High Bullen Service Station, Wednesbury: Archaeological Investigations, 2008
Birmingham Archaeology, 2016. https://doi.org/10.5284/1038412. How to cite using this DOI
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- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1038412
- How to cite using this DOI
Introduction
Birmingham Archaeology was commissioned in August 2008 by SR Davis Architects, acting on behalf of William Morrison Supermarkets Plc, to undertake archaeological investigations in respect of a proposed refurbishment of High Bullen Service Station at High Bullen roundabout, to the northwest of Wednesbury town centre.
This was within an area defined by the Sandwell Sites and Monuments Record as an 'area of high archaeological potential', to the north and east of the medieval and post-medieval archaeological town core, and to the southwest of the earliest settlement at Wednesbury. The scope of the redevelopment was minimal, involving the refurbishment of the existing service station forecourt. An evaluation trench targeted the area a new silt trap for a jet wash. This was excavated to a depth of 1.37m revealing a buried garden soil containing 17th century pottery.
A watching brief was carried out on all of the subsequent groundwork on the site. This included the excavation of services and the removal and replacement of the existing concrete slab. The nature of the topography on the site resulted in good preservation of archaeological deposits towards the north and east of the site. The archaeological deposits were therefore excavated and preserved by record. In the main this involved archaeological excavation along the frontage of Trouse Lane on the eastern side of the site.
The excavation revealed limited evidence of occupation, possibly associated with a structure dating to the 13th to 14th century, although later truncation had made interpretation of this evidence difficult. Evidence of activity dating to the late 15th to 16th century dominated the archaeological record with survival of evidence for pits, postholes, hearths foundation walls, and a possible drain. Much of this was associated with industrial waste and metalworking slag, which had accumulated in layers, and within cut features. Later into the 17th and 18th centuries there was evidence of further occupation, including drains, beam slots, brick built walls and two cellars. These were probably the remains of structures illustrated on the mid- to late-19th century maps and appear to have been demolished at some point in the mid-20th century.
