EDO6463 - Bellevue, 2 Pound Lane, Wareham, Phase 3; observations and recording

Trench 1 (Figure 3; 1A and 1B and Figures 4 and 5) An ‘L’ shaped trench was dug by a small mechanical excavator and hand-finished to expose the vertical sections. The trench varied in depth and in no place exceeded the depth of the original cutting which had been dug for the construction of the previous garden wall; this was apparent by the presence of fragments of brick, cement and concrete on its base. Trench 2 (Figures 3: 2 and 6) A further stepped foundation trench measuring 15m long and 0.65m wide was dug on a north-south alignment on the western side of the present driveway, hard against the block-pavement. The fill was a consistent very dark brown/black humic loam throughout. There was no evidence for any archaeological features and modern brick and concrete were noted on the base of this trench. Trench 3 (Figures 3: 3 and 7) A 6m long and 0.65m wide north-south stepped foundation trench was dug on the eastern side of the driveway; the fill again comprised a consistent very dark brown/black humic loam containing modern building material. The base of this trench at its northern extent had been compromised by the insertion of a gas main. There was evidence for an earlier brick-built garden wall which had been constructed on a slightly different alignment.