Site Event/Activity record ECH6845 - Tithe Barn, Church Street, Malpas: Archaeological Investigation

An archaeological watching brief was undertaken in 2008 at the site of the Tithe Barn during ground reduction works for the construction of a new garage in the north part of the site. The area impacted measured approximately 8m square, to a maximum depth of 1m. The earliest deposit was a red-brown, sandy clay, representing the local natural deposit. An east-west linear feature cut the natural on the south-east side of the trench and it was thought to represent a deliberately cut terrace, potentially marking the original property boundary. The feature contained two fills; the primary fill extended to a depth of 0.4m, but contained no finds, however, the secondary fill contained a few sherds of pottery dating from the Roman to the post medieval periods. It is thought that the primary fill derived from a mix of material imported to the site in the seventeenth or eighteenth century. The cut feature was overlain by a soil deposit, which in turn, was covered by a thick layer of garden soil. A lead pistol shot and handle for a pewter spoon were recovered from the garden soil by a metal detectorist. Further observation during the excavation of a trench for a water tank also recorded the same natural deposit, overlain by sub-soil. No further archaeological features or finds were identified. (1)