EDO5954 - Former Royal Mail Sorting Office, Wick Lane, Christchurch; evaluation 2014

This archaeological evaluation consisted of Phases II and III of a three- phase programme prior to redevelopment of the site. 4 trenches were machine excavated. Three of these in Phase II were positioned in the eastern half of the site to assess the archaeological potential the areas at risk from the redevelopment. Trenches 3, 4 and 5 measured 15m by 1.8m, Trench 4 measured 9m by 1.8m. Trench 6 in Phase III was positioned in the other western half of the site and measured 10m by 2m. The depth of the trenches was to the level of the natural deposits or to the top of the archaeological levels whichever was the higher. Trench 3 extended from the boundary wall of the former Sorting Office across the central part of the site crossing the site of two former buildings, one of which was known to be the cellar of the former Christchurch Brewery. Two brick walls separated by a stone-paved floor were found, corresponding exactly to those on an auction document of 1854 as being the brewery cellar. No traces of the other building were found. Trench 4 was parallel to Trench 3, 18m apart. A shallow wall foundation was noted to be contemporary in construction to the stone floor in Trench 3 and the wall matched the location of the SE wall of a second range of buildings forming part of the second cellar of the brewery located to the NE of that in Trench 3. A more substantial concrete wall foundation was found to the SE of the brewery wall which was thought to be part of the former Sorting Office. Trench 5 was positioned parallel to Wick Lane 7m from the street frontage. No archaeological features or deposits were present. The area was found to have been extensively truncated by post medieval development, possibly linked to the construction of the brewery. This has removed all traces of topsoil, subsoil, medieval and earlier archaeological deposits and upper parts of the fluvial gravel. Trench 6 was positioned in relation to two trenches cut in Phase I of the evaluation to further investigate the presence of a medieval ditch originally identified in 1984. A linear ditch was found aligned NW-SE, as was the line of the ditch previously identified. The ditch was cut to a level of approximately 1.86aOD. The opposing sections were different, the SE side being very similar to the profile of the original ditch and concluded to be the same feature. The other side (N) had a marked step descending to a flat base approximately 1.3m across. This latter was noted to be identical to a profile recorded in 1984 after excavation of the Wick lane access road. It was concluded from the pottery assemblage that the ditch was cut in the 12th century. The ditch fills were examined and there was no evidence that that the ditch had been maintained, cleaned out or recut regularly. A sherd of pottery from the tubular spout of an early medieval spouted pitcher, concluded to be 12th century, was found at the base of the ditch. A second body sherd from the same layer could not be confidently dated more closely than late 11th to early 14th century, although likely to be 12th to 13th century. A small piece of animal bone found in the primary ditch fill was a cattle tooth. A pit was found W of the ditch, possibly of one many on the same side. There were no features found on the other side, possibly related to the position of the bank. The sherds and tooth were recommended to be given to Dorset County Museum.