Monument MPM1774 - Pits, Queen Street

Seven large pits, probably used for quarrying gravel, observed during a watching brief at 16-17 Queen Street in 2007/8. A number of fragments of 18th century pottery were recovered from the backfill, including two complete tankards.

Seven large pits observed during a watching brief at 16-17 Queen Street in 2007/8. The pits size suggested they may have been used to quarry gravel. None of the pits were fully exposed, but the largest section observed measured c5m north-south x 1m deep. All of the pits had either one or two fills. Two of the pits contained 18th century pottery, including two complete stoneware tankards dating to 1720-1740. It was assumed much of the pottery was associated with the Royal Oak Hotel which is recorded in the 1823-24 Portsmouth Directory, or an earlier establishment. The backfill in some of the pits also included occasional fragments of oyster shell, ceramic building material and brick. Six fragments of clay tobacco pipe dating to between c1690 and 1760 (3 stem and 3 bowl) were recovered from the fill of one pit.

The pits appeared to have been backfilled in order to level the ground. They had then been sealed by a deposit of made ground which had been deposited in order to raise the ground level. This consisted of a loose dark greyish brown sandy silt with flint inclusions, a maximum of 0.45cm thick. As the made ground was a similar composition to the backfill of the pits, it is possible that both processes were carried out at the same time.

A total of 28 sherds of 18th century pottery recovered from the pits consisted of fragments of the following vessel types:

Post-medieval redware chamber pot and jug (3 sherds); Tinglazed earthenware (Delftware) plate with sponge decoration (1 sherd); Tin-glazed earthenware (Delftware) plate with pale blue glaze and dark blue floral or chinoiserie design (2 sherds); Verwood ware; Chinese blue and white porcelain bowl with dragon design (1 sherd); French tin-glazed red earthenware dish, internal light blue glaze with darker blue geometrical border design and dark brown lead glaze exterior (1 sherd); Westerwald stoneware chamber pot in cream coloured fabric with probable moulded lion decoration (2 sherds); Staffordshire-type white salt-glazed stoneware tea bowl (1 sherd).

Tankards
6 sherds of London stoneware tankards were recovered, including two complete tankards. One of the complete examples had a WR ale mark stamp and an applied moulded panel showing Prince Charles (Charles II) hiding in an oak tree with 'SAM'LL TWYFORD' incised around it. Another sherd bearing part of the same design appears to have come from an identical vessel. The second intact tankard bore a GR ale mark and probably dated to the early-18th century (post 1714). Soot on the base of one tankard suggested that the contents had been warmed.

Accession No: 2008/287

Sayer, Kathelen, 2008, An Archaeological Watching Brief at 16-17 Queen Street, Portsmouth (Unpublished document). SPM396.