Monument record 727/20/2 - Possible Former C17th Building

A substantial wall, formerly part of a building, was seen during evaluation. Possibly associated with the former Watling Well Inn adjacent

{1} Almost the whole width of Trench 1 was taken up by a linear feature, probably the construction trench for wall (4). It was 0.53m wide x 0.66m deep and its fill lay tight against the wall, except for a packing of blue clay at the north-west end. The fill contained several pieces of C17th pottery.
The wall was located on the extreme edge of Trench 1 and was therefore only seen in elevation. It was established that this wall continued westwards at least as far as the east end of the kitchen, beyond which it was concealed by the standing building. The wall itself had been re-used as the foundations for later walls. It consisted of three vertical courses of dressed limestone blocks set on two off-set courses of limestone slabs, in turn set on a 45cm thick layer of undressed and very roughly coursed limestone.
The wall is clearly part of a substantial C17th structure, possibly part of the original inn from 1650, although the character of the masonry is somewhat different to the standing C17th parts of the inn, so it is possible that it is part of a separate, approximately contemporary, but previously unrecorded building.

Post-medieval/modern yard surfaces and garden soils were also observed.

<1> Ivens R.J.; Woodfield Associates, 2000, A Report On Archaeological Investigations And Historic Building Survey At Watling Well, Towcester, N, p.3-4 (checked) (Report). SNN100188.

Record last edited

Nov 29 2022 10:14AM