Event/Activity EPM122 - Archaeological Watching Brief at St. James Hospital, Portsmouth

An archaeological watching brief was carried out by Cambrian Archaeological Projects on groundworks for a new hospital complex and car park at St James' Hospital in 2008. The area of the site was roughly 100mx70m. The site was excavated using a mechanical digger, and stripped to the natural under controlled supervision. The groundworks were generally between 0.25m and 0.40m deep, the foundation trenches measuring approximately 0.70m deep. The cutting of foundation trenches was initially observed, but this was later deemed unnecessary. A building belonging to St James' Hospital (formerly known as the 'Borough of Portsmouth Lunatic Asylum') called 'Devine Villa' was built on the site c.1879. This was demolished and replaced by another building between 1932 and 1938. The fieldwork did not reveal any archaeological evidence earlier in date than the late-19th century Devine Villa. The ground level above the natural appears to have been made up of a demolition layer relating to the hospital complex. Residual Neolithic worked flint found in the demolition and natural layers suggest some form of activity on the site during the Prehistoric era. Accession number: 2008/324