| Abstract: |
In September 2016, OA excavated four trial trenches and three test pits at the Morris Garage Building, Longwall Street, Oxford prior to a proposed development to the rear, and refurbishment of the building. The development is on the site of the in-filled medieval defensive ditch (with the southern limit of the site corresponding with the line of the outer defensive wall). The former Morris Garage, built in 1910, then the site was redeveloped in the early 1980s when only the frontage was retained. Trench 1 revealed the northern face of an E-W orientated stone wall, under the current brick wall and foundation. Orientated along the line of the site's southern boundary it possibly represents remains of the medieval outer defensive wall, or a rebuild or repair. Earlier N-S orientated stonework was observed below the brick wall forming the current western boundary in Trenches 2 and 5; no dating evidence was recovered but this wall appears on 19th century maps. An internal mortar floor in Trench 1 was overlain with modern rubble probably representing the floor to 19/20th century building, seen on contemporary maps. A layer of rubble overlay an external cobbled courtyard surface in Trench 4, probably associated with the Morris Garage. Most deposits were associated with the 1980s' redevelopment suggesting that the ground level to the rear of the Longwall Street frontage had been raised at this time, burying the demolished remains of the former buildings by between 0.60-0.70m (c59.75mOD) to achieve the current levels (c 60.40m OD). 2017 Strip map and sample excavation In September 2016, Oxford Archaeology undertook the excavation of four geotechnical trial trenches (Trenches 1-4) at the Morris Garage Building, Longwall Street, Oxford. The work was undertaken in advance of a planning application for the proposed development of the courtyard to the rear of the building, and the refurbishment of the building itself. Three additional test pits (Trenches 5-7) were also excavated at the request of the arborist for Oxford City Council. The proposed development is on the site of the in-filled medieval defensive ditch (with the southern limit of the site corresponding with the line of the outer defensive wall). More recently the former Morris Garage, built in 1910, occupied the site, which was redeveloped in the early 1980s when only the frontage was retained. Trench 1 revealed the northern face of an E-W orientated stone wall, under the current brick wall and its foundation. This was orientated along the line of the southern boundary to the site and possibly represents the remains of the medieval outer defensive wall, or a rebuild or repair to that wall. Earlier N-S orientated stonework was observed below the modern brick wall and foundations forming the current western boundary in Trenches 2 and 5; no dating evidence was recovered but this wall appears on 19th century maps. An internal mortar floor in Trench 1 was overlain with modern demolition rubble and probably represents the floor to 19/20th century building, associated with the Morris Garage, shown in this location on contemporary maps. A similar layer of rubble overlay an external cobbled courtyard surface in Trench 4, this was also probably associated with the Morris Garage. The majority of the deposits encountered in the remaining Trenches were associated with the 1980s' redevelopment. Together the evidence suggests that the ground level to the rear of the Longwall Street frontage had been raised at this time, burying the demolished remains of the former buildings by between 0.60–0.70m (c 59.75mOD) to achieve the current levels (c 60.40m OD). 2017 Oxford Archaeology undertook an archaeological strip, map and sample excavation ahead of development at the Morris Building, Longwall Street, Oxford (NGR SP 5192 0645) between August and November 2017. |
