For the first time we were able to see what sits below the thick brick walls of Clandon. This offered us the chance to find evidence of the building which historic documents tell us was here before the Palladian mansion.
We’ve excavated a number of small pits to test our theories, revealing a complex network of intercutting drains fanning out across the chalk bedrock. When the current house was built a set of cylindrical drains were added to remove waste water from the kitchens and laundry rooms.
In the 19th century the chalk bedrock which formed this floor was levelled, the old drains were removed and a new set added beneath a timber floor. This is the only room in the basement where a raised timber floor was added instead of the Purbeck limestone slabs used elsewhere.
Evidence of the Jacobean House
Perhaps the most interesting feature was another set of drains. Based on their size and the composition the bricks and re-used roof tiles, we've been able to date the drains to the 16th or 17th centuries. The brown mortar bonding the brick and re-used roof tiles together adds further weight to the dating of these drains. We’re now confident that these are from an earlier period than the current building.