The Deanery, Chapel Road, Southampton (OASIS ID wessexar1-92410)

The natural Brickearth sub-strata was cut by a number of pit like features; only two of these were sample excavated and very little dating evidence was recovered. However, both sample excavated features displayed a degree of regularity that suggested that they were shallow pits and were very similar in form to the Mid Saxon pits excavated during earlier work on the Site.

These features were sealed below a subsoil layer of dark yellowish brown silty sand loam with common gravel and sparse charcoal inclusions. This subsoil may have been formed by arable cultivation following the depopulation of Hamwic, when the area reverted primarily to agriculture. In the north-west of the site the subsoil was cut by two wall footings, of probable postmedieval date that may represent the remains of a building depicted on a late 18th century map, or possibly some sort of wall, vaguely depicted on a map of c. 1600.