SDO11435 - Gillingham, Ham Farm; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society

'An evaluation in advance of the construction of houses at Ham Farm, Gillingham, revealed a building comprising of four shallow, robbed out foundation trenches or possibly beam slots, covered by a burnt layer. This was possibly the remains of a farm building associated with the nearby Deer Park. In the centre of the building was a hearth with a pot sunk into the ground that was interpreted as evidence of fermentation being carried out within the building. A wide variety of pottery types have been encountered in other similar examples of such low status medieval buildings, but at Ham Farm there was a preponderance of Laverstock ware pottery, along with a finer sandy ware. Small quantities of fired clay were also recovered. The building probably dates to the second half of the 13th century.'