Medieval building remains found at Weymouth's North Quay

They've been found during an archaeological dig

Author: Lauren WattPublished 30th Apr 2021
Last updated 30th Apr 2021

Teams are back on site today as work starts on digging two new trenches at the site in Weymouth.

With plans to develop the former council offices into new homes, this was the last chance for Archaeologists to look into the history of the site on the medieval high street and North Quay.

Community group Dig the Street were hoping for excavations before the redevelopment to find out more about the site, then earlier this year the council joined forces with Context One to dig four exploratory trenches.

So far in the first trench teams found the remains of a stone wall which are thought to be part of a medieval building, dating between 12th- 15th centuries, which was replaced or reused in the 18th century with Victorian additions.

The second trench revealed the remains of a second building, possibly 18th century with a possible hearth. This area suffered blast damage during WW2 and the house was demolished during or shortly after the war.

Now the team are continuing their search as two new trenches are being dug out today with the dig team starting work tomorrow, Friday 30th April.

One of the new trenches is down the eastern end of the street, roughly where the two hundred Royalists were slaughtered during the Battle of Weymouth and the second is as close to the old Tudor Mansion as they could get without hitting live services underground.

Claire from Dig the Street told us what they're hoping to find:

"When the dig carries on, on the other trenches I think what everybody is excited and hoping for is for something that relates to the Tudor House that was there and more that might indicate the lives of the people who lived in the high street."

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