Event/Activity EPM107 - Archaeological Watching Brief at Dock Mill Garages, Napier Road, Southsea, Portsmouth

An archaeological watching brief was carried out by Southampton Archaeology Unit during groundworks for two new houses on the site of a former block of garages, to the rear of Dock Mill Cottages in Napier Road between the 21st and 25th January 2008. The site lay within the area of the 19th century Dock Mill complex. The Dock Mill itself stood slightly further to the east, but Ordnance Survey maps showed the development site was located within an area formerly occupied by an outbuilding and access road. A total of fourteen footing trenches were excavated under archaeological observation by mechanical excavator. The earliest evidence of human activity found on the site was associated with the Dock Mill. This consisted of the remains of an access road to the south, and two substantial brick wall footings belonging to the outbuilding shown on the earlier maps to the north. The watching brief was terminated before the ground works were completed, as it was considered further observation would be unlikely to reveal significant archaeological remains. Accession No: 2007/206