Summary of Archaeological Finds on our Design & Build project at Fulham High Street

Modebest are engaged as a Principle Contractor for a Design & Build project at Fulham High Street. The project is for the Enabling and Archaeological works incorporating sheet piling to the basement, bored piling, basement excavation and reinforced concrete foundations. The client is Meyer Bergman, MB Fulham Limited, and the Project Managers are Stace.

Archaeological works were required at all times during the enabling works and basement excavation works. Modebest appointed a specialist Sub-Contractor, Pre-Construct Archaeology, to carry out the archaeological works and to prepare reports.

The actual archaeological finds were in-line with those anticipated, summarised as follows:

1. The site is located to the southeast of the route of the nearby Fulham Palace moat. It has always been believed that the site sits upon ground which has been reclaimed from the former Fulham stream, a natural tributary of the Thames which also was believed to have fed the nearby moat. This has now being confirmed during these excavations with the stream following the line of the current Fulham High Street with a possible diversion of the stream perhaps feeding directly into the Fulham Palace moat.
   
2. The stream diversion incorporating a sluice mechanism and brick culvert was discovered which dates back to circa 1750. Permission was given to the townspeople from Bishop Sherlock of London and Fulham Palace to construct a sluice from the moat from which the town sewer could be flushed. A feature exposed and recorded during the current work is likely to be this sluice.
   
3. Small fragments of the remains of 19th century brick properties which formerly fronted Fulham High Street were found. The majority of the property foundations still exist beyond the boundary of the site under the wide footpath fronting the High Street. The brick cellars that would have existed on our site were removed during earlier archaeology works.
   
4. Several phases of timber revetments, which once would have lined the eastern side of the Fulham Stream, were discovered. The revetments served to retain and formalise the banks of the stream and make access to the water’s edge and across it, possibly.
   
5. Evidence for a causeway was discovered which would have served as a stream crossing point. Driven timber posts aligned across the stream had planks nailed to both faces and the central area was then filled with earth and clay to make a crossing point which would also have served to control the risk of flooding from the stream.
   
6. No Significant Finds were discovered over and above those anticipated.