Mast Quay, Church Road, SE18
TQ 4300 7925; (Stuart Holden); archaeological monitoring; 2 April - 25 June 2004; CgMs Consulting on behalf of Comber Homes; CRQ04
A programme of archaeological monitoring was implemented to record any surviving archaeological remains, in particular, those forming part of the Royal Navy Dockyard that occupied the site from the 16th century until the late-19th century. The underlying natural deposits were not observed.
The work was undertaken across the footprints of three new buildings positioned around two large slipways that were retained and incorporated into the design. The earliest structures encountered were east-west timber walls forming wharves constructed in about 1720 during the expansion of the dockyard. Built into this reclaimed land were three slipways and the 'spur' running north-south between two slipways at the west side of the site was exposed and recorded in situ. This structure was extended in around 1746 when the wharf was enlarged. Timbers recovered from these assemblies were largely second-hand or left-over ship's building material, and some of the timbers found were marked with signs and symbols as a result of timber merchants, graders, and perhaps shipwrights using a race knife. A number of substantial concrete and brick foundations were located
representing the footings for the tall stanchions that supported the roof structure of the slip sheds constructed in the early 19th century. Part of the brick footings for a steam kiln built in c.1858 were recorded in the eastern area however its life was short-lived since the Royal Naval Dockyard was closed in 1869. Brick and concrete structures relating to the later use of the site for the construction of barges were also recorded, particularly in the eastern area. Truncation by subsequent alterations had removed much of the details of earlier layouts.
|
