EDO6437 - Kings House, 17 West Borough, Wimborne Minster; observations and recording 2015

Observations and recording during excavation of footings for an extension at the rear of the house, an area approximately 4m by 2.50m. Trenches were dug by hand. Trench 1 ran north-south and was 2.50m long by 0.60m wide, and 1.90m deep at the southern end and 0.70m at the northern end. Several features were recorded, most notably a large pit which had been dug into the natural sub-soil, with fillings containing material interpreted as food waste and domestic pottery of predominantly late 17th/early 18th century date. This is interpreted as being probably associated with an earlier dwelling that existed on this site before the current building was built in 1750. The extent of the pit was not visible due to extensive ground disturbance close to the house. Trench 2 was 4.00m long x 0.60m wide and ran east/west. The depth was 0.70m at the western end and 0.80m to the east. A number of features were apparent, the most significant being a brick-lined well, that may have been constructed at the same time as the present house was built, but which seems to have gone out of use before the 1887 OS map was surveyed. A small pit or post-hole was cut into the fill of the well, and several modern pipes also cut through the trench in a north/south direction.