Project Progress Update - 3 February 2009
The Town House project has now been on site for 3 months. Over the last few weeks a number of potentially significant discoveries have been made and archaeologists have been brought in to carefully record them.
A number of interesting finds have been made in the rear building (2-4 Church Street) to the ground and first floor.
A former stencilled paint scheme has been found in the ground floor hallway to the centre of the two buildings, as well as a mason's mark which is identical to marks found in the stone ceiling of two store rooms to the western most upper room that will become an exhibition room.
A number of layers of wallpaper have also been uncovered, some of which may be of Georgian origin. Downstairs, in particular, a wall built from very high quality masonry has been uncovered just to the east of the barrel vaulted cells, located within the 2-4 Church Street section of the building. There is a large door opening within this wall with finely tooled stone jamb stones. Judging by the way the door is detailed it appears to have been a main door facing east into the High Street.
The section of the building that is now 2-4 Church Street dates to the 1600s judging by the detailing of fire surrounds on the first floor. The section of wall that has been uncovered might be even older. Nearby what appear to be the foundations of a building have also been revealed.
Layers of wallpaper
18th Century stencilled paintwork
Doorway
Building foundations