New Front, St Hilda’s College, Oxford

During November and December 2018, Oxford Archaeology undertook an
archaeological strip, map and sample excavation at St Hilda’s College, Cowley
Place, Oxford in mitigation of the New Front redevelopment. Two late‐17thcentury
and 18th‐century ditches were revealed, that probably marked the
eastern boundary of a farmstead that was first depicted on Loggan’s map of
1675. The ditches were superseded by a stone wall that probably formed the
boundary for the garden of Cowley House which occupied the site from the
late 18th century. Several pits of later‐18th‐ and 19th‐century date were also
revealed, probably associated with this garden. Additionally, two stone‐lined
pits and a stone‐lined drain of 19th‐century date were recorded, probably
associated with buildings that later occupied the southern end of the garden