03/09/2026
Excavation this year exposed the southern and western corner of the house, which in practice, is much larger than it appears in cartographic sources. What's great to see is that the archaeological remains match the c. 1907 OS mapping, which helps us get an idea of the full extent of the house within the modern landscape. The structure is largely built in red and yellow brick, with stone foundations and lined cement render on the facade. We found a packed clay floor that would have helped provide a stable foundation and prevent ground water ingress. At the eastern side of the house we have a kitchen or scullery, with a well built but not particularly ornate cooking fireplace. We have evidence of a raised timber floor in this room, and its location here suggests that the Guinness family may not have been taking advantage of bay views for lounging. There is a substantial difference in floor heights between the eastern and western sides of the house, where a secondary granite and sandstone floor has been added in the western room. We have a number of stamped floor tiles and 'frogged' bricks from various manufacturers that we're looking forward to researching over the winter. Keep following for more updates!
