Archaeological monitoring of groundworks associated with landscaping and new footpaths within St Andrews Gardens, Deansway, Worcester. The watching brief confirmed the results of the archaeological evaluation revealing evidence for widespread 20th century landscaping of the land bordering the St. Andrew's Church with occasional islands of preserved archaeological evidence remaining in-situ. A series of interior surfaces and exterior yard surfaces were identified within Trenches 2 and 3 which corresponded very closely with the buildings visible on the first edition Ordnance Survey maps published during the late 19th century. Accordingly, the buildings revealed in the south-western portion of the site were considered likely to have been small back-to-back dwellings which were constructed during the 19th century The finds assemblage recovered from the landscaping layers overlying the 19th century dwellings, whilst still residual, was dated from the 17th century until the 19th century and comprised overwhelmingly utilitarian domestic wares hinting at the relatively modest means of the parishes inhabitants during the early modern and industrial period. Trench 4 revealed evidence for the relict remnants of St. Andrew's Church including the foundation walls of the southern aisle, likely constructed in the 19 th century, and the foundations of the, probable medieval, southern nave wall. Finally, the watching brief also identified a series of graves, of apparent 19th century date, within the footprint of the former graveyard plot in Trenches 1 and 4. Whilst the project revealed extensive vertical and horizontal truncation, caused by the demolition of the aisled nave and the creation of the parkland during the mid-20th century, it is not unreasonable to assume that additional burials, or other structural evidence, remain preserved in-situ within the remembrance garden grounds south of the spire and is worth considering during future sub-surface works in the park.
G Arnold (Wed,) studied this question.