The ground-works for a new 8mx4m Desjoyaux swimming pool were monitored by Allen Archaeology Limited to remove and record any archaeological remains that may be encountered during the excavations. As the new pool was sited very close to the grounds of Portchester Castle, and the property was believed to have been a public house in the Napoleonic Period, the local planning authority felt it likely that interesting artefacts might be encountered and wanted them recorded.
The Desjoyaux construction team worked very closely with Allen Archaeology marking out small trenches within the pool area and cutting out about 30cm of soil at a time. The Archaeologists on site could then sift carefully through the soil before we moved on to the next area of the dig
, says Mike Fynn.
The excavations showed that beneath the surface of the garden there was a soil layer containing the remains of old pottery, shells, tile, animal bone, tobacco pipes and glass. The pottery was mostly Georgian and Victorian (18th - 19th century), and originated mainly from the surrounding area. One very interesting piece, a Westerwald Stoneware item that was probably an import from the German/Holland border and was made before 1750.
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