Monument record MDO19589 - Half Moon Street, Sherborne; remains of old road metal

A 3ft build up of old road metalling was observed at various points along Half Moon Street, Sherborne during the excavation of a drainage trench in 1955.

C E Bean observed the excavation of a drainage trench in Half Moon Street during 1955. Generally a band of white ?tufaceous material was overlain by black earth which was itself overlain by a 3ft build up of old road metalling. This directly lay below the modern road surface. This sequence was observed south of the church, opposite the Half Moon Hotel and ‘the bombed site’, outside the weighbridge and to the east adjoining the Almshouses. Furthermore, by the weighbridge at a depth of 3 ft. a quantity of black earth containing fragments of leather, nails, animal bone etc was observed. Disturbed human remains were also seen close to Messrs. Warr’s hairdresser’s shop. It is not clear whether Bean believed these deposits may relate to 19th century road widening works or that they predated the work. <1> ST 63871647. During digging of a drainage trench, a road of white tufaceous material, also recorded at the School (ST 61 NW 39), was seen. Above this was a six inch deep layer of black earth and then a road surface which had been built up in successive poorly metalled layers to a depth of 3 feet. This sequence has also been noted in Trendle Street, outside the Almshouses (ST 6378 1640). The road was widened in 1890. <1> The tufaceous material is considered to have been created by a precipitate forming along an ancient spring or spring line, i.e. is likely to be a natural deposit. It is widely found in the vicinity of Sherborne Abbey. <2>

Record last edited

May 17 2022 12:34PM