to the natural bedrock of brown sand and gravels. The layer of black humic sand with frequent irregular flint nodules noted in the other trenches was found below the footing of the boundary wall and had a maximum thickness of 0.85m. A small amount of medieval and post-medieval pottery was found in this layer. Trench 5 was excavated in two parts to avoid causing damage to the roots and canopy of a tree. It was situated on a grass verge adjacent to the car park. Trench 5a measured 3.7m x 1m with a maximum depth of 1.25m and Trench 5b measured 2m x 1m with a maximum depth of 1.14m. The layer sequence was recorded to the natural subsoil of yellow brown coarse sand. Trench 5a contained three linear features dating to 15th/16th century or earlier, cutting through the natural sand and sealed by a layer of black humic sand with frequent irregular flint nodules noted on the rest of the site, here with a maximum thickness of 0.30m. The first was present at the southeast end of the trench and appeared to truncate the other two linear features. It was aligned northwest-southeast and contained a fill of grey/black coarse sand from which a small quantity of post-medieval pottery was recovered. The second linear feature was aligned east-west, truncated by the first feature and parallel to the third feature. It contained a fill of dark brown/black clay sand. No artefacts were recovered. The third linear feature was aligned east-west truncated by the first feature and parallel to the second. It contained a fill of dark brown/black clay sand. No artefacts were recovered. A small amount of artefacts were recovered from the excavation. Medieval pottery (12th/13th century) in trenches 4 and 5 were plain body sherds made of coarse sandy fabrics common to south east Dorset. Pottery from the later Medieval/early post-medieval period (15th/16th century) was found in trench 5 and comprised 'sandy wares' including glazed and unglazed sherds. All pottery was local in origin and included sandy oxidised and pale firing fabrics from the Poole Harbour area and south east Dorset. Forms included a rod handle from a jug with an olive green and brown glaze, a t-shaped glazed rim from a bowl and undiagnostic glazed body sherds. Five sherds featured glaze on their broken edges, one being green in colour, with the bowl rim having glaze coating a broken edge and dripped over-fired glaze on its external surface. This was said to be possible evidence of kiln wasters. Two 18th/19th century pottery sherds were found in Trench 3 and 4. The latter was a single sherd from a stoneware jar and the former a single glazed base sherd from a jar in a Verwood Type ware. A single animal bone was recovered from Trench 4 from the layer of black humic sand which may be sheep or goat.