Monument record MDO4649 - Post-medieval building remains below 8 Gold Hill, Shaftesbury

Part of the remains of an earlier house were found beneath the floor of 8 Gold Hill, Shaftesbury during excavations undertaken by the Shaftesbury and District Archaeological Group in 1984. This building was post-medieval in date and was demolished in the late 17th or 18th century.

Limited excavation within the interior of No. 8 Gold Hill undertaken by the Shaftesbury and District Archaeological Group in 1984 revealed traces of an earlier building on the site. No structural elements of this building was found, the only evidence being a floor and occupation deposits. A mortar floor laid over a mixed bedding layer containing fragments of mortar and charcoal lay directly on top of a possible medieval deposit. A single sherd of 17th century pottery was found in the bedding layer. Overlying the mortar floor was a compact black layer containing charcoal and wood fragments.

The rear (east) wall of this building appears to have been replaced by a substantial Greensand stone wall, set in a construction trench cut through the floor layers described above. The remains of this wall and the floor surfaces were sealed beneath a thick demolition layer of stone rubble, brick and a small quantity of pottery dating from the medieval period and 18th century.

This building is probably that marked on the 1615 town map. It was probably demolished in the late 17th or 18th century when Gold Hill was widened and realigned and the current building was constructed. (1)

Cox, Margaret, 1986, Excavations within No. 8 Gold Hill, Shaftesbury, Dorset. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society (Article in serial). SDO11550.

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1985, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1984, 124 (Serial). SDO84.

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1986, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1985, 47-54 (Serial). SDO85.

Record last edited

Nov 13 2013 1:51PM