Monument record MDO19329 - Post medieval cellar, Town Hall Garden (Site W7), Christchurch

Excavation in the Town Hall Garden, High Street, Christchurch, during 1981 (site W7), revealed a post medieval cellar [232] at the High Street end of the trench. It was small, rectangular, with dry stone wall footings at a depth of 1.5m at the High Street end and evidence for steps into the cellar at the east end. It was demolished before 1750 and was filled with much demolition debris and a large quantity of late 17th-18th century bottle glass pottery, bone and metalwork suggestive of some affluence. There is no date for the construction of the cellar.

Wessex Archaeological Committee conducted an excavation in the Town Hall garden, High Street, Christchurch, during 1981 (site W7) in order to investigate the High Street frontage. The results were subsequently published in PDNHAS volume 105 (Davies 1983).

The excavation revealed a post medieval cellar [232] at the High Street end of the trench. It was small, rectangular, with dry stone wall footings at a depth of 1.5m at the High Street end and evidence for Ashlar block steps into the cellar at the east end. It was demolished before 1750 and probably c. 1720. It was filled with demolition debris and a large quantity of late 17th-18th century bottle glass pottery, bone and metalwork suggestive of some affluence. One of the bottle fragments had a seal of Humphrey Richards, a local woollen merchant, on it, dated to 1712. There is, however, no date for the construction of the cellar. (Davies 1983)

Excavations intended to investigate the early medieval and medieval frontage of the High Street located few structures. Two 12th/13th century pits, undated post-holes and a late medieval and post-medieval cellar were recorded. As at SZ 15839287 (SZ 19 SE 103) the evidence attests to the sparseness of Medieval and post-Medieval occupation in the northeast sector of the town. <2>

Davies, S M, 1983, Excavations at Christchurch, Dorset, 1981 to 1983; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 33-6 (Article in serial). SWX4065.

<2> National Record of the Historic Environment, 884798 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Oct 29 2024 4:29PM