SalfordOnline.com paid a final visit to Buile Hill Park to see the completion of the October 2013 archeological dig at the site of the former Hart Hill Mansion.
Salford University Archaeological Unit and a team of trusty volunteers excavated 27 tons of rubble to reveal the huge site of the grand mansion.
Hart Hill was built in 1859 for merchant James Dugdale and comprised a house in an Elizabethan style adjoined on the west by service rooms, a glasshouse and conservatory, and a yard and coach houses.
Brian Grimsditch from Salford University explained to us what had been found and also what they had learned about the mansion.
“Probably our most important find was the boiler room which would have been below the laundry, this would have supplied the whole house with hot water also the conservatories and greenhouses where tropical plants were grown.
“We have also found evidence of earlier brickwork dating back to about 1750 which seem to be an indication of the original walls of the earlier house.
“Clay pipes were found as we expected also broken wine bottles with pontil marks on the base, an almost complete plate which we have reconstructed from pieces found on various stages of the dig, a cream jug and lots of shards of pottery.”
The volunteers on the site were sad to be reaching the end of the dig, but they had thouroughly enjoyed themselves.
“I have worked on preivious digs and you could you say that these are my holidays, I have had a great time,” said Andy Coutts who is also Chairman of the South Manchester Archaeological Research Team.
“I will be sad to when the dig is over, I would do this all day for nothing!”
