SDO10393 - South Street/ Ludbourne Road, Sherborne, Dorset. Archaeological monitoring during groundworks for a supermarket development

Lindsey Archaeological Services conducted an archaeological watching brief during the demolition of buildings and subsequent groundworks at South Street/ Ludbourne Road, Sherborne in advance of construction of the Sainsbury’s Supermarket in 1998. A post-medieval stone culvert, which replaced a former mill leat serving St. Andrews Mill, was recorded. Part of the foundations of the mill may have been glimpsed at 1.6m below ground level, beside the extant ‘Ye Olde Cottage’. The cottage walls contain re-used architectural fragments that may be medieval in origin. The position of the natural river channel was also recorded. One sherd of medieval pottery and six post-medieval sherds were recovered, but conditions were not suitable for the identification of archaeological features. Post-medieval made ground close to a former river meander was recorded in the east of the site. The examination of soils samples from the fill of ditch 205, identified in the earlier evaluation, have shown that it is medieval and not Iron Age in date. No significant archaeological remains are likely to have survived the groundworks on the site.