(TQ 7421 6868) A cess pit and die found during excavations in the garden of No 30 High Street (sited from OS 1:2500, 1970 to TQ 7421 6868). (1) At the end of 1986, it was learnt from a Mr. Justin Marsh that a vaulting respond to a medieval undercroft had been unearthed in his cellar, which he wished to be fully investigated and recorded. The respond had been fully excavated 10 years earlier by Mr. D Williams. On 14th February 1987 a small team led by myself started work on the project. The exposed stone respond stands to height of 1.73m and is set into the south east wall of the undercroft. The respond is of semi-circular form, with carved annular decoration on the capital, the carving being very worn. The wall is built of stone, flint and fragments of Roman bonding-tile set in mortar. To establish the positions of the other responds, five cuttings were planned. Cuttings 2 and 3 could not trace any of the responds, but cutting 4 recovered the second respond matching in style and construction the opposite respond in cutting 1. Cutting 5 revealed another respond in fair condition. There is an unfortunate lack of well preserved architectural detail to enable the vaulted u ndercroft to be dated precisely. The upper component is a developed form of the scroll moulding common in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. In this case the under surface bears a slight ogee curve suggesting the later date. (2)

<1> Fruhmittelalterliche Studien 1979 382-92 (OS Card Reference). SKE43443.

<2> Arch Cant 107 (1989) 207. (OS Card Reference). SKE34642.