SDO18109 - 69 St James Street, Shaftesbury, Archaeological Monitoring Report

This monitoring report was completed on behalf of North Dorset District Council prior to development and demolition works at 69 St James Street, which is Grade 2 listed. Initially the floor was removed to reveal a cobbeled surface with a gully. These cobbles were removed and the black earth surface underneath was systematically levelled and cleaned. From this layer various materials were recovered. This included old lime mortar and stone of approximately 50 x 20mm as well as numerous pieces of modern ceramics including some pearlware and Victorian blue and white china dating to no later than 1830. A red ceramic tile likely from a Victorian fireplace was also recorded along with domestic rubbish such as old bone knife handles, oyster shells and clay pipe stems. These pieces were discarded once photographed. In the old kitchen area Additional finds include an earth fast, greensand cobbled gully in the back garden and household redware pottery of post medieval era. Some bone and onion apotropaic deposits were identified over the front door and in the stone work of one of the downstairs window, these were left in place. The house might be described as 17th Century with later alterations.