The Treasure Beneath Our Feet: The Gauntlet, Glastonbury

By Doug Hill

THIS BOOK CONTAINS THE RESULTS OF
TWO INDEPENDENT ARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDIES
CONDUCTED IN THE HEART OF GLASTONBURY
TOWN CENTRE AT 11 HIGH STREET,
NOW THE FOOTPRINT OF THE BUSY
DOUBLE AWARD-WINNING
GAUNTLET SHOPPING THOROUGHFARE.
The studies were commissioned by the
Developer and Landlord/owner Doug Hill
between 2005-2007. They were request ed as
a pre-condition for planning by Somerset
CountyCouncil as it was considered imperative
to document the history of the site,
the development of which offered a unique
opportunity prior to the commencement of
the building works.
This is a Grade 2 listed building positioned
in the centre of a conservation area in the
heart of Glastonbury (adjacent to the Tri -
bunal, a Grade 1 Listed building) and as such
is considered to be of great importance.
The land at 11 High Street was stripped, mapped and the artefacts
logged. The broad spectrum of finds were subsequently donated to
the Somerset Museum, Taunton.
Two Archaeological Reports
INTRODUCED BY
DOUG HILL
The Gauntlet, Glastonbury THE TREASURE BENEATH OUR FEET Doug Hill
THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS CONTAINED IN THIS BOOK
IS COMPREHENSIVE. BOTH REPORTS PRESENT DE TAILED,
ACCURATELY ASSEMBLED DOCUMENTED RECORDS, WHICH
I AM SURE YOU WILL FIND FASCINATING.
The Gauntlet, Glastonbury
THE
TREASURE
B E N E AT H O U R F E E T
See our websites:
DougHillBooks.com
thegauntletshoppingthoroughfare.co.uk
thegauntletshoppingthoroughfare.com
TheGauntletShoppingArcade.co.uk
TheGauntletShoppingArcade.com
Also visit:
thegauntletglastonbury.com
glastonburyradio.com
glastonburytown.co.uk

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Dec 5, 2012
• ISBN: 9781477242964

Doug Hill

DOUG HILL is a journalist and independent scholar who has studied the history and philosophy of technology for more than twenty-five years. His work has appeared in numerous national publications, including the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Atlantic, Salon, Forbes, Esquire, and the blog “The Question Concerning Technology.” He is coauthor of the bestseller Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live and lives in Philadelphia.

Book preview

copyright © 2005 C&N Hollinrake Ltd.

The Archaeological Strip, Map and Sample Excavation

is copyright © 2006 AC Archaeology

and are both reproduced with permission of the respective authors.

First Edition under this title, published 2012 by

Gauntlet Books, Glastonbury Somerset.

This is extracted, with a revised Preface and Introduction,

from the previous full edition title

The Gauntlet, Glastonbury - A Thousand Years of History,

published 2011 by CPI Antony Rowe, Chippenham and Eastbourne.

The Rights of Doug Hill, C&N Hollinrake Ltd., and AC Archaeology

to be identified as the Authors of this work has been asserted by them

in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be printed, reproduced or utilized

in any form or by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or

hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information

storage retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

Published by AuthorHouse 11/07/2012

ISBN: 978-1-4772-4293-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4772-4291-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4772-4296-4 (e)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this

book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed

in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the

publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

Preface

INTRODUCTIO BY DOUG HILL

The History As Evident In 2003

AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF

THE GAUNTLET BY C&N HOLLINRAKE LTD

Maps And Diagrams

Photographs

Finds List

Context List

INVESTIGATION ON LAND AT THE GAUNTLET BY

STEVE ROBINSON, AC ARCHAEOLOGY

Summary

Introduction

Results

Phase I-Medieval

Phase II-Late Medieval

Phase III-Post-Medieval

Undated

Finds By M. Laidlaw

References

FIGURES

Table I-Stratigraphic Deposit Sequence Across Site.

Table II: Summary Of Broad Fabric Types

Animal Bone

Table III: Finds [Left And Right Pages]

Fig IA-Site Location

Fig IB-Site Location (Detail)

Fig 2-Phased Plan-All Features

Fig 3-Section, Profiles, Elevations

Fig 3-Section, Profiles, Elevations

PREFACE

THE PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK IS TO ENSURE THAT THE FULL DATA OF THE SITE’S HISTORY IS ACCURATELY LOGGED AND RECORDED TO GIVE FUTURE GENERATIONS AN INSIGHT INTO THE WAY OF LIFE ON THIS SITE FROM A TIME WHEN RECORDS BEGAN, UP TO MODERN TIMES.

This book contains two separate archaeological studies that I commissioned at the request of the Somerset County Council, both of which were completed prior to the commencement of the new building programme in 2007.

The field and desk top studies were carried out by C&N Hollinrake Ltd. of Glastonbury in December 2005, and AC Archaeology from Salisbury in October 2006, two professional archaeology consultancies who, overall, seem to formulate the same opinion.

The artefacts were donated to the Somerset Museum in Taunton where they are currently stored and displayed. The old walls and building fabric found were in-filled and carefully capped by the new foundations for the new build.

Several coins were found by metal detectorists before the footings were put in place.

Whether you are a tourist having visited The Gauntlet or interested in the local history, I am sure you will find the detailed evidence enclosed in this book fascinating.

Image471.JPG

COINS FOUND AT THE GAUNTLET

Image479.JPG

In 2007 when AC Archaeology had finished their archaeological

survey, a couple of metal detectorists scanned the surfaces of the

trenches that had been dug. There were three coins found which were

photographed and researched by numismatists: an Edward vi shilling,

a George i halfpenny and a George iii penny, pictured actual size.

THE EDWARD VI SHILLING dates at 1553.

Edward, son of Henry viii reigned from 1547-1553, the boy king

who only spent 6 years on the throne. This was a rare and an

extremely interesting find. Coins are very important as they

define dates which means that the coin must have post-dated

the surrounding archaeology.

THE GEORGE I HALFPENNY dates at 1723.

George i was the first of the Hanover kings who didn’t speak

a word of English. He reigned from 1714-1727.

THE GEORGE III PENNY dates at 1797.

GEORGE III reigned from 1760-1820. The Battle of Trafalgar and

the Battle of Waterloo both took place during his 60 year reign.

INTRODUCTION

THE HISTORY AS EVIDENT IN 2003

N JULY 2003 I purchased the Grade 2 Listed shop with adjoining premises, situated in the heart of Glastonbury at II High Street. The fundamental purpose of the purchase was to renovate, convert and extend the existing buildings to form a pedestrian shopping link from the High Street to the town’s beacon car park. Due to the typical medieval linear layout, it seemed an ideal venue for such a project.

STARTING AT THE HIGH STREET and moving towards the rear car park, the premises and land comprised of the following:

FRONT HIGH STREET SECTION A Regency styled, double fronted shop facing the High Street as illustrated right. It was most certainly built post-1825.

The date can be concluded as the drawing of the old barbers house by John Buckler on the nth April 1825 preceded the current Regency building. John Buckler was the architectural draughtsman of his time and drew many pictures of buildings in the town.

Image486.JPGImage494.JPG

The previous barber house was subsequently rebuilt and replaced by the new much larger Regency style building, as seen below. It was constructed during the reigns of George IV and William IV.

Image503.JPG

EASTERN ELEVATION

In the upper floors above the shops, currently occupied by Flats 2, 4, & 6 are some old 15-16th century doorways and other integral features that still remain on the west wall within the building that suggest that it was at one time accessible to the main part of the Tribunal. This seems to be confirmed by earlier published articles stating that there is an adjoining staircase from the