Monument record MWX3432 - Land to the rear of the Volunteer Inn, South Street, Bridport: medieval activity

Two ditches aligned at approximately 45 degrees to the alignment of the burgage plots were exposed during the evaluation of a site to the rear of the Volunteer Inn, South Street, Bridport, undertaken by AC archaeology in 2001. These ditches were not aligned on the town grid and their function and date is unclear, but are on a similar alignment to a ditch found during the investigations of the nearby site of the Tourist Information Centre on South Street, which contained medieval pottery of possible late 12th/early 13th century date. These ditches may be part of a series of boundary ditches. If this is the case, then they are likely to pre-date the laying out of the burgage plots in this area of the town.

Two ditches of possible medieval date were exposed during the evaluation of a site to the rear of the Volunteer Inn, South Street, Bridport, undertaken by AC archaeology in 2001 (1). In Trench 2 in the central western part of the site, a ditch running roughly NW-SE, with a possible second ditch running NE-SW joining it on its NE side. The NW-SE ditch was sectioned revealing a flat-bottomed ditch with moderately sloping sides 0.65m wide and 0.45m deep filled with light brownish-grey/mottled orange silt, which produced a single prehistoric chert flake. The other ditch had an identical fill, but was not investigated. No finds were found on its upper surface. recut ditch oriented NE-SW was exposed. These ditches were not aligned on the town grid and their function and date is unclear. They are on a similar alignment as a ditch found during the investigations of the nearby site of the Tourist Information Centre on South Street, which contained medieval pottery of possible late 12th/early 13th century date (2). It is possible that the ditches from behind the Volunteer Inn are of a similar date, perhaps part of a series of boundary ditches. If this is the case, then they may pre-date the laying out of the burgage plots in this area of the town.

<1> Valentin, J, 2001, A Proposed Development of Land to the Rear of the Volunteer Inn, South Street, Bridport, Dorset: Results of Archaeological Trench Evaluation (Unpublished document). SWX8598.

<2> Valentin, J, 2000, A Proposed New Tourist Information Centre on Land at South Street, Bridport, Dorset: Results of Archaeological trial pit investigation (Unpublished document). SWX8612.

Record last edited

Feb 16 2011 8:37AM