PCA Warwick were commissioned to undertake a programme of archaeological monitoring in the basement of the building and to record and report any archaeological deposits found. The site is in central Oxford and is located within an Archaeological Priority Zone as defined by Oxford’s Local Plan. In the medieval period the site was occupied by tenements belonging to All Souls College and Osney Abbey fronting onto New Inn Hall Street, with back plots to the rear. Archaeological excavations at the site revealed medieval and Late Saxon pits but demonstrated the site had been impacted by post-medieval cellars.

The previous year PCA Warwick had undertaken monitoring and recording of a geotechnical pit immediately adjacent to the new work and despite there being a 1.35m concrete slab and make up an undated pit was exposed beneath. This was hand augured revealing it to be 0.48m deep.  Given the nature and depth of the feature, this was considered likely to represent part of a pit of Saxon date, although no dating evidence was recovered.

The new groundworks focused on the excavation of a 7.00m x 2.75m sump to a maximum depth of 2.50m. It was agreed that this area could be excavated if potential features were revealed, and its depth and location made that very likely. Four medieval features – three pits and a pit or ditch – were hand excavated and a later post-medieval pit or chamber was also recorded. The medieval pits showed a short sequence of digging and deposition focussed on the 13th century, with residual late Saxon to Saxo-Norman pottery – all the pottery domestic in nature and animal bones were also recovered which supported the interpretation that this location was within an area of ‘back plot’ activity behind the tenements facing New Inn Hall Street. A short report has been generated to satisfy planning conditions.