Honeywood Excavation 2010-8

Day 8 - Saturday 17th July 2010

Today’s main developments have been in trench B where we have now got three walls along the east side of the rectangular pond. The first of these is the present side wall of the pond. The second is the wall that we found yesterday. The third, which we have found today, is in the gap between the first two, close to the side of the existing pond.

The excavation of the trench is beginning to give us a very tentative sequence of developments. It looks as if the level of the garden has been raised in the past. This would not be surprising as the present level is well above the floor of the house. The second wall furthest from the pond has clearly been inserted into the level raising deposits as they are the same on both sides.

We have found a nice collection of pottery fragments which should help us work out when the garden soil level was raised. My first impression is that material probably dates from the first half of the 18^th century but we need a more careful look and specialist advice before we can be certain.

We are going to dig deeper tomorrow and I hope this will take us back into the 17^th century world in which Honeywood was built.

We have done some more work in trench C but we have not made any more significant finds.

We have cleared and examined a slot in some brickwork by the weir where the stream enters the garden of Honeywood. This looked like it may have held a sluice gate but the investigation has shown that it probably held a post for lifting the gate. The date of this is very uncertain.

We have also done some recording in the pond. We will continue to excavate in trench B tomorrow and we will also be recording and washing finds.

Honeywood is open 10am to 5pm so come and have a look.

John Phillips

Click on the pictures below to see larger images
Unless otherwise stated, all images and text below are
Copyright © Paul Williams 2010 and Elizabeth Price 2010


A burst of energy fills more buckets	A dry St. Margaret's pool to the west	Andrew gets down to serious drawing


Andrew has a purposeful look	Behind Honeywood	Emma does her stuff at the Charter Fair that took place in the Memorial Garden today


Jane's new garden welcomes visitors to the dig	I wonder where this leads?	It makes a change from housework, Jane!


It's not the easiest position to shovel from!	I've knocked, but no one answers	I wonder if it's worth re-pointing?


John H. works on the St. Margaret's side of the sluice	John's in the thick of it	Let's concentrate on this trench


Mike explains all to visitors	Mike contemplates his roots	Mike and Steve painstakingly reveal the features


Tea, wash, brush..... it's all going like clockwork	That's why there's no water!	The chalk flooring from outside the garden


The far-right corner of the cascade is cleared, and Sue digs even deeper	The outside of the garden wall in Honeywood Walk	Visitors enjoy refreshments at our Tea Room

The above images are copyright Paul Williams The images below are copyright Elizabeth Price


Plant bed or construction cut on the east side of the second wall (see the report for the day)	A pottery find, or more hardcore?	The master at work - John P. keeps his eye in


A handkerchief is always difficult to extract from the pocket with gloves on!	Steve, motionless	The 'royal wave?!


Visitors and diggers mix and mingle		Is that a spider in there?


A wager made - someone is going to have to eat this hat on Sunday.....	..... which will be a lot easier than eating this one!	Andrew eating his pencil (rather than a hat?)


The demi plié position	Fourth position	The lounge position


The inverted hand, a particularly difficult position to accomplish	Conference time for John and Steve	That root again


	The three walls in trench B (see the report for the day)

BACK TO THE EXCAVATION'S HOME PAGE