Event/Activity EPM105 - Cathedral Green

In 1988 Portsmouth Museum Service carried out an excavation on the Cathedral Green, ahead of major building works to complete the west end of the Cathedral Church of St. Thomas of Canterbury, High Street, Portsmouth. An area 30m long and extending 10m from the west wall of the Cathedral was cleared and excavated. Bulk material was removed by a mechanical excavator, and the more intricate areas were dug by hand. The excavated area included the site of what had been the yard belonging to the 17th century Red Lion Inn, prior to the land being purchased by the Church Authorities in 1928 for planned extentions to St. Thomas' following its elevation to Cathedral status. The excavations revealed that the cobbled yard remained largely intact, particulary in the centre of the site, with more disruption from modern drainage works to the north. The brick foundations of the Red Lion Inn, together with the remains of out-houses, were present on the west side of the yard, and the Inn's stables and the remains of two small cottages to the east. Beneath the remains of the cobbled yard was a possible destruction layer, containing a scatter of earthenware roof-tile and slate. This layer represented a change from 17th century to medieval levels, and fragments of medieval pottery and ridge-tile were recovered. Further excavation revealed the remains of a square stone built structure, probably a soakaway, the fill of which contained roof-tile, roof-slate, and 13th century pottery. It was thought that the quantities of pottery, roof-slate, tile, and roof-tile recovered, suggested that a building/buildings of some substance had formerly occupied the site. These could possibly have been houses connected with the medieval church, or the church itself. Three houses adjacent to Church Lane are marked on a town plan dated c.1584, but later development on the site was found to have removed all evidence of these earlier buildings. The remains of a brick cellar belonging to the former 91 High Street were revealed to the south of the excavated area. As this was largely outside the boundaries of the excavation, only the extreme end of the structure was investigated. Part of the red brick barrel vaulting was removed, revealing a near complete baking over approximately 2m in diametre. A mid 18th century date was suggested for this feature. In the mid 19th century 91 High Street was occupied by a pastry-cook and baker called 'Way'. It was hoped there would be an opportunity to excavate the whole of the oven at a future date. The site was infilled and levelled following excavation. Accession Number: 1988/208