EWX1092 - Manor Farm, Wyke Regis; evaluation 1990

In December 1989 the Trust for Wessex Archaeology, working for C G Fry and Sons Ltd, undertook an archaeological assessment at Manor Farm, Wyke Regis (Site code: W350/33281) as condition of planning permission for the partial redevelopment of the site. Trial trenches in advance of residential development revealed deposits no earlier than 14th century. Material relating to construction of Manor Farm in 16th century. The proposed redevelopment consists of the construction of three new residential blocks, the conversion of the existing barn into residential units, with access, car parking and landscape areas, approximately 0.53 hectares, with the area of proposed new building consisting of only 378 square metres or 7.1% of the total area. The earliest deposits identified from the assessment were recorded in Trench C, south of the present Manor Farm building. A dark soil layer (39) lay above the natural bedrock and contained material of 14th century date, pre-dating the construction of the present Manor Farm. No material of Saxon or pre-14th century date was recovered from this deposit, which probably represents the ground surface prior to the construction of Manor Farm in the late 16th century AD. This soil was sealed below rubble and soil layers (37, 38 and 42) containing material of 16th century date. These deposits may be associated with the construction and early use of Manor Farm in the 16th century. All these deposits dipped gently to the south, and, although sealed below c 1m of later material, were apparently undisturbed by post medieval or recent features. Although within the trench it was not possible to determine the level of disturbance caused to these deposits by the foundations of the present buildings to the south of Manor Farm. The 16th century deposits were sealed by a further sequence of rubble and soil layers (34,35,36 and 41) containing material of 18th and 19th century date. These deposits may be associated with the known refurbishment of Manor Farm in the early 19th century and possible also construction of the building within which Trench C was located; this building was in existence at least by 1864 (O.S.Plan). Within the trench, there was no evidence to suggest that these buildings had heavily disturbed the earlier deposits. The most recent deposits (30, 31, 32 and 33) were probably associated with recent usage of the farm. While some truncation of earlier deposits may have resulted from construction the pathway, these deposits have otherwise increased the total depth of deposits above the natural slope in this portion of the site. The earliest deposits in Trenches A and B were all probably of post medieval date, although the earliest features, ditch 20, in Trench B was 17th century or earlier in date. No material of Saxon date was recovered from either trench. The small quantity of abraded, residual Romano-British activity c.200m further upslope of the site and probably does not suggest the presence of features of this date within the site. The post medieval features in Trench B are probably associated with the Manor Farm; the quarry pit 21 probably supplying some of the stone for the low walls around the farm. These features have probably removed earlier deposits form the north of the site and the present paddock probably occupies a shallow terrace cut into the south facing slope of the site. Similarly the construction of the farm building and yard surfaces in the north-west corner of the site, Trench A, have probably been terraced into the south-facing slope and removed any earlier deposits that might have survived.