Bishop's Waltham Palace Phase II: Archaeological Watching Brief

Three 0.30 m x 0.30 m test pits were excavated in the Gatehouse apron to determine the depths of an appropriate subsurface prior to re-gravelling. These test pits were hand dug and then recorded by the monitoring archaeologist. Monitoring of the resurfacing of the apron, the installation of metal edging and drainage in the Gatehouse apron was undertaken, along with monitoring of 8 gate and fence posts around the inside of the Gatehouse. Along the west side of the outer boundary of Bishop's Waltham Palace adjacent to Station Road 75 fence postholes were hand excavated. The postholes measured 0.30 m� in diameter and were dug at approximately 2 m intervals. Along the Brewhouse Moat 53 fence posts were hand excavated spaced 1 m apart. Fence post excavation was also monitored around the inside of the North-East Tower. The 14 postholes measured 0.20-0.3 m� and 0.35 -0.68 m in depth, with an average depth of 0.38 m. The excavation of 3 test pits (0.30 m� and 0.20 m deep) along the path from the car park to the bridge adjacent to the Bakehouse were monitored. Following this, improvements to the path were monitored, which consisted of the removal of the bark chipping surface and the digging of stake holes (0.20 m� and 0.18 m deep) 1m apart on each side of the path for wooden edging. The excavation of a single sapling planting pit (0.60 m� and 0.40 m deep) was also monitored, located 45 m south-west of the North-East Tower, within the Lord's Garden. A photographic record was taken of a series a cracks in the north, east and west wall of the Kitchen and west wall of the Great Hall of the West Range. Largely modern overburden deposits and surfaces were encountered, with well-established turf over topsoil and subsoil observed within the Lord's Garden. Possible bank material recorded in the majority of the postholes dug along the west side of the monument. Made ground deposits observed in the postholes around the North-West Tower contained a notable amount of building material, possibly associate with the construction of the Palace or it may have resulted from the disintegration on the structures.