Possible site of medieval building at Hospital of St Mary and St Leonard (EHER 1936)

Three trenches dug in May 1985 revealed a building possibly associated with the medieval hospital.

May 1985. Excavation. Trench 20 produced a semi-circular band of flints and stones with a mortuary deposit in-between. If it was mortar it was decayed and no longer formed a bonding function. Possibly the band and mortuary deposits were 'associated with the base or foundation of some lightly built structure'. No definite evidence was found in these trenches for occupation associated with the hospital. No definite conclusions are possible from the excavations as they are only a tiny part of the whole site and it is clear that the ground level was reduced when the nurseries were built. The lack of pottery or finds indicates the hospital may not have been located here. It is not well documented and locational evidence is minimal. Site Assessment = Uncertainty whether this is the actual site of the Hospital. Terracing of site associated with the construction of the nurseries apparently removed superficial stratigraphy though features cut into the natural 'should still survive, making it possible to trace the ground plan of any earlier buildings'. <1> - <3>