The Commandery - '06 Dig Archive Week 2

THE COMMANDERY: DIG ARCHIVE 2006

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cleaning finds

Volunteers have been washing finds while excavation goes on.

trench1 demolition rubble

In Trench 1 the team are continuing to excavate layers of demolition rubble dating from the 16th to 17th century. The rubble contains medieval roof tile, and raised the ground level in this part of the site. A pathway built of stone rubble aligned south to north has been revealed beneath the rubble. This path ran next to the stone foundations of a timber-framed building.

trench2 - cobbled yard

In Trench 2, the 18th century cobbled yard is being to be removed to expose earlier layers. In the northern part of the trench there are fragments of stone structures which are not yet understood. There are two square stone structures, and the backfill of these is now being removed. We hope to understand what these structures are in the next few days.

trench 6 rubble

In Trench 6 we have removed Victorian garden soils and drains, and the team are digging through a thick layer of soil, mixed with medieval demolition rubble. This layer is interpreted as landscaping of the site, to raise the ground level next to the medieval east range.

trench 7 walls

In Trench 7 the team are excavating demolition rubble, probably from the sandstone medieval building which was discovered in the first week. We now believe that the sandstone wall is the top of a substantial wall, deeply buried by post-medieval rubble and soils. A number of postholes alongside the wall were excavated, of uncertain date.

A small team from WHEAS are working inside the adjacent building, where the floor levels have to be lowered in advance of building work to cure damp problems and install a new lift. Here a number of sandstone foundations have been uncovered, including a continuation of the substantial wall revealed in Trench 7.

It is too early to be certain in identifying the building, but at the moment we believe we may be revealing parts of the medieval chapel of St Gudwal.

A medieval decorated floor tile has been recovered from this area (Trench 9), together with some gaming counters.

[ WYAC at the Commandery ]

More about archaeology at the Commandery...

excavator on site

The Commandery Excavation 2006:

This page: [ Latest News ] [ Commandery Background ]

The Commandery Dig Archive 2006
[ week 1 ] [ week 2 ] [ week 3 ]
[ week 4 ] [ week 5 ] [ week 6 ]

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Introduction
The Commandery excavation is back! Following the success of last year's programme, the archaeologists are back on site for the rest of June and the whole of July. The team of volunteers will be excavating in the Commandery gardens for more remains of the medieval hospital, and the site is open every day for visitors (Tuesday - Sunday).

Watch this space for updates on this year's discoveries and for details of the Open Days during National Archaeology Week (July 22 and 23).

Week 2. 26th June to 2nd Jul
The excavations have received a lot of media coverage in the second week, with a detailed feature on ITV Central on Wednesday. A journalist from the Worcester News spent a day digging on Trench 7, and a feature will appear in the newspaper this week.

[ News from the Finds Room 05 ]

COMMANDERY BACKGROUND:

We know very little about the early history of the Commandery. Tradition has it that the building was founded as a hospital around 1085 by Saint Wulfstan, then Bishop of Worcester. However the hospital was built around a much earlier Saxon chapel dedicated to Saint Gudwal - which was located to the North of the present building

Although all traces of this chapel have gone from the area, it must have been a considerable structure, today all that remains are the base pillars of three nave columns placed on the lawn outside and some medieval glass re-used in the Great Hall windows.

The building attributed to Saint Wulfstan was a monastic institution designed to act as a hospital. It seems to have been established with the needs of travellers in mind. Its location, just outside the city walls beside the Sidbury gate, put it at the junction of the main roads from London, Bath and Bristol. Here it could provide travellers with aid should they arrive after the closing of the gates at night

After serving its original function for nearly 500 years, the hospital was among the last monastic institutions to be dissolved by Henry VIII in 1540. From this date onwards the Commandery was to fulfill a number of vastly varied roles that would see it the focus of national events during the Civil War through to quieter times as a family home. The building itself would undergo a range of improvements, repairs and re-buildings throughout its history as each successive owner sought to make their stamp on the place.

Throughout its life therefore, the Commandery has been a living building, changing to reflect the needs placed on it by functions as diverse as home, military headquarters, factory and college.

Today, the Commandery still adapts itself to the needs of the age whilst retaining the fabric of its history for future generations. Above all the building is one that is held in great affection by the people of Worcester and all those who have come into contact with it.

Worcester City Council has been awarded £985,000 by the Heritage Lottery Fund to conduct a complete refurbishment of the building, displays and garden area. Click here for further information about this exciting new project.

[ Latest News ] [ Commandery Background ]