Rear of 9 The Cathedral Close, Winchester, Hampshire

Oxford Archaeology undertook an archaeological evaluation and geotechnical
borehole monitoring at the rear garden of No. 9, The Close, Winchester in advance
of consideration by the Chapter of Winchester Cathedral to construct a single storey
addition to the cathedral’s Education Centre at Cathedral Close, Winchester.
Six evaluation trenches were excavated, three of which revealed the top of
significant archaeology. This comprised a yard surface dating to the 14-15th
centuries which occurred at depths of 0.95-1.05m below the existing surface (34.66-
34.79 m aOD). Towards the east of the site a wall foundation cutting the yard
suggests the presence of late medieval structures. The yard was overlaid by thick
dump of mortar rubble that probably derived from the demolition of monastic
structures after the Dissolution of the Priory in 1539. Subsequently a garden soil
developed across the site which appear to have been associated with a number of features, possibly planting beds. Three trenches revealed that the footings of the existing garden walls occur at depths of 0.39-0.72 below the existing surface.
Towards the west of the site a Bellarmine jug datable to c 1640-1680 had been placed upside down within the foundation of the south garden wall. The wall at this
point appears to have been re-built after the late 18th or early 19th centuries since part of a glass wine bottle of this date had been incorporated into its foundation.