Series: Oakford Archaeology unpublished report series

An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Oakford Archaeology in December 2023 on land adjacent to Wyndham Road, Silverton, Devon. The site is situated on the southern edge of the historic settlement of Silverton in an area of the Upper Exe valley where increasing evidence for Prehistoric and Romano-British activity is being identified. The manor of Sulfretona was held by King Edward prior to 1066. During the Norman reorganisation of the land holdings following the Conquest and the death of Harold at Hastings, the settlement of Suffertona and its land remained a royal manor held by King William. The site is shown on the 1842 Silverton Tithe Map within the rear undeveloped part of what appears to be a medieval burgage plot running eastward from Fore Street. A total of three trenches measuring 45m in length, 1.6m wide and a depth of 0.8-1.1m were excavated ion order to assess the archaeological potential of the site. The work exposed a consistent deposit sequence of natural subsoil, former garden soil and topsoil in all areas. In addition, the work recovered a small collection of 5 finds and post-medieval in character from the trenches. No deposits, features or dating evidence indicative of archaeological activity was found. The trenches were positioned to give a suitable spatial sample of the site and strongly suggest that there are no archaeological features present. nothing of significance was found

An archaeological evaluation was carried out by Oakford Archaeology on land adjacent to Wessex Close, Topsham, Devon, between April and May 2014. The work comprised the excavation of 8 trenches totalling 175m in length, with each trench 1.6m wide. These targeted a series of anomalies identified during an earlier geophysical survey and provided a spatial sample of those areas that were not available for geophysical survey. Excavation revealed three ditches of Romano-British date, as well as the remains of two large pits. Only the two NW-SE aligned ditches had been identified by the geophysical survey. The fills contained quantities of mid-to-late Romano-British tile and pottery, indicating the nearby presence of buildings and occupation of the site perhaps into the 4th century AD. The trenches identified a further two ditches and three discrete features of probable Romano-British date and a trackway with flanking ditches of post-medieval date. None of these had been identified by the geophysical survey.

A geotechnical borehole survey was undertaken in September 2019 by Red Rock Geoscience Ltd for Exeter City Council, at Trews Weir, Exeter, Devon, in advance of major repair works to the weir. The purpose of this survey was to investigate the causes of the weakening of the structure. The excavation of seven boreholes across the length of the weir allowed the recording of the structure and deposits below, providing valuable new information on the construction and date of the weir. The work identified a thick basal layer of gravel immediately above riverbed deposits in Boreholes 1 and 3, suggesting that an attempt was made to build at least some of the new weir on a 'solid' bedding layer. However, the sequence of deposits identified during the survey, for the most part, consisted of loose core material belonging to the new weir built in 1676 by Richard Hurd underneath a solid Heavitree Breccia capping. This sequence was especially well-preserved in Boreholes 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6. The solid mortared rubble core identified by Wessex Archaeology in March 2015 is likely to represent the 1698-1701 extension of the weir. Finally, evidence of modern repairs were identified in Boreholes 2 and 7.

A programme of historical building recording and monitoring and recording was undertaken in June 2018 by Oakford Archaeology (OA) during building work at St Nicholas' Priory, Exeter. The work, consisting of repairs and underpinning to the boundary wall and the excavation of a single investigative trial pit in The Mint, was carried out as a condition attached to the grant of scheduled monument consent granted by Historic England. To the southwest of the stair tower a stretch of 11.7m of facework of the boundary wall was recorded. The build is post-medieval and is likely to date to the 17th or early 18th century, a period when the building was subdivided into separate dwellings and further buildings encroached on the land to the southwest. A trench was excavated within The Mint. This was approximately 5.25m long, 0.65m wide and excavated to a maximum depth of 0.45m, exposing modern made ground above plastic sheeting covering previously disturbed ground.

Historical building recording was undertaken in March 2014 by Oakford Archaeology during building work at No 52 Northernhay Street, Exeter, Devon. The work was carried out as a condition of planning permission granted by Exeter City Council for change of use from existing commercial property to two dwellings. In May 2014 scaffolding was erected on the outside face of the city wall in Northernhay Street for the repointing and general maintenance of the masonry and OA undertook a second phase of building recording. This phase of work was commissioned by Exeter City Council in response to the redevelopment of No 52. Extensive building recording of the city wall elsewhere was undertaken between 1978 and 1993 by Exeter Archaeology. The results and historic development were fully described by Stuart Blaylock and will not be discussed here. From the boundary of Northgate Court and 51 Northernhay Street a stretch of 6.7m of facework was recorded in 2014. Three main facework builds were seen, although the facework on the ground floor was covered in modern masonry and the first floor was partly covered in paint, making detailed recording difficult.

An archaeological evaluation was carried out by Oakford Archaeology in June 2021 on land at Hurst Almshouses, Fairpark Road, Exeter. The work comprised the machine-excavation of 7 trenches totalling 33.62m in length, with each trench 1m wide. These were targeted on the buildings and the suspected line of the precinct wall shown on the historic mapping and provided a spatial sample of the site. At the northern end of the site the remains of a robber trench were tentatively identified in Trench 7. This is perhaps the remains of the building shown on the 18th century map fronting onto Magdalene Road. In the centre of the site Trenches 2 and 3 exposed human remains. These were recorded in situ by a specialist osteoarchaeologist with regards to gender, age and pathologies (disease and cause of death). No bodies were removed and the remains were reinterred on completion of the archaeological work. The human remains consisted of a total of 12 individuals, including ten adults, one neonate (new-born) and one young infant (3-4yrs old), and although none exhibited skeletal changes due to leprosy all had evidence for extensive infections throughout their lives. Based on limited archaeological information available from other leper hospital sites in England we know that about 60% of the skeletons excavated exhibited changes compatible with leprosy. The pathologies present in the small sample from Fairpark Road may have been caused by a wide variety of infectious diseases, whether the result of leprosy, tuberculosis or other chronic diseases, and it is unclear whether the remains are associated with the medieval leper hospital or the later poor house. The hospital was not dissolved at the Reformation and continued to exist, catering for the upkeep of some of the city’s poor until the late 19th century. No structural remains of the chapel shown on 16th-19th century mapping were identified during the course of the works. To the south of the graveyard the remains of a heavily truncated medieval leat were identified in Trench 4. This would have provided clean water from further up the Shutebrook valley for the hospital, the kitchen and the latrines. Mortar floor surfaces both pre-dating and contemporary with the leat suggest the presence of at least one multi-phase buildings in this area. The deposits identified in Trench 5 are consistent with made ground deposits of mid to late 19th century date, while at the southern end of the site the site the ground was levelled in the late 19th century prior to the construction of a nearby row of terraced houses. A small finds assemblage, consisting largely of pottery sherds dating to the 16th-19th centuries was recovered from the excavations, although a single Roman tegula or roof tile fragment and 18 medieval ridge- and floor-tile fragments were also uncovered.

An archaeological evaluation was carried out by Oakford Archaeology in March 2017 on land behind Liney Road, Westonzoyland, Somerset. The work comprised the machine-excavation of 9 trenches totalling 300m in length, with each trench 1.6m wide. These targeted a series of anomalies identified during an earlier geophysical survey and provided a spatial sample of those areas that were not available for geophysical survey Probable prehistoric archaeological features were present in a number of trenches across the site, with these occurring in clusters as well as being more localised. Along the northern edge of the site the remains of a crouched inhumation burial, dated to the middle bronze Age, and the remains of two cremations, wwhich have been radiocarbon dated to the mid to late Bronze Age date, were identified. Analysis suggests that these were not contemporary. Close-by were the remains of two heavily ploughed out pits. Both contained middle bronze age pottery dated to the period between c. 1500 and 1100 BC. To the northwest was a double enclosure. Further west two sherds of Iron Age pottery were recovered from one ditch, while two sherds of Romano-British redware were recovered from the same feature in Trench 2. Other ditches were identified to the south and southeast. No dating evidence was recovered for the majority of these features. Despite having been extensively ploughed in the past, the evaluation has established that the site contains generally good survival of prehistoric archaeological features along the northern boundary of the site. While there were few finds recovered, the character of the features indicate that they represent evidence for prehistoric funerary/religious and agricultural activity

An archaeological evaluation and historic building recording was carried out by Oakford Archaeology in October 2022 at Orchard Wyndham, Williton, Somerset. The work comprised the machine-excavation of three trenches totalling 11.4m in length, with each trench 1.6m wide. These provided a spatial sample of the site. The former linhay originally had a six-bay arrangement with the front of the building supported on cylindrical piers, with a loft extending across the two northernmost bays. The roof in this area may have been torched between the rafters to form a granary, with ventilation provided by a triangular window of slate and brick. Two bays at the southern end were subsequently walled off and a large opening created in the western elevation to provide access to the adjacent stable yard. The evaluation exposed the remains of extensive landscaping and terracing of the sloping ground prior to the construction of the former linhay sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century. The cylindrical piers of the formerly open-fronted building were provided with shallow foundations, while the remains of internal floors survived throughout the building. Running the length of the open-fronted stalls was a simple contemporary open brick drain, while the remains of an external cobbled yard surface were also exposed by the works. No finds were recovered from the topsoil or the underlying deposits. Nothing of significance was found

An archaeological evaluation was carried out by Oakford Archaeology in May 2022 ahead of the construction of three new dwellings on land adjacent to Upexe Farm, Thorverton, Devon. The work comprised the machine-excavation of six trenches totalling 75m in length, with each trench 2.2m wide. These provided a spatial sample of the site. The evaluation exposed the remains of a substantial ditch in Trenches 3 and 4. The subsequent watching brief uncovered the remains of a further ditch, broadly perpendicular to the earlier feature and of similar dimension. The remains of a possible enclosure of probable prehistoric or Romano-British date, because of intensive ploughing no remains of a banked rampart or internal features associated with these features were identified. Apart from a brief episode suggesting at least a partial backfilling of an internal bank, the ditches infilled naturally with no finds recovered from the fills. The evaluation exposed the remains of a substantial ditch in Trenches 3 and 4. The subsequent watching brief uncovered the remains of a further ditch, broadly perpendicular to the earlier feature and of similar dimension. The remains of a possible enclosure of probable prehistoric or Romano-British date, because of intensive ploughing no remains of a banked rampart or internal features associated with these features were identified. Apart from a brief episode suggesting at least a partial backfilling of an internal bank, the ditches infilled naturally with no finds recovered from the fills.

An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Oakford Archaeology in November 2023 at Axehayes Farm, Clyst St Mary, Devon. The site is located in an area where evidence for a possible Romano-British settlement has been identified immediately to the south of the site. The evaluation involved the excavation of two trenches totalling 90m in length with each trench 1.6m and to a maximum depth of 0.8-1m. The works uncovered a uniform deposit sequence across the whole site consisting of natural subsoil, subsoil and topsoil. No deposits, features or dating evidence indicative of archaeological activity was found. The trenches were positioned to give a suitable spatial sample of the site and strongly suggest that there are no archaeological features present. nothing of significance was found