Engineering Test Pits The Buttery and Kitchen University College High Street, Oxford

In April 2007 Oxford Archaeology (OA) undertook the excavation of 2 engineering test pits at University College, High Street, Oxford. The work was commissioned by Dr Roland B Harris (on behalf of University College) and followed up a small field evaluation carried out by OA in 2006. The test pits were designed to establish the nature and depth of the footings of the range of buildings to the south of the main kitchen block, and to assess any engineering or archaeological implications of proposals to redevelop the Kitchen, Buttery and Hall. Although both the eastern and western walls displayed evidence of an offset footing constructed of roughly hewn limestone blocks, the test pits revealed a significant variance in the depth of the foundations, which appeared to reflect the stability of the ground through which the foundations had been constructed.

The test pit against the western wall revealed relatively shallow foundations built off a compacted gravel surface with later yard surfaces post-dating the construction of the footing. This test pit also revealed some evidence that the standing wall had been re-built over an earlier foundation. The foundation revealed within the test pit against the eastern wall was considerably deeper and had been constructed through the fills of a 17th century cess pit. Evidence for a possible construction horizon was recovered from both test pits and may equate to a deposit of similar composition which was observed during the previous evaluation phase.

In September 2007, Oxford Archaeology (OA) carried out an archaeological excavation at University College, High Street, Oxford. The work was commissioned by Dr Roland B Harris (on behalf of University College) in advance of building works to redevelop the Kitchen, Buttery and Hall. This was followed by a watching brief undertaken from March - May 2008. The excavation showed that intact and deeply stratified archaeological levels survive as early as the 13th century. More importantly, remains of an earlier wall were found. It is not clear whether this wall could be part of an earlier building that predates the College or if it is just part of an external wall dividing two plots of land. Finally, but no less important, the construction trenches for the Chapel and the Buttery were identified. It is not completely clear whether the construction trench for the chapel relates to the original building or to possible re-construction works during the 17th century, prior to the construction of the kitchen. The watching brief revealed two walls that coincide with those depicted on James King’s plan (1848) namely the west wall of the larders/scullery located on the south side of the kitchen and a wall defining the eastern extent of the Fellows Garden