Medieval and post-medieval activity, 287-291 High Street (EHER 48916)

Archaeological trial trenching in 2016 ahead of construction of a rear extension to 287-291 High Street recovered part of a large ditch or pit feature from which finds were recovered dating from the late 16th century and a post-medieval wall. Further trial trenching in 2026 revealed a medieval ditch and a slightly later medieval or early post-medieval pit.

September 2016. Trial trenching. The trench recorded a part of a large ditch or pit feature from which finds were recovered dating from the late 16th century. These included a late Tudor-style leather shoe as well as some pot and ceramic building material. A post-medieval wall was also recorded running north west-south east through the trench which is likely to represent the foundation of a boundary wall between the two original narrow plots. <1> 2025. Evaluation by trial trenching. The site was evaluated successfully, despite the constraints faced on site, and natural geology was observed in both trenches. These constraints mainly consisted of available room and the presence of existing, still open, test pits which had been dug to find the depth of the surrounding wall foundations. It is clear that remodelling of the site has been undertaken, as thick layers of 20th-century made ground was seen across the site, but these did not affect the archaeological horizon. Both trenches revealed archaeological features, with the ditch in trench 1 suggesting a slightly older date of medieval than the late medieval-early post-medieval pit in trench 2. These features, combined with the post-medieval wall and early post-medieval pit found in a previous 2016 evaluation of the site show that the site has some potential for medieval and post-medieval activity. <2>