In Trench 2, the latest phase of work commenced on 7 May with the removal of a modern concrete slab from the eastern part of the area. We had suspected that the furnace located in February might relate to an 18th-century hothouse or ‘stove’ and we were hoping that further work to expose adjacent structures would allow a more conclusive interpretation.
It is now clear that the furnace lay at the north-east (external) corner of a building represented by a robber trench extending south to the line of the existing garden wall and a brick foundation extending westwards. It seems highly likely that the furnace was contained within a small furnace house built directly above the pit walls, since there is no evidence of a larger furnace house. The actual furnace does not appear on the 1732 Grundy map, but the footprint of the adjacent building conforms more or less to the easternmost extent of a building (or buildings) shown in the general area of the Garden Room. Since the furnace is situated outside the building, it seems highly likely that it does in fact represent the remains of a hothouse. A single-storey structure is shown in this area on a 1791 drawing by John Claude Nattes and an 1818 painting by Hilkiah Burgess.
The brick foundation (only one course surviving) extended northwards from the north-eastern corner of the furnace building. It seems highly likely that this represents the remains of a garden wall, as indicated on the Grundy map.
Work in Trench 2 resulted in the discovery of another well, located on the eastern side of the area and partially extending below the adjacent grassed area. The well was brick lined, with a corbelled top. It had been deliberately backfilled with rubble to a leave a small void beneath its opening, which was covered by a stone spar (possibly a reused lintel or another type architectural fragment) and various broken stone slabs.
Although archaeological work on the site (apart from reinstatement of the grounds) is now complete, the project has generated a considerable archive, in terms of records and material (pottery, building material, bone, etc.) retrieved from the site. The archive will be checked to ensure consistency and all records (including drawings) and will then be entered onto computer. All finds will be washed, marked and then catalogued. Finally, we will produce a report, describing and interpreting the discoveries made as a result of the project.
Helen and I would like to thank all of the volunteers: Dennis Wolfe, Rod Starr, Philip Brassington, Maurice Roe, Tom Williamson and Richard Buck (degree course placement), who helped to make the project such a success. We would also like to thank Richard Davies and the staff at Ayscoughfee Hall for kindly allowing us to make use of facilities in the hall, and the garden staff for their interest and assistance throughout the project. Thanks are also due to Robert Bester for providing us with a number of great photographs of the work in progress. We are also grateful for the overwhelmingly positive interest shown by visitors to the grounds and for all of the information provided by people on the recent history of the gardens.
Work on the south lawn area is now mostly complete and we are preparing for backfilling of the trenches to go ahead tomorrow. The trenches were kept open over the weekend, during the Spalding Flower Parade, to allow visitors to Spalding the opportunity to see the results of the project.
We will be continuing on site for approximately one more week, investigating the wider area around the furnace in Trench 2. We are hoping that information from the further work will allow a more conclusive interpretation of the function of this feature.