NO English kings have been unearthed during an archaeological dig which has been exciting huge interest in the old heart of Newton Abbot.
Hard-hatted ‘time team’ excavators have not unearthed Richard III during their toil in the medieval centre of the town near St Leonard’s Tower.
Instead they’ve found something they consider equally impressive in the scheme of things – a child’s dainty leather shoe possibly dating as far back as the 1400s.
The rare relic from a bygone age does not have the glamour of regal remains under a Leicester car park – but for the finders such footwear is a miracle of survival from the distant past.
It had remained remarkably preserved and intact through the rigours of ages because it was sealed in clay where the destructive habits of oxygen could not decay its fragile preciousness.
Simon Sworn, the site’s senior archaeological project officer, revealed: ‘It’s this day-to-day stuff which is exciting. The job is not all about kings under car parks.’
Other historic treasures thrown up by the half-dozen grafters at the site have been an iron spur from a child’s boot, three wooden barrel bases and a 70cm diameter Dartmoor granite millstone.
The bulky piece was discovered in an exposed stone well – presumably discarded by its long-forgotten owners as a redundant ornament from their Georgian garden.
Its size suggested it had been turned by a horse rather than by hand. Its wresting from its ‘final’ resting place makes it a candidate for accommodation in a local museum.
So far the deft diggers and scrapers from Exeter-based Cotswold Archaeology have reached a depth of two metres.
‘We will keep going down until we hit natural geology – or water at the site makes it unsafe,’ said Simon.
He and his colleagues are hoping to uncover more household artefacts dating right back to the 13th century when Newton Abbot was the hastily-built ‘new town’ of its day.
‘We’ve been learning a lot about how the town developed and how it came to be the place we live in – and who the people were who made Newton Abbot what it is today,’ enthused Simon who, after more than 20 years in the profession, has been involved in history-changing projects in London, Birmingham, Oxford and Devon.
He’s been blown away by the hurricane of interest expressed by the procession of inquisitive townspeople passing by the fenced-off area of just 180 sq metres.
‘I’ve never worked on a site where so much local interest has been shown. A lot of perceptive questions have been asked – and we’ve been happy to answer them,’ he said.
And that curiosity will be given further satisfaction during a special open day at the location on October 19 between 10am and 12.30pm. Entry is free. Punters will be given a talk on the progress of the dig and shown some of the interesting bits and pieces recovered from the once hidden depths old Newton Abbot.
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