DORE ABBEY, Abbey Dore
NGR: SO 3870 3045

Following an earlier programme of works, supplementary detailed recording was carried out of the Sacristy and remaining fragment of the Vestibule and Chapter House.

The east wall of the Sacristy is in bond with the north wall of the North Transept and thus probably contemporary. Both faces of the west wall of the Sacristy have stones in bond with the North Transept and that where the west and north walls of the Sacristy meet in the north west corner, the internal faces share stones in bond, i.e., the surviving elements of the north wall are contemporary with the west wall. This contradicts information on some of the plans published by Roland Paul which show the internal faces of the west and north walls of the Sacristy as being modern. The opening in the east wall of the Sacristy has been much modified. The southern outer jamb of the western doorway may be largely original, but the other three jambs are later insertions. The lower masonry courses of the surviving fragment of the Chapter House are in bond with the east wall of the Sacristy.

Minor clearance works re-exposed a doorway through the north wall of the Sacristy and also a plinth forming part of the Chapter House; both had previously been illustrated by Roland Paul in the 1890s.

Tavener, N, Dore Abbey, Abbey Dore, Herefordshire, A report on detailed building recording of the Sacristy and the standing fragment of the Vestibule and Chapter House, September 2001, Marches Archaeology Series 205

THE ABATTOIR, Eardisley
NGR: SO 3120 4957

The site lies adjacent to the north eastern corner of the historic core of Eardisley. Four trenches were excavated giving a total coverage of 157 square metres.

All four trenches revealed deep, bleached or leached soil horizons below the modern topsoil. The presence of the water table within 0.8-1m of the ground surface in all trenches has led to gleying at that depth. The combination of a high water table and clayey/silty soil horizons above that water table would mean that a comprehensive system of drainage would almost certainly be required for successful arable cultivation and yet such drainage was conspicuous by its absence until the creation of intermittent stone and ceramic 'tile' field drains; these probably date to the late nineteenth or early twentieth centuries and were only found within trenches 1 and 2. It seems likely that the site has been in purely agricultural usage up until the creation of the abattoir and that it has always been pasture or a 'water meadow'; in 1841 it was pasture under orchard.

The evaluation trenches have found no evidence whatsoever for any medieval or earlier occupation within the proposed development site except a single tiny fragment of medieval pottery which was recovered from the upper topsoil in trench 2. This would seem to imply a surprisingly low level of activity given the proximity of the trenches to areas of almost certain medieval occupation just to the west.

Stone, R & Tavener, N, The Abbattoir, Eardisley, Herefordshire: Report on an archaeological evaluation, January 2001, Marches Archaeology Series 167

FRIARS STREET, Hereford
NGR: SO 508 399

The excavation of six evaluation trenches found some evidence of low level medieval activity on the site and uncovered a series of undated gullies.

Appleton-Fox, N, Friars Street, Hereford: Report on an archaeological evaluation, September 2001, Marches Archaeology Series 200

4-6 ST MARTIN'S STREET, Hereford
NGR: SO 50778 39523

A record of the standing building on the frontage of number 4 was made. The building is an undistinguished two storey red brick warehouse and showroom of 1890. Major alterations were made in 1921. Plans for both phases survive. At the southern end an earlier stone built cart passage is incorporated into the building. Proposed changes to number 6 and below ground works are not to be carried out at present and no record was therefore required.

Stone, R, 4-6 St Martin's Street, Hereford, Report on a programme of archaeological works, March 2001, Marches Archaeology Series 173

MAPPA MUNDI BUILDING, Cathedral Close, Hereford
NGR: SO 509 397

An overview was taken of the current completeness of the archive and its potential for further study. The locations of some elements of the archive are not at present known and large parts of the disarticulated human bone and environmental samples have been reburied. The archive, overall, is still considered worthy of further study. Elements which are of particular interest are the stratigraphy, the human bone, the pottery and the structural evidence for Saxon and Norman occupation of the area.

Appleton-Fox, N, Mappa Mundi Building, Cathedral Close, Hereford: A Short Assessment of the Archive of the 1993 Excavation, March 2001, Marches Archaeology Series 175

THE CHURCH OF ST CUTHBERT, Holme Lacy
NGR: SO 5685 3480

The dismantling of a tomb was watched and the soil beneath it recorded. Nothing of archaeological interest was seen.

Appleton-Fox, N, The Church of St Cuthbert, Holme Lacy, Herefordshire: A report on a programme of archaeological works, December 2001, Marches Archaeology Series 223

THE BURTON HOTEL, Kington
NGR: SO 2959 5658

A programme of archaeological works at the rear of the Burton Hotel revealed no features or deposits of archaeological significance. The earliest layer is probably associated with nineteenth century occupation of the site. A stone lined culvert and brick foundation are also likely to date from the nineteenth century and are probably associated with the building situated to the south of the hotel complex shown on the 1887 1st Edition Ordnance Survey Plan. The natural layers in the north of the site have apparently been truncated in antiquity. This probably took place in the nineteenth century, when the new building on the frontage was constructed, but an earlier date cannot be ruled out.

Wainwright, J, The Burton Hotel, Kington, Herefordshire: Report on a programme of archaeological works, March 2001, Marches Archaeology Series 172

6-8 BROAD STREET, Leominster
NGR: SO 496 515

An evaluation was carried out on a small plot of unoccupied street frontage on the east side of Broad Street close to the position of the old Town Hall. The site lies right at the heart of the medieval core of the town. The trench showed that the entire plot is occupied by a deep cellar and that it is highly unlikely that any medieval deposits survive below the cellars. The only old features encountered were two cellar walls, one along the frontage and the other dividing the plot into two exact halves. It was not possible to date the walls, but the last buildings standing on the plot probably dated to the 17th century. This still leaves a possibility that the cellar walls relate to earlier buildings. It seems likely that the plot was originally two burgage plots, each a mere 3.2m wide.

Tavener, N, 6-8 Broad Street, Leominster, Report on an archaeological evaluation, September 2001, Marches Archaeology Series 204

LAND SOUTH OF PONTILLA, Longtown
NGR: SO 3200 29330

Seven trenches were excavated within the area of the proposed development. Undated evidence of quarrying was found at the west of the site while towards the road at the east the footings for two medieval buildings were uncovered. Pottery evidence suggests a date for occupation from the 13th to the 14th century.

Appleton-Fox, N, Land South of Pontilla, Longtown, Herefordshire: Report on an archaeological evaluation, April 2001, Marches Archaeology Series 177

THE CHURCH OF SAINT MARY THE VIRGIN, Much Cowarne
NGR: SO 618 472

A watching brief during restoration work to the west tower included an inspection of a nearby vault. Removal of one of the panels revealed that the structure was in fact a retaining wall.

A watching brief on a new drainage system along the north side of the church and on the south side of the west tower revealed no significant archaeology to the south. Along the north side, west of the vestry, four shallow graves were uncovered. Three were located inside the area that was thought to have structural remains from the demolished north aisle. No remains of the building were seen within the trench. The other grave was found between the vestry and the former north aisle, very close to the west wall of the vestry. It is possible though not proven, that the foundations of this late 13th century wall could truncate the grave.

The shallow depth of the graves encountered would suggest that the graveyard, probably in the 19th century, has had its surface reduced to the current level. The absence of structural remains could be due to stone robbing that occurred when the site was re-levelled.

Nash, A, The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, Much Cowarne, Herefordshire: A Report on an Archaeological Watching Brief, November 2001, Marches Archaeology Series 214

THE PARISH CHURCH OF SAINT GEORGE, Orleton
NGR: SO 4944 6717

The excavation of a new drainage trench running from the south wall of the west tower to an existing soak away revealed no significant archaeology.

Nash, A, The Parish Church of Saint George, Orleton, Herefordshire: Report on an archaeological watching brief, February 2001, Marches Archaeology Series 168

LAND AT EAST STREET, Pembridge
NGR: SO 3913 5814

A watching brief on the construction of ten houses and associated works revealed that any archaeological remains on the frontage area had been removed by earlier landscaping works. The backland of the plot consisted of a medieval and post-medieval cultivation soil.

Williams, P & Stone, R, Land at East Street, Pembridge, Herefordshire: Report on an archaeological watching brief, February 2001, Marches Archaeology Series 171

WALFORD FOLD YARD, Walford
NGR: SO 38980 72590

A programme of archaeological works were undertaken, including a watching brief and building recording. There are two principal phases of building the first being of a late 17th century date with the construction of a multi-purpose building, used as an animal shed with storage for hay and straw at first floor level. The second phase consists principally of the addition of a six bay multi-purpose building. This was presumably both a cart shed and animal shelter. A foundation excavated in Area 2 is probably the footing for a lean to attached to the earlier building perhaps dating from the 18th or 19th century. Two other foundations seen in Area 2 are probably internal divisions within the mid 19th century barn.

Wainwright, J & Stone, R, Walford Fold Yard, Walford, Herefordshire: Report on building recording and a watching brief, July 2001, Marches Archaeology Series 189