Monument MPM1105 - 31-33 Broad Street

A watching brief on groundworks at 31-33 Broad Street in 2006 revealed early modern brick foundations and two stone features possibly relating to an earlier structure on the site.

A watching brief on groundworks for two new terraced houses on the site 31-33 Broad Street in 2006 revealed early modern brick foundations, a deposit of animal bones, and two stone features which possibly related to an earlier structure.

The buildings which formerly stood on the site were destroyed during the Second World War, and the plot more recently used for boat storage. Early modern brick foundations relating to these buildings were revealed in trenches across the site during the groundworks. A deposit (context 5) of mixed dark soils was present across the site. This was probably associated with the construction and occupation of the early modern properties. The deposit contained lenses of gravel, brick rubble, 19th century pottery, 17th, 18th and 19th century clay tobacco pipes, and modern debris.

Five fragments of animal bone, one of which had been sawn, were recovered from a context which appeared to be the fill of a shallow unidentified feature. It is possible the bones were butchery waste associated with occupation of the site prior to the construction of the early modern buildings. Two stone features revealed in separate trenches may have related to an earlier structure on the site. The first was around 700mm wide and comprised limestone rubble blocks and a large beach pebble, bonded together with lime mortar. The second was approximately 800mm wide, and consisted of limestone rubble blocks with no obvious bonding, and a few red bricks laid on top. It is possible these features were the remains of foundations. There was no dating evidence recovered, but both the animal bones and stone features predated context 5 (above).

Accession number: 2006/1756

Southampton City Council Archaeology Unit, 2006, Archaeological Watching Brief at 31-33 Broad Street, Old Portsmouth (Unpublished document). SPM119.