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The ‘Blacksmiths Shop’ and pipe work.

At the very beginning of the excavation of the main building, the vertical block EA was found to be built into the south wall. On top of this block was an iron bearing mounting which was outside the building and therefore appears to show another structure which required a power source. It is not known if there was a blacksmith on this site, but from other sources of the period, these businesses had to be able to repair and maintain the equipment. In order to identify this part of the site and its close proximity to feature S which appears to be an inspection pit it was decided to call this floor ‘The Blacksmith’s Shop’. The dig was reopened at the beginning of July 2010 after being closed on instruction from Nigel Holman from Riverside Country Park at the end of March. When work resumed it was from the area to the west of the path where the iron pipe and manifold junction was located. The edge of a concrete floor was found with a drain gulley cut into its eastern edge the edge of the floor has a step down of 100mm finishing with a 50mm edge. This floor is approx 300mm above the main floor of the main building, and is 8ft from the wall of the main building. It extends to the south for approx 4m before turning at an angle to the west.

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The first indication of the new floor.

The north east corner of the floor showing the drain channel and sump. This sump is 600mm square and about the same depth and is filled with fine chalk and round flint nodules. The only way out for the water is through the outlet hacked into the east wall, this being fitted with a metal grill. This whole floor slopes into the drain gulley set into the floor. It would seem water was a problem in this building. The investigation in the area to the south of block EA and the north edge of the blacksmith shop floor has turned up some lengths of the heavy linked chain, all discarded on a layer of chalk which also contained fragments of the building cladding. On the chalk surface is a deposit of ash approx 6in. (150mm) deep which extends from a point approx 2ft (600mm) to the east of block EA all the way to the base of the western slope. The iron pipe located earlier (listed in the report oblong feature S and pipe work) crossing from the angle iron next to the rail track, crosses the foot path before turning west. At this point it is connected to a 4in (100mm) flanged coupling surrounded by loose laid bricks. It then runs parallel to the edge of the floor and is buried in a bed of ash at a depth of approx 100 to 150 mm. The concrete path which runs along side the slab on the south east corner of the main building only extends from the main path to the end of the slab listed as the office or store. From then on there is a bed of chalk over laid with ash and then detritus. On this level is the usual collection of bolts, washers and a heavy shackle also small fragments of the wall cladding. The iron pipe is still in evidence along side the floor, but because of the slope the pipe appears deeper. The pipe is level with the floor of the main building and extends from the manifold located at the edge of the footpath a distance of

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20ft (6m.) which matches two pipe lengths, at which point there is a 1in. dia. take-off which rises to a level which would have been above ground. This pipe turns to run above the original 2in. pipe and has a gate valve fitted which was found to be free to turn and in the open position when found.

The 1in. riser bend and gate valve.

The 1in. pipe turning round the floor. The 1in. pipe continues to the north-west corner where it turns to the south following the western edge of the building line. The pipe is supported on loose laid bricks at the pipe joints. Because the floor is unlikely to be exposed further it will not be possible to find the final line of this pipe. The main floor has on the east edge a 4 x 2 in. step along its entire length. This was removed where the drain passed through. There are no indications where uprights would have been. The north edge is fully exposed and the eastern end of the south edge. Unlike the east edge there is step and no traces of uprights, which is out of character with the other buildings on the site.

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The 4in (100mm) coupling

No further work will be done and the rest of this floor will remain covered. The 1in. pipe which runs along the west edge will not be investigated.

Fraser Miller Archaeologist

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