Post-medieval timber-lined pits on land at 76 West Street (EHER 48096)

Trial trenching in 2009 recorded 18th/19th century features including two timber-lined pits.

October 2009. Trial trenching. A number of features, all apparently contemporary and dating to the 18th/early 19th century, were recorded within the evaluation trench and subsequent mitigation area. All these features were cut into the clay layer described above. Two timber-lined pits were encountered in close proximity to each other. However, they differed considerably in size and in the way they were constructed. The larger pit to the east had timber-lining and a plank base similar to a tank and was constructed of precise and deliberately made timber planks. The smaller pit to the west appeared to have had only three sides lined with timber and was constructed of a variety of re-used timbers which appeared to have been selected solely on the basis of availability. The function of these timber-lined pits is unclear. They may represent small scale industrial activities such as leather production or dyeing. Alternatively they may represent cess pits in the back yards of the properties fronting West Street in the south of the site. The finds assemblages associated with these two timber-lined pits appear to comprise domestic waste. Pottery from both pits are domestic in nature and do not provide any more indication of their function. The animal bones recovered from the two pits include cattle and sheep, which do not provide sufficient evidence of leather working and could merely represent domestic waste. A small amount of residual medieval pottery (7 sherds) was recovered from the 18th century archaeological features encountered within the trench. The archaeological features dating to the 18th and 19th centuries were sealed by modern made ground, most likely associated with the construction of the petrol station in the 20th century. <1>