SWX8607 - Summary Report on an Archaeological Watching Brief at Bridport Tannery, Rope Walks, Bridport, Dorset, June 1998

An archaeological watching brief was carried between 5 March and 14 April 1998 during the redevelopment for housing of the Old Bridport Tannery site between South Street and Rope Walks. The contract for this was awarded to Southern Archaeological Services Ltd of Southampton and was funded by Stodgell Building Contractors of Taunton. The site had been greatly disturbed by the Tannery building and the subsoil and natural sand were heavily stained by tanning processes. Several limestone walls and a cellar associated with the Tannery were observed. A wooden conduit system which probably supplied and/or drained the tanning pits, and a wooden floor, probably part of a tanning pit, were uncovered. Three Mediaeval and several Post-Mediaeval pits were recorded. No evidence of the ditch for the Saxon burh that is believed to run through or near the site was observed. Though the eastern end of the site was heavily disturbed the two foundation plots at the western end of the site were relatively clean and had the ditch ran here, it would have been observed.