Broadgate Excavations

February 1933

BROADGATE EXCAVATIONS

Broadgate, the centre of Coventry, with its large shops and banks, with its common meeting-place for the people, was a very different place a thousand years ago. Surprise may be expressed when I say it was little more than a quarry, to be afterwards used as a rubbish tip. In no place around Broadgate is the virgin soil to be found at a less depth than 7-ft. to 10-ft. below the present level. In giving the story of its excavations it will be necessary to deal with it in sections.

LLOYDS BANK SITE

To excavate a large piece of ground like this site gives a much better opportunity than the digging of small holes to reveal what it once was. Near to High Street and at a depth of 8 ft. 6 ins. was found a stone wall, as if the corner of a small shed or garden wall and plastered together with clay. Near to this were two oak tubs, possibly for holding water, the oak in good preservation, and inside one was a lead weight and another weight was found between the clay and stone of the wall, also the vertebrae of a young person. A path of round cobble stones, probably a garden path, was found near to the wall. After digging to a depth of about 8-ft. a number of oak posts was revealed measuring 8 yds. by 6 yds. On digging deeper the bottoms of the posts were found to be 14 to 15 ft. down. This part had been used as a sand-pit, though not of a good quality. The posts proved to be a cowshed of the Norman period, and the branches of silver birch which had been used for the sides of the shed on which mud and keck had been plastered shone as silvery as the bark of to-day. At the back of the shed a ditch measuring a yard wide and about as deep had been dug to keep the shed dry.

At the front of the shed a gravel path led out at its centre. In the ditch which had been filled up with black mud were dagger sheaths embossed with sea-horse and doves or pigeons, shields, etc., also boots of Norman design, and a book box or missal-cover made of thick hide with a skin over it embossed with birds, dragons, diamond shapes, while in the centre were two bronze or gold studs. At the side of the shed, and even under Grey Friars Lane to-day, is about 6 ft. of cow dung carried from the shed and stacked in heaps. Thrown into this were the pieces unglazed black pottery which once had been a complete milking vessel. A circular piece of oak about 1/2in. thick and about 6 ins across was found, which had been used as a float for the milk when being carried on the head out of the rugged quarry The drover's cowstick was found in the dung; a common rose briar with a flat knob at end, nicely trimmed, this stick is in very sound condition, and even sounder than when cut, the dung having preserved it.

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