EDO6779 - The Potters Arms, 21 Blandford Road, Poole; observations and recording 2016

OASIS summary: BUARC, Bournemouth University's archaeological consultancy, was commissioned by Bentley Slade Limited to undertake an archaeological watching brief during all ground works at 21 Blandford Road, Poole, Dorset between October and November 2016. The project was necessary for the fulfilment of Planning Application APP/14/01534/F, planning condition 13, and was carried out under the remit of a Written Scheme of Investigation prepared by BUARC. The soil profile was broadly similar across the watching brief area. Natural geology (111) was exposed across all excavated areas and was overlaid by light brown sandy subsoil (110). The earliest features recorded on-site truncated the subsoil layer and comprised two possible ditch termini, a possible gully and a ditch feature recorded in Trench 1 and Pad 1. Pottery retrieved from the ditch suggests a Late Iron Age/ Early Roman date with all four features potentially conforming to a degree of contemporaneity. In addition, a well feature was recorded cutting made-ground deposits and has been interpreted as Victorian in date. In total seven made-ground layers were recorded across the watching brief area. However, the majority of the site consisted of hard-core (101), made-ground layer (103) and soil horizon (106). Only layer (106) was traceable across the entirety of the site and has been interpreted as a previous soil horizon and was likely post-medieval in date. Layer (101) was recorded abutting existing walls related to a previously demolished skittle alley towards the western extent of the site and is likely associated with this structure.