The Friary, Guildford, Surrey

In June 2005 Oxford Archaeology (OA) carried out a field evaluation at the Friary, Guildford, Surrey on behalf of CgM,s Consulting. Five trial trenches were excavated in two town centre car parks located between Leapale and Commercial Roads. The trenches were situated in order to
investigate the potential survival of any archaeological remains associated. with the Friary, its precinct and the secular town.
The archaeology of the eastern car park, between Leapale and Woodbridge Roads was dominated by a.former Victorian Police Station and associated disused services. Trench 5 revealed a limited amount of weathered chalk which contained solution features which were filled by alluvial sands that contained worked flints, possibly deposited there in the Mesolithic/early Neolithic.
The archaeology of the western car park, between Woolbridge and Commercial Roads, consisted of some Post-Medieval cut features and an
early modern basement. Actual structural remains from the Friary were not encountered. However, trench 2 contained a Victorian/early modern footing which had been built using chalk blocks which may have been taken from earlier Medieval structures associated with the Friary. Some
Post-Medieval cut features were also encountered during work in this car park. Post-Medieval deposits were found right down to the natural deposits and no features of earlier date were found during the evaluation.