We have a new project starting in the next few days, investigating the water supply to this grand country house and its once extensive and elaborate gardens. The sophisticated system incorporated a substantial natural spring, state-of-the-art pumps and a short canal leading to the edge of the gardens. A house has stood on the site since at least the 12th century and has been through several incarnations. The current hall is a rebuild of the Georgian house (following a fire during Victoria's reign) which was itself a rebuild of the medieval hall.
Our initial research has uncovered some interesting information. This extract from an account book mentions the very place we'll be investigating...
"𝐃𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝟏𝟕𝟗𝟓 - 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐝𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐥 (𝐬𝐢𝐜), 𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐨𝐠 𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐏𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫"
If and when we encounter a layer of puddling clay, we might be able to use this documentary evidence alongside any pottery and coin finds to put a date to it. Other information from this book pushes the date of our target back at least a century earlier than we originally expected ie around the 1750s.