Monument record MDO19314 - 14 High Street, Christchurch ( site W37); 19th century brick building and outhouse (Green Tree Inn)

Excavation at 14 High Street, Christchurch, during 1982 (site W37), revealed evidence for a late 18th century brick building, known in the 19th century as The Green Tree Inn. This completely filled the western end of the excavation area, fronting on to the present line of High Street shops and measuring 8m wide x 11m long (divided lengthwise into two halves by a 0.5m wide wall and subdivided into four rooms by two internal brick partitions). A cellar survived to a depth of 2m and a brick outhouse to the rear.

Wessex Archaeological Committee conducted an excavation at 14 High Street, Christchurch, during 1982 (site W37) in advance of the Saxon Square development. The results were subsequently published in PDNHAS volume 105 (Davies 1983).

The excavation revealed evidence for a late 18th century brick building, known in the 19th century as The Green Tree Inn. This completely filled the western end of the excavation area, fronting on to the present line of High Street shops and measuring 8m wide x 11m long (divided lengthwise into two halves by a 0.5m wide wall and subdivided into four rooms by two internal brick partitions). The northern part of the building was poorly preserved but a considerable amount of information was retrieved from the southern half, the back of which contained an impressive brick cellar.

The cellar [102] had a brick floor and the walls were covered with a pinky white plaster wash. It survived to a depth of 2m, was 4.4m long and 3.5m wide, with dual access via a brick staircase [106] on the outside of the building and a stone clad brick staircase [104] up the southern front room of the Inn. This internal staircase was later block and the cellar decreased in size, the gap being filled with building rubble which contained a leather jug known as a blackjack. The doorway to the external staircase was blocked at the same time and entrance to the cellar must have been gained via a wooden ladder from the tap room.

A drumway or passage ran along the south side of the Inn, the boundary for which continued from the SE corner of the Inn as a trench with posts and three individual post-pits. This passage still existed prior to the demolition of the modern building on the site.

The Inn burnt down in 1863 and the cellar filled with brick rubble and debris associated with a pub such as bottles, glass, jars and other ceramic containers. A brick outhouse was excavated to the rear of the Inn. The Inn was replaced by a brick building that utilised the old foundations and was itself demolished just prior to the excavation.

National Record of the Historic Environment, 1152671 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Davies, S M, 1983, Excavations at Christchurch, Dorset, 1981 to 1983; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 46-53 (Article in serial). SWX4065.

National Monuments Record, Unknown, 14 HIGH STREET (Index). SWX9095.

Record last edited

Oct 29 2024 4:22PM