Find Spot record MDO4639 - Okeford, Park Walk, Shaftesbury: soakaway containing thirteenth-century pottery

A lime mortar feature interpreted as a soakaway was recorded during excavation in advance of construction of a garage. Pottery dated to the thirteenth century, and slate tile were recovered. The record for this monument has been enhanced with support from Wessex Water.

'L. 20 'Okeford' Park Walk. Shaftesbury. Gd ref ST 8621722884. May 1978. A concrete area and Garage was to be constructed in the garden. Permission was sought and given to carry out an exploratory excavation within the bounds of the garage foundations. The section, approximately central, measured 2 metres by 1 metre, to a depth of 1.6 metres at the North or upper end (the garden slopes downward to the South). The 'natural' strata was reached at this depth. Significant finds were the pot sherds and shale tile located at layer 9 (llustrations page (vii)). The sherds formed a circle on their edges just wide enough to support the tile. Giving the impression of a soak-away. A 13th Century date is suggested for the artefacts.

The 'natural' layer was 3.29 metres below the surface of the tarmac at the N/W corner of the wall surrounding "Okeford". The centre of the section measured 17.6 metres South from the Abbey wall and 3.20 metres West of the hosue. The section was on a 335 degree (magnetic) alignment.

A single course of laid greensand stones was located at layer 9 on a 340 degree alignment on the East Side of the section, the sherds and tile referred to earlier were 20cm from this structure.

The section consisted of 10 stratified layers:

1, Turf 10cm; 2, Loam 'top soil' 28cm; 3, Stony large fragments 28cm; 4, Sandy/rubble and plaster contained common land snails 67cm; 5, Dark loam contained oyster shell sherd and bones 10cm; 6, Dark organic contained sherds 2cm; 7, Green sand broken down to a soft sandy texture 3cm; 8, Dark organic/charcoal sherd 7cm; 9, Lime mortar contained sherds and shale tile 5cm; 10, 'Natural' Reddish brown cherty compact. It was established by sherd association that layers 6 and 9 were contemporary.

Photographic record.' (1)

Shaftesbury and District Archaeological Group, 1977-80, Shaftesbury and District Archaeological Group; Interim Report 1977-80 (Serial). SDO11483.

<2> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1991, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1990, 139-141 (Serial). SDO90.

Record last edited

Dec 30 2015 2:08PM