EDO7097 - 1 Bank Close, Christchurch; evaluation 2018

Observations during removal of the foundations of a single-storey café building followed by the machine excavation of two small trial trenches on a 126m² site behind the HSBC bank on the southern side of Christchurch High Street. Trench 1 revealed a garden soil up to 0.24m deep containing modern ceramic building material. Below this was mid brown silty sand around 0.35m deep on top of fine shingle sandy gravel. Trench 1 contained numerous modern features and, between these, three pits. The filling of one of the pits contained four sherds of 13-14th century Wessex coarse ware and a piece of post-medieval Verwood pottery. A masonry feature of uncertain character and the remains of a probable brick outbuilding were also recorded in Trench 1. The latter was associated with a pit interpreted as a cess pit. Trench 2 revealed a similar geology. A linear feature interpreted as a drain and more pits were revealed, and a substantial stone drain.