Event/Activity EPM218 - Archaeological Watching Brief at the Mary Rose New Museum Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

A watching brief was carried out by Pre-Construct Archaeology Ltd in 2010 on the initial phase of groundworks for the construction of a new Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. The main watching brief took place between the 4th January and the 9th April 2010, with a further watching brief on a drainage trench undertaken on the 21st and 22nd of July 2010. Archaeological monitoring was a condition of Scheduled Monument Consent. The work took place in and around the Scheduled Ancient Monument Dry Dock No 3 (completed in 1803). The main aim of the watching brief was to record any archaeological remains exposed during the groundworks and further knowledge of the methods used in the construction of the dry dock. Monitoring took place on the excavation of observation pits, the grubbing out of 20th century building foundations, the removal of dockside furniture, and the excavation of a service trench. Archaeological trenches were also excavated within the footprint of the new building. All of the principle archaeological features were located and levelled, and a comprehensive photographic record made. Four observation pits were excavated in/around Dry Dock 3 in order to clear the ground where the main pile caps for the new museum were to be placed. The pits were located on the North West side of the outer dock wall and in the North East, South West and South East corners of the dock. The excavation of two of the pits (those in the North East and South East corners), involved the removal of stone built chutes that had been used as timber slides. Each stone was numbered, three dimensionally surveyed, catalogued and photographed. The stones which presented a 'seen face' were stored so they could be reassembled in the future. Monitoring took place on the grubbing out of foundations belonging to a number of 20th century buildings on the north and south side of Dry Dock No 3 which had been demolished prior to the commencement of the work. A stone built dockside feature partially revealed during the removal of foundations at the North West end of the dock was recorded and backfilled with sand. The removal of 18 items of dock-side furniture, mainly consisting of bollards, on the North and South side of Dry Dock No. 3 and South side of Dry Dock No. 4 was monitored and recorded. The items were stored for future use within the landscaping surrounding the new museum. Four archaeological trenches were excavated in a rectangular grid on the north side of Dry Dock No 3, within the footprint of the ground beams to support the new building. The excavation of a service trench to the south of Dry Dock No 3 was monitored in July 2010. The concrete bases of extensive basements revealed beneath the Trafalgar Building during the grubbing out of the buildings foundations were broken up but not removed. The voids were backfilled to ground level with crush material. No further investigation within the footprint of this building was undertaken as the depth and extent of the cellars would have severely impacted on the survival of any archaeological deposits. Accession No: 2022/97 (previously numbered 2008/323)