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Historic England
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During March 2008 an archaeological evaluation and watching brief were undertaken by Birmingham Archaeology on land situated to the rear of the Three Tuns Inn, Long Street, Atherstone, Warwickshire (centred on NGR SP 3078 9779). The work was carried out as a condition of planning consent for the proposed construction of new residential dwellings, a new toilet block and extension and was commissioned by Arragon Construction Ltd. Three trial-trenches were excavated during the evaluation and a foundation trench was recorded during the watching brief.
The earliest evidence for activity on, or in the vicinity of, the site is a sherd of possible early-middle Saxon pottery which appears to be a residual find in a later context. This suggests archaeological features or deposits of a similar date, relating to Saxon pre-urban settlement, could be present in the vicinity.
The evaluation identified two archaeological features of potential archaeological significance. In one trial-trench a small pit or possible gully terminal contained no dating evidence, but may date to the 14th or 15th centuries, or earlier, on the basis of evidence from the layer sealing it. A large shallow pit in a second trial-trench, also contained no dating evidence, but may date to the 17th century, or perhaps earlier, on the basis of evidence from the layer sealing it. It is possible that this pit was utilised to deposit waste from boneworking of leather manufacture, although the evidence from the animal bone was not conclusive. Traces of a third possible pit, in the same trial-trench, were also recorded. It is probable that these features are associated with medieval or early post-medieval backplot activity associated with crafts or small-scale industries within burgage plots, to the rear of structures fronting onto Long Street. The potential for survival of medieval and early post-medieval features is enhanced by the presence of possible medieval or post-medieval layers sealing these features, across most of the site, and by the apparent lack of major development to the rear of the Three Tuns. Two brick structures recorded by the evaluation appear to relate to late 19th or early 20th century outbuildings on the site, depicted on Ordnance Survey maps of 1903 and 1924.
The watching brief recorded an undated small posthole or gully terminal which, in view of the results from the evaluation, could potentially be of medieval or post-medieval date.