SDO10495 - 27 East Street, Bridport, Dorset. An Archaeological Watching Brief

‘Context One Archaeological Services Ltd (COAS) carried out an Archaeological Watching Brief during development groundworks at 27 East Street, Bridport, Dorset (centred on NGR SY 46722 92960), over four days between the 16th of June 2006 and the 14th of September 2006. The project was commissioned and funded by Cadoh Limited. … Monitoring of groundworks across the majority of the Site was characterised by natural clay overlain by post-medieval or modern deposits. Observations revealed seven archaeological features, and a small assemblage of artefacts that reflect a typical pattern of domestic refuse disposal. The majority of features relate to post-medieval and modern phases of occupation activity although the Site itself is likely to have originated as one of the shops, cellars, solars and halls that were known to have existed along East Street from the late 14th century. Despite the lack of features and finds from the medieval period to attest to this early settlement pattern, the layout of the Site still preserves a typically long and thin plan that is characteristic of medieval burgage plots. Behind the present 18th/19th century building, and at a depth of c. 2m below modern ground level, a large post-medieval pit was exposed towards the northern end of the Site and contained abundant animal bone, post-medieval pottery sherds and a wooden plank that may have been part of a boat rudder. A further large circular post-medieval pit was found towards the centre of the Site bordering Globe Lane. A ?post-medieval stone-lined well over 8m deep was found in the southern area of the Site. The remains of two east-west orientated walls belonging to the 18th/19th century buildings that existed just prior to development works were recorded beneath modern demolition and make-up layers. Two undated ditches were also found, one of unknown orientation towards the western boundary of the Site, and the other on the eastern side near Globe Lane. The latter was extremely shallow and appears to have served as a foundation trench for another of the 18th/19th century walls that was demolished prior to the present development.’