Monument MPM1071 - 48-54 Broad Street

A limestone wall, probably belonging to a c19th century building, and two timber structures revealed during an archaeological watching brief in 2007 and 2008. The timber structures may have been associated with a former quayside wall or 19th century boatyard. Evidence of land reclamation, most of which appeared to date to the late-18th and early-19th century, was also recorded.

A watching brief carried out in July 2007 and February 2008 on the site of the former Tram Museum 48-54 Broad Street Old Portsmouth, revealed a limestone wall and two timber structures. Evidence of land reclamation, most of which appeared to date to the late-18th and early-19th century, was also recorded.

In the south-eastern part of the site was a layer of black clay loam some of which contained contaminated soil, the remainer being made up of simple alluvium. This lay above the natural shingle and beneath a rubble layer which had been used to reclaim the waterside. The deposit contained a number of post-medieval finds which included abundant brick and tile fragments, wood, substantial quantities of animal bone, concrete, glass, slate, oyster shells and a wooden block from a sailing ship. Broken clay pipes ranging in date from the early-17th century to post-1850, and Post-Medieval and Modern pottery, including Verwood-type, Hampshire Redware and several types of transfer-printed china, was also recorded. The layer was interpreted as an alluvial deposit buried as a result of land reclamation along the Western side of the Camber.

A stone wall was observed in the southern part of the site. This had mainly been built using limestone blocks bonded with a white/very pale brown sandy lime mortar, but brick and concrete had also been used in its construction. The wall was unlikely to be older than 19th century in date, and was probably the rear wall to an earlier building. Two upright square-sectioned wooden posts, 1.6m apart, were observed about 1.3m to the east of the wall. There was no direct connection made between the two structures.

Two wooden structures were observed. The first consisted of two layers of planks, the upper set running N-S, the lower E-W, with planks set on end at the north and south ends. The top of the structure was at a depth of approximately 1.4m below the current ground level. The function of this structure is unknown, but it may have been associated with a former quayside, although it appeared to be on the same alignment as the wall. The second structure was further west at a depth of approximately 1.7m below the current ground level. This was constructed of planks of irregular width, laid on top of, and sealed with, clean clay (7). It had also been used as the base for a brick wall, which was still partly in situ, although it this been disturbed by concrete piles. The bricks were modern unfrogged, and bonded with white lime mortar and cement mortar, patches of which were still adhering to the top of the planks. The function of this structure is unknown, but it was thought more likely to have been the floor of a cellar, with a layer of clay to prevent water seeping in at high tides.

The only natural deposit observed on the site was shingle. This had been disturbed, and had inclusions of brick and tile fragments and patches of brown clay. This deposit formed the spit on which The Point developed.

Accession number: 2008/95

Whitehead, B, 2008, Summary report on an archaeological watching brief at the former tram museum, 48-54 Broad Street, Portsmouth (Unpublished document). SPM82.