2954 Former Clutch Clinic, 6 Commercial Road, Gloucester: Archaeological Watching Brief and Evaluation
Weekly Summary Week commencing 5th October 2009
Work on the evaluation phase of the project began on Monday 5th October 2009 with the machine excavation of trench A (see attached photo).
At the eastern end of the trench the earliest features revealed were the single course of a stone wall and the remains of a possible associated stone surface. Both of these features were set into a homogenous grey layer containing late medieval to early post-medieval pottery.
Above the remains of the wall and external surface lay a series of floor surfaces and usage layers which appeared to date to the post-medieval to Victorian periods.
In the centre of the trench was a stone wall which was built on concrete foundations and which appeared to relate to the 19th-century Talbot Mineral Water Co. Immediately to the west of this lay a red brick chamber which contained a fuel tank probably installed during the 1950s. This structure may conceal the remains of the wall of the east range. An archaeological watching brief will be conducted during the removal of the fuel tank by the specialist contractor.
This chamber appeared to have been built directly above a flag stone floor, which may be associated with the post-dissolution use of the east range. Earlier floor surfaces were also identified within a ?robber identified towards the western end of the trench.
Above the flag stone floor lay a mortar layer with occasional large stone block inclusions. This was overlain by a homogenous make-up deposit of re-deposited silt clay. This may have been introduced to raise the ground level prior to redevelopment in the Victorian period (expansion of the Talbot Mineral Water Co.).
At the western end of the trench the corner of a red brick structure was identified, this was cut by a foul water pipe dating to the 1950’s. Immediately to the south-east of this was a series of brick-built walls which are currently being investigated. They appear to be modern at the upper levels, possibly with earlier origins. (This should be fully resolved today).
The machine excavation of trench B is now underway. Two deep cellars have so far been identified. One cellar is in excess of 2.8m below present ground level, and backfilled with loose brick rubble. The brick walls of the cellar were built upon earlier stone walls. At the base of the second cellar was a flag stone floor.
It is currently proposed to complete the archaeological works within trench B and then for the specialist contractor to complete the removal of the fuel tanks, under archaeological watching brief. (Stuart Joyce and Laurent Coleman 12 October 2009)
2954 Former Clutch Clinic, 6 Commercial Road, Gloucester: Archaeological Watching Brief and Evaluation
Weekly Summary Week Commencing 12th October 2009
Work on the evaluation phase of the project continued with the completion of the machine excavation of Trench B (Fig. 1) and Trench E (Fig. 2).
At the eastern end of Trench B the earliest feature revealed was the remains of a brick built wall with an associated floor surface, which continues into the central portion of the trench. Both of these features were set into a homogenous dark grey layer.
Above the remains of the wall and surface lay a series of 18th to 19th-century and modern deposits.
At the centre of the trench were walls built of red brick which appear to represent 18th century cellars, one of which was built on large stone foundations. Contained within these walls the floor appeared to utilize a former drain.
At the western end of the trench a deep cellar in excess of 3m below present ground level and built of red brick was identified. In the western wall of which an arched red brick vault which was built on a roughly north-west/south-east alignment.
In the southern end of Trench E the earliest features identified were the sandy leveling layer and mortar bedding layer for a robbed out tile floor surface which had comprised square tiles. This was cut by a later wall constructed of hand made red bricks. Above these features lay two deep demolition layers containing large worked stone blocks probably derived from Blackfriars.
Archaeological works will continue in trench B week beginning 19 October 2009. Work has been completed in Trench E, which is ready to be backfilled. Live services are due to be disconnected on the 22 October with the excavation of Trench F and the removal of fuel tanks, under archaeological watching brief, due to begin on Monday 26 October.
2954 Former Clutch Clinic, 6 Commercial Road, Gloucester: Archaeological Watching Brief and Evaluation
Weekly Summary W/B 19 October 2009
Work on the evaluation phase of the project continued with the completion of the archaeological recording of Trench B.
At the eastern end of Trench B the earliest features revealed were the remains of a brick built wall (16.72m AOD, 1.67 bpgl) and an associated floor surface, which continues into the central part of the trench. Both of these features were set into a homogenous dark grey layer. A deep shaft in the centre of the floor surface is interpreted as a backfilled capped off well (Fig.1).
At the centre of the trench walls built of red brick represent 18th century cellars, one of which was built on large stone foundations. Contained within these walls is the partial continuation of the red-brick floor surface identified in the eastern part of the trench (Fig. 2).
A portion of the floor was replaced by a flag stone surface (16.92m AOD, 1.47m bpgl) which appears to represent a hard-wearing path leading to the gable end of the south range of the priory and would probably date to the late 18th century. This was originally thought to be the re-use of a former drain, but this is not now considered the case.
A section dug through the floor surface indicated that it would have continued across the trench, evidenced by the continuation of its bedding layer across the trench. A partial stone surface of differing stone types was identified (15.81m AOD, 2.58m bpgl) within this section. Below which was a deposit similar to that seen in trenches A and E which was thought to represent the uppermost fill of the outer bailey ditch of a Norman castle. However the deep organic rich deposit identified below this in those trenches was not identified within this trench, although deep clay silt was identified in excess of 1m in thickness (this was the limit of augering). This deposit may still represent the fill of the outer bailey ditch, but having undergone different depositional processes or more likely only the very edge of the ditch has been found during augering. Given the limited exposure of the probable Norman deposits, interpretation is necessarily speculative.
The deep cellars identified in the western part of the trench have now been backfilled. The electrical service has now been disconnected and removal of the fuel tanks should proceed next week.
