SDO10267 - An interim report of excavations carried out at the west end of Sherborne Abbey in 1964 and 1965. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society

J.H.P. Gibb conducted excavations for the Sherborne School Archaeological Society immediately west of Sherborne Abbey church during 1964 and 1965 in order to gather further information on the appearance and structure of the parish church of All Hallows. The first trench was excavated in the summer of 1964 to the north of the east end of the extant north aisle wall of All Hallows, and immediately south of the SW corner of the Sherborne School library. This small trench unexpectedly revealed a plinth constructed from cut Ham stone and thought to represent the foundations of a pre-conquest porch attached to the north end of the Saxon cathedral tower. This trench also revealed the west wall of the northern side chapel of All Hallows parish church, constructed on top of the Saxon plinth, and bonded with the extant north aisle wall at its southern end. A second excavation was conducted in the summer of 1965 at the projected SW corner of the parish church of All Hallows in order to see if the extant north aisle wall is a true representation of the total length of the church. A further small excavation was dug at the junction of the 4th and 5th bays of the south aisle wall. Significant discoveries included an 18th century brick vault which cut the south projecting corner buttress and 30 skeletons which were subsequently deposited in the brick vault. The total length of the church was found to match that of the extant north aisle wall. Furthermore, a coin of Edward I/II (1305-10) was found embedded in the foundations of the west wall indicating that the church can have been completed no earlier than 1305 AD. The article also describes the existing architectural and historical evidence for the form of All Hallows church, fragmentary details of which remain on the west front of the Abbey Church, the south face of the School library and the extant north aisle wall. The church was revealed to be of the early perpendicular style with six bays, a nave and clerestory of five bays and a tower above the west end of the north aisle. The article also suggests that R. H. Carpenter, the Abbey architect of the time, conducted excavations during 1875 in which he uncovered the foundations of a Saxon porch and tower at the west end of the Abbey Church.