Report No.

2508/2012
BHER No. 25018
OASIS: bristola1-104493
Centred on NGR ST 5846 7299
Bristol and Region Archaeological Services
St. Nicholas Church, St. Nicholas Street, Bristol, BS1 1UE. Tel: (0117) 903 9010
Archaeological Work
at
NO. 9 PIPE LANE & NO. 42 FROGMORE STREET,
BRISTOL,
2011 - 2012.
By Cai Mason
CONTENTS
Summary................................................................................................. 1
Introduction............................................................................................. 1
Archaeological and Historical Background............................................. 1
The Results............................................................................................. 3
The Finds................................................................................................ 8
Discussion and Conclusions................................................................... 11
Acknowledgements................................................................................. 12
Bibliography and Sources Consulted...................................................... 12
November, 2012.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE:-
Bristol and Region Archaeological Services retain copyright of this report under the Copyrights,
Designs and Patents Act, 1988.
Plans reproduced from the Ordnance Survey mapping with the permission of the Controller of
Her Majesty's Stationery Office Crown copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown
copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Bristol City Council, Licence
Number LA090551, 2012.
Abbreviations
AD Anno Domini C Century
aOD Above Ordnance Datum DCLG Dept. for Communities & Local Government
BaRAS Bristol & Region Archaeological Services DCMS Dept. for Culture Media & Sport
BC Before Christ EH English Heritage
BCC Bristol City Council EHA English Heritage Archive
BCL Bristol Central Library IfA Institute for Archaeologists
BCMAG Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery Km Kilometre
BHER Bristol Historic Environment Record m Metre
BL British Library NGR National Grid Reference
BRO Bristol Record Office OS Ordnance Survey
c Circa
SUMMARY
A programme of archaeological work was undertaken by Bristol and Region Archaeological Services
(BaRAS) prior to, and during, the construction of a new student residential accommodation-building at No.
9 Pipe Lane and No. 42 Frogmore Street, Bristol (NGR ST 5846 7299). The archaeological work revealed
evidence of early 16th-century quarrying and the remains of a large early 17th-century building, which was
later used as an eye hospital. Several 18th and 19th-century extensions to the building, and the remains
of a second early 18th-century building, were also recorded.
INTRODUCTION
The site is situated on the corner of Pipe Lane and Frogmore Street, in central Bristol (Fig. 1; Plate 1), on
a level terrace at approximately 13.9m aOD, which was cut into a south-west facing slope below St
Michaels Hill and Brandon Hill, and above the floodplain of the (now culverted) River Frome. The underlying
geology is Carboniferous Brandon Hill Grit and Triassic Redcliffe sandstone.
Until 1937, the site was occupied by a large, three-storey gable-fronted building (No. 9 Pipe Lane).
The primary aim of the archaeological work was to identify any structural remains of this building and
determine their age, function, and relationship with the nearby medieval Hospital of St Mark. The
archaeological work included recording the extant above-ground elements of previously demolished
buildings, excavating an area in the centre of the site, and maintaining an archaeological watching brief
during the excavation of new service and foundation trenches associated with the new development.
The above-ground archaeological remains were cleared of vegetation, photographed and drawn at
scales of 1:10 and 1:20 as appropriate. The excavation comprised a 30m
2
open-area trench in the centre
of the site. An archaeological watching brief was maintained during all subsequent groundworks. All
significant archaeological features were manually excavated, recorded and photographed. Features were
planned at a scale of 1:20. Sections were recorded at a scale of 1:10.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Save for a relatively small Romano-
British settlement approximately 0.5km
to the north-east of the site (Upper
Maudlin Street), there is no evidence of
any significant activity in the immediate
area prior to the medieval period.
The late Saxon settlement of
Brigstowe (Bristol) was founded in c AD
1000 on a promontory approximately
250m to the east of the site, bounded
on three sides by the River Avon and
the River Frome.
In the 12th century, Bristol was
rapidly growing in size and status, with
new fortifications and monastic founda-
tions springing up around the city. By
the 13th century, these formed a
continuous arc from St Augustines
Abbey (Bristol Cathedral) in the west to
the Dominican Friary (Quakers Friars)
in the east. In c 1230 the Hospital of St
Mark, also known as Gaunts Hospital,

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was established on a site to the north-east of College Green; the precinct of this hospital may have extended
as far as the junction between Pipe Lane and Frogmore Street. Prior to its demolition, the ground floor
faade of No. 9 Pipe Lane incorporated a decorative niche at the corner of Pipe Lane and Frogmore Street,
which may once have contained a statue of the Virgin and Child marking the extent of the hospital precinct
(British Medical Journal 1912).
In c 1256 a Carmelite Friary was established on land to the
north-east of the site. Pipe Lane was named after St Johns Conduit,
which was built in 1275 to convey water from springs on Brandon
Hill to the Carmelite Friary.
Historically, the site lies in the ancient city parish of St
Augustine the Less. In 1373 this parish was incorporated within the
boundaries of the newly created County of Bristol.
In 1539, St Marks Hospital was surendered to the Crown,
and two years later the site and the greater part of the posessions
were sold to the Mayor and Corporation of Bristol (Page 1907).
Cartographic sources from the late 16th century onwards appear to
show development along the south side of Pipe Lane, while Millerds
1673 map (Fig. 2) depicts houses lining both sides of the street. No.
9 may be individually depicted, with a gateway from Frog Lane
(Frogmore Street) leading to a walled rear garden.
Later maps and plans indicate that the basic layout of the site
remained relatively unchanged until the early 18th century. The
Frogmore Street frontage was developed between 1715 and 1742.
An 1824 watercolour painting by George Delamotte depicts
No. 9 (Fig. 3) much as it appears in a 1903 photograph (Plate 2),
with three gables facing the Pipe Lane frontage, which is typical of a
later 17th-century house. Some unusual features are also depicted
in this painting, including the niche on the corner of Pipe Lane and
Frogmore Street, and what appears to be a carving of a winged lion
in the gable wall facing Frogmore Street. The winged lion is
traditionally associated with St Mark, which may indicate that No. 9
was associated with the medieval hospital, or perhaps incorporated
some decorative stonework acquired from a building demolished
after the dissolution.
Plate 1
View of the site from
the north-west
Fig.2 Extract from Millerds map of 1673
Fig.3 A watercolour painting of No.9
Pipe Lane by George Delamotte, 1824
(BRSMG M2549)
2
Later maps and plans indi-
cate some alterations and
extensions to the rear of the
buildings fronting Pipe Lane and
Frogmore Street, but otherwise
the layout appears to have
remained essentially unchanged
throughout the 19th century. Fig.
4 depicts the layout of the site in
1883.
In the 19th century, No. 9
became home to the Bristol
Eye Dispensary, a charitable
institution established in 1812 by
ophthalmic surgeon John Bishop
Estlin who, amongst other things,
pioneered the use of vaccination
as a preventative treatment for smallpox, then a major cause of
blindness (Marmion 2005). Estlin died in 1855, but the hospital
remained based at No. 9 until it was moved to new larger premises
in Orchard Street in 1870. In the late 19th century, No. 9 was used
as a lodging house.
In 1937, No. 9 and the three buildings facing Frogmore Street
were demolished as part of a road-widening scheme to improve the
tight and steeply sloping junction between Pipe Lane and Frogmore
Street. The site was subsequently used as an engineering works,
which became derelict after the mid-1980s.
THE RESULTS
Introduction
The phased results of the archaeological work are presented below
and illustrated in Figs. 5 - 8. Full context descriptions are provided in
Mason (2012), which is available for study in the project archive held
at Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery under the Accession Number
BRSMG 2011/28.
Natural geology
Heavily truncated bedrock, context 130, was encountered between approximately 0.20m and 3m below
existing ground level.
Phase 1: Early 16th century
The earliest feature on the site was an extensive (over 3m in depth and over 18m in width) quarry pit
115/156 (Fig. 6). This feature appears to have extended across the entire site; its north-east extent was
defined by Pipe Lane; its south-eastern edge lay immediately to the north of the boundary between Nos 8
and 9 Pipe Lane. The south-west and north-west extent of the quarry are unknown. The quarry was
backfilled with mixed deposits of angular sandstone rubble and orangey brown silty clay (116, 128, 137,
153, 155, 157-8) containing medieval pottery. The pottery was predominantly late 12th, or 13th century, in
date, but the presence of two joining sherds of early 16th-century pottery and a late 15th-century copper
alloy strap-end suggest this feature was probably backfilled in the early 16th century.
3
Fig.4 Extract from the 1883 Ordnance
Survey plan
Plate 2
1903 photograph of No. 9 Pipe Lane
(BRSMG M3671)
Phase 2: Early 17th century
The earliest structures on the site comprised walls (120, 139/141) associated with the first phase of building
at No. 9 Pipe Lane (Fig. 7; Plate 3). Number 9 was built over backfilled quarry 115/156 and had a cellar
with at least one vaulted-chamber extending under Pipe Lane. The
3m difference in height between Pipe Lane and a yard to the rear of
No. 9 meant that the entrance to the cellar was accessible from
ground level. The walls were constructed with random uncoursed
stone-rubble bonded with a pinkish or orangey-brown lime mortar,
and were cut through the backfill of quarry 115/156 and founded on
the underlying bedrock. Finds from the backfill (181) of the construc-
tion trench 180 for wall 139/141 indicate the building was constructed
after c 1550, but probably no later than the early 17th century. The
earliest floor in the cellar 127 was a brownish lime-mortar screed.
The arched opening visible in wall 139/141 appeared to form the
entrance to an intact vaulted-cellar extending under Pipe Lane. The
cellar had a stone-lined drain (182) (visible in section only) set in the
earliest floor 127, which drained from the vaulted cellar towards the
4

170
162
138
157
127
134 1
3
7
121
121
cellar?
cellar or
steps up to
street level
spring of
arch
wall scar
fill
139
fireplace?
140
cellar
148
not excavated
not excavated
not excavated
flagstone floor
108
flagstone floor
118
drain
122
flagstone
floor
121
ceramic
drain
section
Fig.6
profile
Fig.8
doorway
doorway
blocked
doorway
made
ground
truncated
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cellar?
cesspit?
Frogmore Street
Pipe Lane
approx
location
of pit 164
blocked
doorway
over
steps
vaulted
cellar
under
road
not excavated
not excavated
not excavated
149
149
149
106
107
103
152
152
154
151
151 159
161
156 156
115
109
104
150
147
169
169
101
120
142
123
101
119
102
profile
Fig.7
141
139
119
Phase 4 floor surfaces
Phase 4 - late C19/early C20
Phase 3 - C18/19
Phase 3a - early C18
Phase 2 - early C17
Phase 1 - early C16
0 5 10m
Fig.5 Phased site plan
116
130
129
117
concrete
drain disturbance
114
wall
101
13.94m aOD

115


0 2m
Phase 3 - C18/19
Phase 2 - early C17
Phase 1 - early C16
Fig.6 Section of quarry pit 115,
scale 1:40
rear of the building. A blocked
doorway (142) in the north-east
wall of the cellar may have
provided access to another cellar,
or a flight of steps up to Pipe
Lane.
The north-west wall (138)
of No. 8 Pipe Lane formed a
party wall with No. 9. It was not
possible to determine if the two
buildings were constructed as
part of a single development, or if
one was older than the other. The
construction methods and
architectural style of the buildings
were, however, very similar,
suggesting they were at least
near-contemporary.
Soil 117 consisted of a
0.3m-thick layer that covered the
backfill of quarry pit 115/156;
finds suggested it was probably
deposited around the time walls 120 and 139/141 were constructed. Soil layers 132 and 183 were probably
the same as 117. These soils were probably all derived from the excavation of foundation trenches for the
construction of No. 9. Context 117 was overlain by a cobbled external surface 129; this was also probably
contemporary or near-contemporary with the first phase of building at No. 9.
Phase 3a: Early 18th century
Cartographic evidence suggests that the Frogmore Street frontage was developed in the early 18th century.
5
142
brick
late C19
floor level
brick brick

iron rod
141
render
brick
arch
177
178
void
16.10m aOD
void
void
171
171
132
137
139
step
172
174
139
139
140
wall
138
139
drain
182
183
133
183
137
bedrock
bedrock
bedrock
iron
hook
brick
bedrock
bedrock
0 5m
Phase 4 - late C19/early C20
Phase 3 - C18/19
Phase 2 - early C17
recess
recess

Fig.7 Profile of wall 139/141, scale 1:40
Plate 3 Wall 139/141, viewed from the west
Walls 104 and 109 comprised the front and rear walls of No. 42 Frogmore Street respectively. The rear
wall 104 stood approximately 2m in height; wall 109 was buried beneath the modern pavement. The walls
were constructed with random uncoursed stone bonded with a greyish or pinkish-brown lime mortar. Both
walls were abutted and overlain by modern demolition-rubble. Wall 104 was abutted by late 19th-century
brick wall 103 and flagstone floor 108. The backfill (112) of construction cut 110 for wall 109 was overlain
by 18th or 19th-century made ground 113. It was not possible to determine if any internal floor-surfaces
survived within this building.
Phase 3: 18th & 19th century
At some point in the 18th or 19th century, the rear wall of No. 9 Pipe Lane appears to have been partially
rebuilt using stone bonded with a greyish-brown to cream coloured lime-mortar (119). Brick arch 177 would
have supported a vaulted roof over the cellar. The fact that the vaulted cellar under Pipe Lane was
constructed in stone rather than brick suggests, but does not prove, that arch 177 was a later addition.
Various minor repairs (173-6, 178) to wall 139/141 were also recorded; these were all probably undertaken
in the 18th or 19th century.
The foundations of the north-eastern wall (149) of No. 40 Frogmore Street were exposed along the
south-western boundary of the site. The wall was constructed using random uncoursed stone, bonded with
a pale pinkish lime-mortar. The relationship between this wall and walls 104 and 109 was not ascertained,
but they were considered to be near-contemporary. The backfill (152) of construction cut 151 for wall 149
was in turn cut by the construction trenches 184 and 185 for structures 147 and 150.
Structures 147 and 150 comprised subterranean features constructed with random uncoursed stone
bonded with a mid-grey lime mortar. It appeared that the two structures were originally part of a linear
trough-like feature, but due to later truncation it was not possible to confirm this. Structure 147 was 1.2m
in width internally, 1.4m in depth, had an unlined base and a drain leading into its south-eastern side. This
structure could not have held water and was probably a 19th-century cesspit or soakaway, possibly
associated with the sites use as a hospital and lodging house.
Pit 164 was observed in section only so its configuration and dimensions remain unknown. No finds
were recovered from the fill (163), but the dark greyish-brown colour of the latter suggested it was an 18th
or 19th-century refuse pit.
Structure 102/169 comprised a subterranean feature with an upstanding wall facing the yard to the
rear of Nos 9 and 42. The structure was constructed using random uncoursed stone bonded with a cream-
coloured lime mortar. The structure measured approximately 2m by 2m internally. Although the feature may
have been a cesspit, the fact that it lay within one of the buildings facing Frogmore Street, suggested it
6
Profile of wall (101), scale 1:40
doorway
concrete step
brick
chimney
iron
pipe
concrete floor
stone wall
101
stone
wall
brick
brick
wall
102
107
100

105
wall
101
blocking
106
blocked
doorway

13.88m aOD
Phase 4 - late C19/early C20
Phase 3 - C18/19
0 2m
Fig.8 Profile of wall 101
was more likely to comprise a small cellar. Structure 102/169 abutted wall 101 and was abutted by late
19th-century wall 103.
Wall 101 (Fig. 8) was constructed using random uncoursed stone bonded with creamy coloured
lime-mortar. This wall defined a yard area with a later 19th-century flagstone floor (118) to the rear of No.
9. There were two doorways in the wall, one of which had later been blocked-up. Wall 123 was constructed
with the same materials as wall 101, and formed part of a small open-sided extension over part of the yard.
Wall 123 was probably later than wall 101.
Wall 154 was constructed using random uncoursed stone bonded with a small amount of creamy-
coloured lime-mortar. This feature was situated near the south-western edge of the site and may have
formed one side of a stone-lined drain, or was possibly a retaining wall. Construction cut 159 for wall 154
cut through the backfill of quarry 115/156.
Brick-lined drain 122 was exposed between walls 120 and 123. The drain was filled with silt 124,
and was probably contemporary with wall 123.
Structure 140 consisted of a small area of masonry inserted into wall 139. This area of the wall was
constructed with random coursed stone bonded with a creamy lime-mortar. The stone was sooty and
appeared to form the base of a small fireplace.
Brick-lined drain 145 ran along the south-eastern edge of the site just below ground level. The
feature was constructed using
second-hand sandstone roof-tiles
for the base and handmade
bricks for the sides.
Phase 4: Late 19th early 20th
century
Rectangular pit 161 was exposed
in the corner of walls 119 and
138. The pit was 1.2m by 1.4m in
width and 2.2m in depth and was
backfilled with a large quantity of
late 19th-century domestic
refuse. Finds from the fill (162)
suggested it was backfilled in c
1890. The backfilled pit was
covered by flagstone floor 118.
The most plausible interpretation
of this feature is that it served as
a latrine pit. Another possibility is
that it was dug to investigate the
condition of No. 8 or 9s rear
foundations.
Wall 103 was constructed
using bricks bonded with a hard black Portland-cement mortar. Wall 103 abutted walls 104 and 102/169,
and was abutted by flagstone floor 108.
Flagstone floors 108, 118 and 121 were probably all laid towards the end of the 19th century. Floor
121 was situated in the earliest portion of No. 9, and replaced the original mortar-floor. Floor 118 (Plate 4)
extended across an area defined by walls 119, 120, 123 and 101. Floor 108 covered a small yard to the
rear of No. 42 and was bounded by walls 103 and 104.
One of the doorways in wall 101 was progressively narrowed and finally blocked-up with brickwork
105-7. The archway in wall 139/141 leading to the cellar under Pipe Lane was partially blocked with brick-
work 172. Contexts 105-7 and 172 were all bonded with a hard black Portland-cement mortar. Two slots in
brickwork 172 probably indicated the positions of hinge-brackets for a door. The cellar under Pipe Lane
was eventually backfilled with brick rubble and crudely blocked-off using un-mortared re-used bricks. The
doorway in wall 139/141 was also blocked with un-mortared bricks 142. Both openings were probably
sealed when No. 9 was demolished in 1937.
Structure 147 was backfilled using a mixture of domestic refuse and brick/stone rubble (148). The
finds suggest this probably took place towards the end of the 19th century, but it may have taken place
7
Plate 4 Flagstone floor 118, wall 101 to the left, viewed from the south-east
when the site was cleared in 1937.
Phase 5: Modern
Modern features and deposits exposed included a concrete yard-surface 186, and demolition rubble and
refuse 100, 143-4, 146 and 170, which abutted and/or overlaid the remains of the buildings demolished in
1937.
THE FINDS
Introduction
A total of 335 finds were recovered, all of which date to the medieval or post-medieval periods. The finds
were quantified and assessed, and are discussed separately by type below. Full details of the finds are
provided in Mason (2012), which is available for study in the project archive.
Pottery/Ceramics
A total of 210 ceramic sherds were recovered, approximately half of which are medieval, the remainder
post-medieval.
The English medieval pottery includes locally produced coarsewares, Ham Green glazed and
unglazed ware, Bristol Redcliffe ware and Minety ware. Identifiable forms include jugs and cook pots.
Although there are a few sherds of locally produced late 11th/early 12th-century coarsewares, the majority
of the medieval pottery dates from the late 12th to 15th century, which is perhaps unsurprising given that
this period coincides with the establishment of St Marks Hospital and the Carmelite Friary in the early 13th
century. The most common wares in the assemblage are Ham Green and Bristol Redcliffe.
All of the imported medieval pottery is French and comprises a single sherd of Normandy gritty
ware, several sherds of Saintonge ware and two joining sherds of early 16th-century Beauvais ware from
a highly decorated, yellow-glazed chafing dish recovered from context 128. The dish is decorated with an
applied rosette and a rectangular plaque with a crude embossed (female?) figure holding a staff or possibly
a flag (Fig. 9.1). A large assemblage of medieval pottery containing numerous chafing dishes was
uncovered at Narrow Quay, Bristol, in 1978-9 (Good 1987) and included several late 16th-century chafing
dishes. Although the assemblage contained several highly decorated examples with applied anthropomor-
phic and zoomorphic figures, there are no direct parallels for the Pipe Lane sherd. A second chafing-dish
fragment was recovered from context 117; this is a sherd of late 13th to 15th-century green-glazed
Saintonge ware decorated with an embossed face (Fig. 9.2).
Late medieval/early post-medieval transitional wares include Cistercian ware, Malvern Chase
redware, Portuguese Merida-type and German Raeren stonewares. Although Malvern Chase ware has a
8

Fig.9 The pottery, half life size
broad production range spanning the late 13th to 17th centuries, it is most commonly found in Bristol in
16th-century contexts.
The post-medieval wares include German Cologne/Frechen and Bristol stonewares, South
Somerset, Staffordshire, Cranham and North Devon earthenwares. Post-medieval pottery forms include
three red-earthenware bowl rims from deposits 113 and 133.
The modern mass-produced ceramics include transfer-printed and plain whitewares. Transfer-
printed ware from deposit 125 includes teacup and bowl forms. The plain whiteware from the same deposit
includes a jar base and chamber-pot rim.
Cellar backfill 148 contained a mixture of plain, hand-painted, and transfer-printed whitewares. The
forms include plates, bowls, a chamber pot, an egg cup, a marmalade jar, a vase, and a tube of unknown
function. The other pottery from deposit 148 comprises Bristol glazed stoneware and post-medieval red
earthenware. The Bristol stoneware includes joining sherds from a large flagon produced by Powells of
Bristol. Powells between 1836 and 1907.
Pit-fill 162 contained a similar range of 19th-century whitewares. The presence of a vase decorated
with a flow blue decoration indicates they were deposited after c 1830.
Animal bone
A total of 65 animal bones were recovered, the majority from post-medieval deposits. The animal bone is
quantified by period in Table 1 and by species in Table 2.
Table 1: Number of Identified Specimens (NISP) quantified by period (Note: unidentified animal bones are
not quantified in this table)
Period NISP
Late medieval 9
Post-medieval/Early 17th century 27
Modern 4
Total 40
Table 2: NISP per species quantified by period
Species Late medieval Post-medieval Modern Total
Cattle (bos) 4 10 3 17
Sheep/goat (ovis) 5 14 1 20
Pig (sus) 3 3
Unidentified mammal bones 5 17 22
Unidentified bird bones 3 3
Total 14 47 4 65
The majority of the animal bones are in good condition, 62% of which are identifiable to species.
The most numerous fragments are sheep/goat and cattle, which are present in near-equal quantities. Bird
and pig bones are only present in post-medieval contexts. Most, if not all, of the bones are likely to be
derived from food waste discarded in the medieval and post-medieval periods. As a whole, the assemblage
is typical for an urban setting in the medieval and post-medieval periods.
The assemblage is too small to allow a meaningful comparison between the late medieval and post-
medieval material. It is, however, possible to state that the two chronological groups are broadly similar.
Clay tobacco-pipe
A total of 16 clay tobacco-pipe fragments were recovered. These comprised five stem-fragments and five
pipe-bowls.
The majority of the pipe-bowls are 17th or early 18th-century types collected as residual finds from
later deposits. Three of the pipes have makers marks, but only one was identifiable to a known Bristol
pipe-maker. Where possible, the pipes have been identified with parallels in Jackson & Price (1974). All of
the marked bowls were recovered as unstratified finds.
One of the pipe-bowls is embossed on the side with the name I Wilson and is similar to that
9
illustrated by Jackson & Price (1974, no. 298). This can be identified as John Wilson, who was apprenticed
in 1700, and became free (a burgess) in 1707 and is last recorded in 1723 (Jackson & Price 1974; Oswald
1975; Price & Jackson 1979).
The second marked pipe-bowl is stamped on the heel with the initials IT and is similar to that
illustrated by Jackson & Price (1974, no. 251). The pipe can be dated typologically to the period 1660-
1700. There are four Bristol pipe-makers with these initials who operated during this period: John Tucker I
(free 1662), John Tucker II (apprenticed 1676), and Joan Tippett (operated 1687-1715) (Jackson & Price
1974; Oswald 1975; Price & Jackson 1979).
The third marked pipe has a stamped rose on the heel. This pipe can be dated typologically to the
period 1660 - 1700.
Glass
A number of complete or near-complete glass bottles were recovered from the cesspit backfill 148 and pit-
fill 162. The assemblage comprises a typical mixture of late 19th/early 20th-century medicine, toiletry, ink,
alcohol and soft-drink bottles, most of which date to the period 1870-1930. A further two shards of bottle
glass were recovered from drain-fill 124; one dates from the late 18th or early 19th-century, the other was
produced between 1830 and 1930. Four runs of glass-making waste recovered from the core of wall 101.
Copper alloy
A copper alloy strap-end was recovered from quarry-fill 128. The strap-end comprises two plain, riveted
rectangular shield-shaped plates, one of which has a keyhole in the centre. The strap-end is similar to a
decorated, probably late 15th century, example found in Michaelston, near Cardiff (Portable Antiquities
Scheme 2011).
A copper alloy pendulum from a clock was recovered from pit-fill 162. The pendulum has a vertical
rod with an adjustable disc-shaped weight. The weight comprises a circular copper-alloy ring, which
encircles a glass-covered gold-plated decorative wooden centre. Pendulum clocks were invented in the
mid 16th century, and remained very costly hand-crafted commodities until mass-production of clock parts
in the 19th century eventually made them more available to the burgeoning middle classes. Pit-fill 162 was
probably deposited at the end of the 19th century when such objects would have been available to the
middle classes.
Ceramic building-material
A total of 4 pieces of ceramic building material (CBM) were recovered. These consist 3 medieval roof-tiles
and 1 wall-tile. The wall-tile from deposit 148 is embossed with decoration and probably from a fire-surround
of late 19th/early 20th-century date. The roof-tiles were identified by comparison with the Bristol Roof Tile
Fabric series (BRF); fabric descriptions are provided in Jackson (2006). The roof-tiles comprise 1 piece of
14th-century tile (BRF4) from construction-cut fill 181, 1 piece of 14th/15th-century tile (BRF8) from deposit
132, and 1 piece of 15th/16th-century tile (BRF6) from deposit183. Medieval roof-tiles are a common find
in Bristol and their presence on the site is unsurprising given its urban context.
Stone building-material
A total of 5 pieces of stone building material were recovered, consisting of 2 sandstone roof-tiles reused
as a lining for drain 145, 1 piece of architectural stone from wall 101, and 1 sandstone tile and 1 slate from
deposit 183. All of the stone roof-tiles/slates are small, with rounded upper ends and with a single nail-hole
in the centre. The tiles/slates are probably all medieval, or early post-medieval, in date. A large piece of
architectural stone was recovered from wall 101. This object is likely to be derived from one of the many
nearby religious houses that were demolished soon after the dissolution.
Other finds
The remaining finds consist of 7 unidentifiable lumps of iron recovered from soil deposits 117, 133, and
132, 3 oyster shells from fills 128, 132 and layer 137, and a sandstone whetstone from quarry-fill 153.
Discussion of the finds
The finds recovered at Pipe Lane are indicative of human activity on or near the site from the 12th century
onwards. The quantities of early pottery are, however, small, which suggests there was little significant
development on the site until St Marks Hospital and the Carmelite Friary were established there in the
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early 13th century.
Pottery recovered from the fill of quarry 115/156 is predominantly late 12th or 13th century in date.
The presence of early 16th-century Beauvais ware and a late 15th-century copper-alloy strap-end suggests,
however, that the quarry was probably backfilled in the early 16th century. Soil layer 117 contained 16th or
early 17th-century finds, which suggests that the final infilling of quarry 115/156 took place in the post-
medieval period.
The majority of the pottery from the backfill of the construction trench for the foundations of No.9 is
late medieval or very early post-medieval. The presence of a single sherd of South Somerset earthenware,
however, indicates that the walls cannot have been built before the mid 16th century. South Somerset ware
was produced up until the 19th century, but the absence of clay tobacco-pipe fragments or later 17th-
century pottery types suggests that wall 139/141 was probably built in the late 16th or early 17th century.
Wall 101 contained 2 sherds of late 16th or 17th-century pottery. A single sherd of late 17th or 18th-
century pottery was also recovered from wall 104, which serves to confirm a broadly post-medieval date
for both structures. Finds recovered from soil layers 113, 132 and 133 indicates that these deposits are all
post-medieval.
The presence of a sherd of refined whiteware in the doorway blocking 107 and bedding layer 125
suggests they were both constructed in the 19th century. The finds recovered from pit-fill 162 are indicative
of late 19th-century household waste, probably discarded c 1890. Finds from context 148 suggest it was
deposited in the late 19th or early 20th century.
In general, the finds are typical of urban domestic refuse. The presence of higher status imported
medieval pottery and items such as a post-medieval clock pendulum provide, however, some evidence
that the site was probably of reasonably high status in the medieval and post-medieval periods.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
The earliest feature exposed was a large quarry-pit that extended across the entire site. It is not possible
to determine if there were any earlier structures on the site, as these would have been completely destroyed
by quarrying operations. The quarry was backfilled with silty clay and stone rubble that contained medieval
finds ranging in date from the 11th to early 16th century, which suggests that it was backfilled about the
time of the dissolution. Although the finds suggest the quarry was backfilled in the early 16th century, the
possibility that it was excavated earlier in the medieval period, but was left open for a time, or that it was
excavated some time after the dissolution but backfilled with material containing residual medieval pottery,
cannot be discounted. Excavations at Colston Hall in 2006 (Heaton 2008) uncovered another large quarry
that post-dated and truncated the remains of the Carmelite Friary there. This demonstrates that substantial
quarrying operations were being undertaken in the area soon after the dissolution, and that the stone was
valuable enough to warrant demolishing any standing medieval buildings that happened to be in the way.
A primary aim of the fieldwork was to establish the construction date of No. 9 Pipe Lane. Finds
recovered from the backfill of the construction trenches indicate that the building was erected after the mid-
16th century, but probably no later than the mid-17th century. This fits well with the characteristics of the
building and an early 17th-century construction date would seem probable.
When No. 9 was demolished in 1937, a medieval decorative stone niche was recovered from the
ground-floor faade on the corner of Pipe Lane and Frogmore Street. The niche probably originally housed
a religious statue, purported to be the Virgin and Child, and it has been speculated that its position on the
corner of Pipe Lane and Frogmore Street is significant in that it marked the northern corner of the precinct
of St Marks Hospital. The dating of the earliest excavated portion of No. 9 to the early 17th century would
appear to preclude the possibility that the niche was in situ. Its placement on the corner of the building is,
however, unusual and although any discussion regarding the reasons for its presence must remain
speculative, a number of possibilities do present themselves. One possibility is that the niche was in situ
and the element of the building from which it was recovered (which lay outside the excavation area) was
older than the excavated portion of the building. Another is that it did originally mark the corner of the
Hospital precinct, but was removed when No. 9 was built, later to be re-erected on the corner of the new
building. Alternately, it is also entirely possible that the niche was simply acquired from one of the many
nearby religious buildings that were demolished after the dissolution.
Perhaps the most interesting discovery is that No. 9 has at least one, but probably more, vaulted
cellars that extend under Pipe Lane, one of which incorporates an intact ceiling.
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The results of the archaeological work broadly confirm the accepted developmental sequence for
this part of Bristol. Documentary evidence suggests that between c 1230 and 1539 the site lay within the
precinct of St Marks Hospital. Early post-medieval quarrying had, however, removed any evidence of
activity on the site during this period. After the dissolution the City Corporation acquired the site and by the
late 16th century much of Pipe Lane had probably been developed. Number 9 was probably not built until
the early 17th century, and may well have been the first building on the site. The south-east side of
Frogmore Street remained undeveloped until the early 18th century. Number 9 and the houses along
Frogmore Street remained relatively unaltered until their demolition as part of a road-widening scheme
undertaken in 1937.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The author would like to thank: Pipe Lane Student Property LLP for commissioning the archaeological
work; Jonathan Brecknell (Urban Creation) for his assistance throughout the project.; Bob Jones, Bristol
City Council Archaeological Officer, for monitoring the excavation and for his advice; Reg Jackson for
reviewing the text of this report; John Bryant of BaRAS for managing the project; Ann Linge of BaRAS for
producing the plans, photographs and other figures for publication; Roy Krakowicz and Andy King of BaRAS
for undertaking the fieldwork.
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND SOURCES CONSULTED
British Geological Survey. (2012). Geology of Britain Viewer. URL: http://www.bgs.ac.uk/discovering
Geology/geologyOfBritain/viewer.html. Accessed 06 March 2012.
British Medical Journal (1912). Bristol Eye Dispensary. British Medical Journal May 25th 1912, p.1211.
Good, G. L. (1987). The excavation of two docks at Narrow Quay, Bristol, 1978-9. Post-medieval
Archaeology. Vol. 21, pp. 25-126.
Heaton, R. (2008). Archaeological Excavation at No. 2 Trenchard Street/Colston House, Colston Street,
Bristol. BaRAS Unpublished assessment report.
Jackson, R. G. (2006). Excavations at St Jamess Priory, Bristol. Oxford: Oxbow Books.
Jackson, R. G. & Price, R. H. (1974). Bristol Clay Pipes, a Study of Makers and Their Marks. Bristol:
Bristol City Museum Research Monograph No 1.
Marmion, V. J. (2005). The origin of eye hospitals. British Journal of Ophthalmology, Vol. 89, Issue 11,
pp. 1396-1397.
Mason, C. (2012). Building Recording, Archaeological Excavation & Watching Brief at No. 9 Pipe Lane &
No. 42 Trenchard Street, Bristol. BaRAS Report No. 2508/2012. Unpublished client report.
Oswald, A. (1975). Clay Pipes for the Archaeologist. Oxford: BAR Reports 14.
Page, W. (Ed.) (1907). 'Hospitals: St Mark, Billeswick, called Gaunt's Hospital', A History of the County of
Gloucester: Volume 2, pp. 114-118.
Portable Antiquities Scheme (2011). Strap end. Portable Antiquities Scheme Database. URL:
http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/48605 Accessed 25th July 2011.
Price, R.H. & Jackson, R. G. (1979). Bristol Clay Pipe Makers. A Revised and Enlarged Edition. Privately
publishd by the authors.
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Watkins, K. (2007). An Archaeological Assessment of a Proposed Development site at 9 Pipe Lane & 42
Frogmore Street, Bristol. Bath: Kim Watkins Archaeological Consultant. Unpublished client report.
Maps and Plans
1568 Smiths map
1581 Hoefnagles map
1610 Speedes map
1673 Millerds map
1707 The Ground Plott of ye Hospitalls, Orchard, and gardens in the Colledge Green (BRO Plan
Book D fol. 36/1)
c 1715 Millerds map
1742 Rocques map
1828 Plumley and Ashmeads map
c 1836-52 Plans of No. 9 Pipe Lane & No. 42 Frogmore Street (BRO Plan Book C fol.816)
1854 & 1874 Ashmeads maps
1884 Ordnance Survey 1:500 plan (Surv. 1883)
1903-55 Ordnance Survey 1:2500 plans
1920-65 Ordnance Survey 1:10560 maps
1973-88 Ordnance Survey 1:10000 maps
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