EDO6381 - Frome House, Wareham; observations and recording 2011

Observations and recording during groundworks associated with the demolition and rebuilding of a conservatory on the south side of the house, and digging of a service trench from the northern side of the house to a point 20m south of Worgret Road. Groundworks for the conservatory comprised an L-shaped trench butting onto the house, each arm 5m long, 1m wide and 1.5m deep. A single flint flake was retrieved, probably Bronze Age in origin. No archaeological features or deposits were noted. The service trench was dug by machine. It was 100m long, 0.4m wide and 0.75m deep and was sited immediately to the east of the boundary wall of Westport House. No archaeological features or deposits were observed. Some 19/20th-century pottery and glass were seen near Frome House. At the north end of the trench deposits of finds included surface finds of clay pipe bowls and stems together with structural debris, indicating a potential clay pipe kiln and manufactory site. Structural material from a kiln in the form of bricks and limestone survived in the sides of the trench. Parts of the internal structure (muffle) were located in the spoil heaps to the side of the trench. In addition nearly 2000 pieces of clay pipe wasters were retrieved from the trench itself and from the spoil heaps. A magnetometer survey confirmed three hot spots where burning associated with kiln activity was present.