Monument record MDO19704 - Island House, Newland, Sherborne; inhumation

A single undated supine adult inhumation was recorded during a watching brief on groundworks for an extension to Island House, Newland in 1997. It may be part of a medieval cemetery associated with the putative former St Swithin’s church.

ASI maintained a watching brief during the construction of an extension to Island House, Newlands in early July 1997.

The discovery of parts of a single, undated, supine, adult inhumation burial were recorded. The remains lay at approximately 0.6m below the present ground surface and the associated stratigraphic deposits are directly beneath the modern subsoil. The skeletal remains included part of the pelvis, lower spine, upper legs, lower arms and ribs. These were re-interred in the upper fills of the grave immediately after recording.

This inhumation lies in an area where previous burials have been discovered. Newlands was formerly known as St Swithin’s road and a medieval fair was recorded here dedicated to the saint. The site of a putative chapel or church with which the burials may be associated has not yet been discovered although a font was discovered in the 19th century on the south side of Newland [1].

Heaton, M, 1998, Sherborne, Island House, Newland; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society (Article in serial). SDO10385.

<1> Heaton, M, 1997, Archaeological Watching Brief at Island House, Newland, Sherborne (Unpublished document). SDO10384.

Record last edited

Aug 23 2024 1:08PM