Archaeological supervision and recording during repairs to the tiled floor of the west tower at Temple Church. The element of the repair work subject to archaeological supervision related to an area of missing tiles across the east side of the tower floor involving a reduction of c. 250mm in ground level Excavation beneath the tiled floor encountered a modern make-up deposit associated with previous repairs to the floor and included very recent finds alongside objects ranging from the Victorian period to the mid-20th century. Most of this material represents rubbish probably generated by workmen undertaking the floor repairs. This layer also contained the remains of in-situ floor structures possibly representing a gate or screen controlling access to the tower area of the ruin. Both contexts were underlain by a deep layer of mason's chippings, stone dust and fragments of dressed stone, and clearly derived from building or repair work. The presence of iron brackets from wall monuments favours a Victorian date for this accumulation however these items may have been introduced via later repairs, in which case this might be a mason's layer derived from construction of the tower in the 15th century. A firm clay surface beneath the stone debris layer may be the floor make-up for the tower or an earlier horizon. A wall or stone floor beneath the tower arch may be the west wall of the nave before the tower was added or a stone floor at the tower threshold. The tiny assemblage of artefacts mostly derive from the fabric of the church however a couple of sherds of medieval pottery and some animal and bird bone reflect nearby domestic occupation, possibly associated with the late 13th century weaver's settlement which occupied the area outside of Temple Church.
Cheryl Green (Mon,) studied this question.