SDO14442 - Sherborne House, Newland, Sherborne, Dorset. A Programme of Archaeological Works - Final Report

Context One Archaeological Services Ltd (COAS) carried out a programme of archaeological works in the grounds of Sherborne House between October 2011 and November 2012. Evaluations by AC Archaeology in 1997 and 2005 (Valentin 1997; Evans 2005) identified a number of archaeological features and deposits. This included a sequence of intercutting medieval pits with an associated mortar surface at the northern end of the gardens; indications of further contemporary deposits towards the Coldharbour street frontage; postmedieval and modern pits and linear features; and suspected features across the remainder of the site related to the formal gardens that were once associated with Sherborne House (constructed around 1720). Given the results of both field evaluations, an area at the northern end of the gardens (Area 1) was identified for full excavation. Archaeological monitoring and recording was proposed across the southern area of the Site during construction works. An adjacent former orchard to the west (Area 2) had not been included in the earlier field evaluations as it was inaccessible. It was determined that this area would be subject to archaeological trial trenching alongside the excavation with suitable provision for further mitigation work during the fieldwork programme should this prove necessary. The works revealed a deposit sequence largely coterminous with the formal garden of Sherborne House, with horticultural and landscape features spanning the medieval period, post-medieval and modern periods which provides evidence for the presence of medieval settlement activity along the Coldharbour street frontage. The majority of the features and deposits were broadly dated as post-medieval, however a small number were more precisely dated to the 17th or 18th century. These consisted of a single robber trench (for the possible medieval wall), two flower beds, three pits (two of which were for rubbish), a path and two areas of disturbance. A number of other features could not be definitively dated as post-18th century and therefore may also pre-date Sherborne House. This would seem particularly likely for a wall and associated floor and a number of pits. Nevertheless, most of the results confirmed the findings of the previous evaluation, which recorded features thought to relate to the formal landscape gardens and grounds, the latter including a substantial stone-built subterranaean structure probably used for storage. While some of these features are present on a map of 1887, they demonstrate that previously the garden design had been more elaborate. With the exception of the medieval pottery and tile, the material recovered during the archaeological programme of works is consistent with the range normally recovered from urban contexts in the post- medieval and modern periods. None of the finds was deemed to reflect the high status consumption patterns that would be expected from Sherborne House.