Merton and Bennetts Mill (MMY99)

Clients: Countryside Properties Plc/Copthorn Homes

Author: D Seeley

Site supervisor: D Saxby

This large redevelopment site lies within the precinct of Merton Priory to the south of the priory church excavated in the 1980s and the chapter house, which is currently preserved in situ in a room beneath Merantun Way. Part of the area is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The development proposals are for a mixed use development to include a hotel and leisure centre, residential blocks, restaurants and heritage centre.

For over four years various methods of assessment have been used to determine the location and quality of the archaeological remains that might be present on site, particularly those relating to the medieval priory. Using that information, the project team devised a redevelopment scheme that preserved all medieval structural remains in situ and minimised the impact on other significant archaeological deposits where possible. An appropriate mitigation strategy in other areas where preservation in situ was not possible was prepared to ensure the archaeological deposits were adequately investigated and recorded.

The first phase of development commenced in October 2002 and is ongoing. In advance of ground works the site of Bennett´s Mill, built in 1802 and an important feature of the industrial mill complex on the River Wandle, was excavated. The mill was latterly associated with Liberty & Co. The entire ground plan of the mill building including the mill race was recorded, providing evidence for the activities carried out within this particular building. Dye vat furnaces, a dye paddle, textile fragments and the remains of dye plants all confirm dye production on the ground floor of Bennett´s Mill.

In advance of piling for the hotel and leisure complex, an area known from previous evaluation to contain dumped painted medieval window glass was excavated. This was an opportunity to recover more evidence for the window decoration and possibly other elements of the structural appearance of Merton Priory, which was largely demolished c 1538 and many of the materials used by Henry VIII to construct Nonsuch Palace. Medieval window glass with lettering or stylised borders was recovered along with stone architectural fragments. Other medieval items include part of a preserved wattle fence panel, head of a wooden shovel, floor and roof tiles, stone mortar and iron key.

The redevelopment continues into early 2004 and is an example of a multi-disciplinary project team working towards a design that would allow development of the site, whilst also preserving and managing the heritage of local to national importance.

This site report is extracted from MoLAS 2003: annual review