Monument record MDO19925 - Bridport Tannery, Ropewalks, Bridport: post-medieval and modern activity to the south of the tannery

A rubbish pit and some other disturbance was found in the rear garden of the property to the south of the former Bridport tannery, as recorded during a watching brief during redevelopment of the site in 1998. To the east a number of early modern pits and scoops were found, which pre-date a series of stone buildings marked on the 1880s Ordnance Survey map.

Seven post-medieval and early modern pits, a number of contemporary deposits and several stone walls were found in the area to the south of the Bridport Tannery during a watching brief undertaken by Southern Archaeological Services Ltd during redevelopment of the Bridport Tannery site in 1998.(1) (2)

A single post-medieval pit was found within the gardens of 37-43 Ropewalks. This was near the rear of the garden and was a vertical-sided flat-bottomed pit 3.0m across and 0.6m deep filled with a very dark grey silty clay loam containing a single post-medieval brick. This feature is not well dated within the post-medieval period, but was probably a refuse pit. A number of layers containing post-medieval finds and a layer of redeposited natural sand were also observed in this area suggesting further disturbance. In the western part of the garden area, a deposit of olive brown silty clay loam containing post-medieval pottery was found immediately above the natural sand.(1)

To the east of the gardens, and south of the tannery yard a number shallow pits and scoops were found containing charcoal, burnt clay, ceramic building material, slate, oyster shell and some post-medieval/modern pottery. These all pre-dated a number of limestone walls which were the remnants of several buildings marked on the 1880s Ordnance Survey map.(1)

<1> Brading, R, 1998, Summary Report on an Archaeological Watching Brief at Bridport Tannery, Rope Walks, Bridport, Dorset, June 1998 (Unpublished document). SWX8607.

<2> Brading, R, 1998, 'Bridport Tannery' Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society (Article in serial). SDO10481.

Record last edited

Aug 30 2024 11:17AM