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Three excavations in or near to the historic town of Godalming are reported upon in this chapter. The first, at Holloway Hill, indicated that the occupation of Godalming had extended to the near vicinity by the 13th century, although the possibility that the finds relate to a separate site, outside of the town, must be acknowledged. The 13th century evidence consisted of a layer containing relatively frequent finds of pottery. This deposit was sealed by hillwash (probably resulting from the establishment of the medieval Bar gate quarries up the hill), before the establishment of a three-bay house in the later 16th century. Below-ground evidence for its structural history was recovered, showing that it had been extended in the 17th century and then divided into two properties in the 19th century. Its dismantling in 1989for re-erection at the Weald and Downland Museum, Singleton, is likely to have produced more comprehensive evidence, but this is not currently available.
The excavation at Mint Street produced a number of finds which hinted at occupation nearby in the prehistoric and Roman periods. Medieval settlement began in the 11th century, perhaps at the same time as the nearby church began to be developed as a minster. The Mint Street frontage itself may not have been built over until the early 14th century. It was in the years around 1300 that Godalming was developed as a market and this may help explain the provision of new buildings.
The excavation at Bridge Street also hinted at occupation nearby in the prehistoric and Roman periods. Finds, rather than features, were the most clear-cut evidence for mid-Saxon occupation, and their quantity was greater than that for any site of this date previously excavated in Surrey. Occupation from the 11th to the 13th century was, however, well evidenced by both finds and features. The finds were dominated by the pottery collection, which is of considerable interest and importance in its own right. The features consist of a mixture of gullies, pits and postholes. Despite the relative frequency of these it has proved impossible to arrive at a clear understanding of their patterning or function. Occupation continued down to the end of the 13th century, when the site was taken over for agricultural use, continuing down to the late 19th century. The status of the Saxon and early medieval site is uncertain, but a farmstead, separate from the town, seems most likely.