Find Spot record MDO8191 - Mayor's Quay, Wareham Sewer Replacement, 1994/1995

In situ medieval soil horizon observed in 1994/5 during pipeline excavation at Mayor's Quay, comprising alluvial soil some 1.2m below the current ground surface, and containing 20 sherds of pottery dating from late 12th to 14th century AD. No features associated with earlier quayside structures were observed. In 1974 holes on the Quay dug by contractors were observed but no features or finds were found and the deposits appeared to be made up ground. Based on these observations David Hinton suggested that the Quay area may be a post-Saxon encroachment on the riverside, and the original shoreline was on the edge of the gravel terrace beneath or behind the houses on the north side of the quay. The archaeologists on site noted that these more recent observations support this view, and commented that there may be earlier in situ deposits beneath the medieval 13th to 14th century buried soil, but this cannot be gauged.

<1> Hearne C M, 1995, Wareham Sewer replacement, Dorset. Report on Archaeological observation and Recording 1994/1995 (Unpublished document). SWX8504.

‘The main area of interest proved to be at Mayor’s Quay (quayside car park) where an in situ medieval soil horizon (12th to 14th centuries AD) was observed and recorded some 1.2m below the current ground surface. No features associated with earlier quayside structures were observed. To date there has been little opportunity to record sub-surface deposits in Mayor’s Quay. In 1974 “holes on the Quay” dug by contractors were observed but were “archaeologically sterile and appeared to be in recently made-up ground” (Hinton and Hodges 1978, 45: Fig. 3c – site r). Hinton has noted that there is evidence that the Quay area is a post-Saxon encroachment on the riverside, and that the original shoreline was on the edge of the gravel terrace, beneath or behind the houses on the north side of the quay (ibid., 45) – see Fig. 1. The observations from the Wareham sewer replacement support this view and the information the project has provided about the date, nature and sequence of sub-surface deposits at Mayor’s Quay is of some interest for local archaeological records. The nature of any deposits beneath the 13th/14th century soil horizon cannot be gauged but earlier in situ deposits may be preserved at greater depths.’

Record last edited

Apr 4 2016 4:09PM