Post-medieval wall, ditch and deposits, in the grounds of Bourchiers Hall (EHER 47098)

Trial trenching at Bourchiers Hall in 2009 recorded a 19th century wall and several make up layers which may be related to the construction of a stable on the site. Also recorded was an 18th century ditch which was overlain by an 18th to 19th century gravel deposit

August 2009. Trial trenching and archaeological excavation. The trench was stripped of topsoil and subsoil by a tracked mini-excavator with a broad toothless bucket. A 19th century wall and several make up layers were revealed and possibly relate to the construction of the existing stables structure. An 18th century ditch was overlain by an 18th to 19th century gravel deposit. No evidence relating to the medieval occupation of the area and the construction of the moat was identified. The layers within the trench indicate that the site level was artificially raised over a long period and are likely to have been dumps of material produced from site use and alteration over the last two centuries. Some of the layers might be attributable to an early 19th century extension to Bourchier’s Hall, noted in the EHER 11518. <1>