26-28 London Road, Kingston
TQ 1840 6932; Chris Mayo; Evaluation and Excavation; 24th March - 1st April and 7th - 30th May 2003; LTP03
Four trenches comprised the evaluation in advance of the excavation. In the south natural brickearth was recorded at an upper level of 7.74m OD.
A piece of possibly Bronze Age struck flint was found residually in a square-shaped daring to the mid-late 13th century.
Medieval activity on the site was seen to the S where an E-W aligned ditch was dated to 1170-1350. Contemporary pitting was evident beside the ditch and an E-W aligned gully may also have been associated. Evidence for later medieval activity included truncated ditches that may have formed boundary demarcations. A sequence of pitting was marked with numerous smaller pits and three large brickearth quarry pits. These contained a large pottery assemblage of Surrey whiteware wasters and a large quantity of shell tempered ware. The primary fill was dated to 1230-1300. A number of tile fragments was indicative of their use as kiln spacers. The pit also contained a large animal bone assemblage showing signs of domestic waste. Other medieval features included isolated post-holes, stake-holes and gullies.
A 17th century phase included bedding trenches and a small four-post structure, possibly a shed. In the NE some undated features were cut into ground-raising layers. A brick building was exposed in the NW corner of the site that dates from the late 17th to 18th century. This included an original internal floor and a main room were formed by a returning wall that incorporated a recess, possibly for a fireplace. Another returning wall formed the S and E sides for an extension to the building. To the east of this building a sequence of yard activity including garden soil, crude cut stone and better quality brick floor, a drain, was recorded that may have been associated with the building. In the SW structural changes were made to the brick building in the 18th century including the insertion of sleeper walls to support a raised floor level. A layer of garden soil in the S suggests this area was open.
An 18th to 19th century structure was delineated in the NE of the site including a 19th century robber trench. The building was sub-rectangular and appeared to be associated with an external rammed gravel yard surface. A 19th century ditch ran E-W across the middle of the site and may overlay the post-medieval boundary that defined the southern extent of the properties. This was also probably the northern wall facing onto the road to the south. Drainage activity and wells of this period were found to be truncating the earlier archaeology.
were two large features adjacent to Fairfield Road. The eastern intrusion was backfilled with brickearth from which a single struck flint was recovered. The western feature was also largely backfilled with brickearth but frequent fragments of medieval pottery were recovered. It is possible that this feature was originally a gravel quarry pit. Several early post-medieval structural features were recorded across the centre of the site and at London Road frontage. These included wall footings, floors and a brick lined drain. Fragmentary remains of chalk filled foundations were also observed, but a construction date was not obtained. Occasional small medieval pits were found towards the front of the site as was a thick deposit of redeposited gravel.
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