Test Pit 8

Test Pit 8. 54 Low Street (HXN 067)

Property description and location

53/54 Low Street is a Grade II listed building (NHLE No. 1032517) dating to the late 15th/early 16th century. The properties were originally one house, possibly an open hall. Fronting onto Low Street green the property is clearly shown on the Tithe map (named in the apportionment as 'Cottage and Garden' and owned by Sir Edward Kerrison) and the 1st Edition OS.

Test Pit description

Pit 8

The Test Pit lay c.26m to the rear of the property in an area of slightly raised lawn, which indicates previous landscaping across the base of the natural slope. The pit showed a 0.65m thick worked garden topsoil, Context 1, which overlaid a dense and fine dark grey silt, Context 2. A small sondage showed Context 2 to be at least 0.3m thick.

Test Pit finds summary

Pit 8

Some fragments of LMT wares (15th-16th century) and sherds of GRE were identified, together with Iron Glazed blackware (IGBW, 16th-18th century) and a sherd of Raeren stoneware (15th-16th century). Other later sherds of interest include two fragments of Chinese porcelain likely to date to the 18th century. Glass, clay tobacco pipe and iron nails were present, and some evidence of slag-type materials and clinker.

Test Pit Discussion

The garden topsoil contained a range of finds, all deriving from the past occupation of the property since the 15th/16th century and its thickness is probably largely due to the apparent landscaping of the gardens at the base of the natural slope. No finds were recovered from Context 2 but this is presumed to be a former soil horizon, possibly medieval in date, and, being at considerable depth, is probably relatively undisturbed.

Table of Finds

Spit No Context No Sieved? Display/ Keep? Pottery Post Med/ modern Medieval CBM Fired Clay Mortar/ Plaster Clay Pipe Glass Flint Slate Plastic Iron Nails Iron Other Other Metalwork Animal Bone Oyster Shell Land Snail Comments
1 1 ? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2 1 ? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 1 cockle
3 1 ? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
4 1 ? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
5 1 ? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Clinker
6 1 ? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes ?Slag

Details of Pottery Finds

Spit No Context No Display/ Keep? Post Med/ modern Medieval Details
1 1 Yes Victorian + 1 GRE
2 1 Yes LMT x 1 (15th-16th C), GRE, IGBW (16th-18th C), + Victorian
3 1 Yes Post med including 2 sherds CHPO + 1 sherd Raeren, GRE also
4 1 Yes GRE x 1 (16th-18th C), 18th C + Victorian +
5 1 Yes Victorian + GRE x 1 + 2 sherds Raeren stoneware (L15th-16th C)
6 1 Yes LMT/LEPM x 1 (15th-16th C), 2 GRE, 1 IGBW (16th-18th C)