RE-EVALUATION EXERCISE OF
THE NEW BODLEIAN EXTENSION SITE, BROAD STREET, OXFORD 1937

The New Bodleian site was an early "rescue" excavation, carried out by Rupert Bruce-Mitford and his colleagues in 1937, quite literally as the site was being demolished.  Few of the wells were properly excavated, much was done by observation.  Most of the pottery vessels were salvaged as the ground was being broken up by the mechanical grab, but as far as possible material from each well was kept separately.  25 medieval wells and one stone-lined pit were recorded (Bruce-Mitford 1939, 93).  These medieval wells were little more than unstructured holes in the gravel and were probably in use for no longer than 30 years (Fig.2.)

Fig. 2: Section of the lowest filling of Well 10.

A — top soil; B & C — earth & sand; S — slabs of stone; D — primary silts
(Bruce-Mitford 1939,Fig.21,95)