Today, Andy brought up the gazebo, bollards and information sign and we broke open the string and 6 inch nails and marked out the two trenches.
Dry and hot and the ground was hard but Ray soon had a crowd round the information table and Nancy’s National Trust archaeology badges were flying off the shelf. Ben asked if he could help and spent the day with us.
Trenches A and B hoping to pick up the line of the wall.
We came down onto a limestone rubble layer beneath the topsoil and were excited to find medieval pot fragments but they were mixed with silver paper, bottle tops, a sticking plaster (yuk) and then Ben found a rounded brown shape amongst the stones. It came out whole. There in his hands was a c.1950s SCHWEPPES bottle. Probably one of the 1952 RCHM diggers who had a lemonade and chucked it in the spoil heap as the trench was backfilled. Ben’s dad brought us drinks which were greatly appreciated.
Ben’s 62 year old Schweppes bottle.
At the end of the day we hit a solid stone and then two more and it seems that we have found the top of the wall we were looking for. We’ll find out tomorrow..
A line of stones in the trench nearest to the camera. It is in line with the 13th century wall so perhaps we have found what we’re looking for.
Archaeology National Trust SW 