EDO470 - West end of Sherborne Abbey; excavation of the NW corner of the Saxon tower

At some time between 1964 and 1973 the Archaeological Society of Sherborne School conducted a small excavation on the area formerly occupied by All Hallows church, Sherborne in order to try and expose part of the earlier Saxon church known to have existed on the site. Initially an area of c. 9ft x 6ft of the NW corner of the Saxon west tower was exposed. Unfortunately little stratification had survived the 300 years use of the site as a graveyard. Further walls were exposed one of which was interpreted as forming part of a narrow porch or narthex built against, and contemporary with the tower’s west face. Unfortunately the excavated area was too restricted to be sure of stratigraphical relationships (1).