A Watching Brief at 12-14 St. Edwards Passage, Cambridge

Abstract

The Cambridge Archaeological Unit undertook a watching brief during the refurbishment of 12-14 St. Edwards Passage (Figure 1). The standing buildings date to the late 18th/early 19th century. In four areas of the buildings (Areas A, B, C, D) the existing solid floors were lifted by the contractors and the subsoils were inspected, cleaned and recorded by an archaeologist. In all four areas the subsoils were less than 10cms below existing ground level. The refurbishment of the floors did not require further excavation, therefore the features revealed at this depth were recorded but not excavated. A trial pit in Area C was also cleaned and recorded. Two features of note were recorded during the watching brief. In Area A the footings to a wall were found, parallel to the back wall of No. 13, indicating that the current building respects the alignment of an earlier structure. In Area C, the adjoining wall between Nos. 14 and 15 St. Edwards Passage rested on a substantial clunch foundation. The contrast between this foundation and the flimsy foundations on which the other walls rest suggests the clunch foundation is from an earlier structure. Other traces of this earlier structure may exist below No. 15. The traces of earlier buildings in Areas A and C are post-medieval and pre-date the existing structures, built in the late 18th/early 19th century, but cannot be more accurately dated.