MEM24484 - Post-medieval building northeast of 18, Church Street (Monument)

A watching brief in 2017 recorded evidence for a rectangular building, constructed from rubble stone and bonded by pale pink lime mortar. It retained fine pale grey lime plaster and whitewash on the internal faces of the surviving walls exposed. It was suggested the building may date to as early as the 17th Century.

A watching brief in 2017 recorded evidence for a rectangular building, constructed from rubble stone and bonded by pale pink lime mortar and retaining fine pale grey lime plaster and whitewash on the internal faces of the surviving walls exposed. The area within the walls had a floor surface of densely packed Hangmans Grit rubble, later sealed by a spread of hard pale yellow lime mortar. The southern wall was later cut by a large pit or possible east to west ditch and the remaining structure was sealed by a build up of earth containing post-medieval pottery and tile alongside fragmented building materials. The building was well constructed with walls of bonded masonry, sealed internally by fine wall plaster with a white lime wash finish and contained a good hard wearing floor composed of pitched stone rubble. The overall plan of the building was not established but it was certainly rectangular in form with its long axis east to west. It was suggested to be a dwelling apparently demolished by the early 19th Century and may have had origins as early as the 17th Century. [1] A map thought to date to c.1770 suggests the site was occupied by a much larger building at this time. It is not clear if this is the same building as that revealed by excavation or if it dates to an earlier or later period. [2]