AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL dig has uncovered new finds at Greyfriars in Worcester.
A National Trust team have been working all week in the garden of the city centre property to find out what lies beneath the lawn.
They have been able to show visitors the process of uncovering finds in two large pits. They found substantial evidence of earlier occupation possibly from the mediaeval period as well as a series of finds which help tell the stories of people who occupied the site.
Regional archaeologist, Viviana Caroli, said: “I am so pleased we have made these new discoveries which can possibly tell us more about the earlier occupation of the site and therefore Worcester’s history and it’s been especially enjoyable to have people from Worcester come along and join in to help us too.
“The later finds are also really charming. We found an early 20th century scent bottle, marked on the bottom as made by Savilles. We think it might be for their 1920s scent called ‘Mischief’.”
Greyfriars was built in around 1490 by a wealthy merchant and was a home to wealthy families until the late 17th century. In 1699 a baker purchased the lease and divided the house into two. It then became a mixture of homes, shops and businesses for the next 200 years. Trade varied and included leather goods, hats, bread and umbrellas, and for a brief time it housed a “kiddlywink”, or small pub, called the Old Oak Tavern.
Over the years, extensions have been added and its interior altered to accommodate the many families and individuals who’ve resided there. In the early 19th century, ten cottages were constructed in the back garden. By the 1930s, however, fortunes had declined and Greyfriars was faced with demolition. Fortunately, the house was rescued and carefully restored in the mid-20th century by a handful of dedicated individuals, most notably by siblings Elsie and Matley Moore.
The care of Greyfriars was transferred to the National Trust in 1966.
Visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/greyfriars-house-and-garden for more details.
