Monument record MDR11508 - Medieval and post-medieval activity (site of), Ford Street, Derby

In 2005 Birmingham Archaeology undertook archaeological evaluation at three sites in advance of road construction as part of the 'Connecting Derby' project. One site was in the Ford Street car park (Phase 2), where two trenches were located. In its earliest form this site was probably open pasture land. The recovery of c.20 sherds of medieval pottery from the earliest exposed deposit indicates that medieval activity in the immediate locality is a possibility. The date range of the sherds is 11th-14th centuries, and it is suggested that they were imported to the site in dumps of material introduced to raise levels in an area prone to flooding, in order to prepare the ground for agricultural use. The earliest surviving structural evidence suggests that settlement on the site was initially centred on the Friar Gate street frontage. The earliest foundation walls encountered were of sandstone and probably relate to the 17th and 18th century expansion of Friar Gate. (1)