SDO10481 - 'Bridport Tannery' Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society

An archaeological watching brief was carried out between 5 March and 14 April 1998 during the redevelopment for housing of the old Bridport Tannery site between South Street and Rope Walks. The site had been greatly disturbed by the Tannery building and the subsoil and natural sand were heavily stained by tanning processes. Several limestone walls and a cellar associated with the Tannery were observed. A wooden conduit system which probably supplied and /or drained the tanning pits , and a wooden floor, probably part of a tanning pit, were uncovered. Three medieval and several post-medieval pits were recorded. No evidence of the ditch for the Saxon burh that is believed to run through or near the site was observed. Though the eastern end of the site was heavily disturbed the two foundation plots at the western end of the site were relatively clean and had the ditch run here, it would have been observed.