The excavations at the front of New Place, Stratford-upon-Avon, (Chapel Street side) have continued only slowly with a new linking trench between the main cellar trench and the trench that looked at the so-called 'bay-window' of Shakespeare's so-called rear study of New Place. So far this new insision has been ploughing through 1860's backfill once again and finding (as of today actually) more of the capped off walls of the 1702 cellar. Soon we should get the rear wall of the cellar.

Work in the rear knot garden is the most exciting area of endeavour. The second (of four) quadrants through the circular feature has now been completed. Apart from broken bricks, tiles and mortar (classic robbing material) only parts of the horse's head have been found, suggested by some to be a ritual deposit - maybe. But don't get too excited, this is all (based on the bricks and some pottery scraps) 18th Century apparently.

The brick rubble has all been removed (about a metre deep), now revealling a burnt edge, and a black sooty bottom - both suggestive of a major fire.

That's all fine - but what on earth is this - why dig a substantial pit simply to burn things? I've not encountered such a thing before. I still think the interpretation of this feature is problematic, and to be fair, so does site director Will Mitchell.

For what its worth, I still think there is a chance that under the soot, we shall find the un-robbed remains of an 18th Century brick-lined well - but my case is weaker than it was.

Next to this feature is an even more interesting one - just begun today (23rd June). It seems to be square or rectangular, maybe as much as 2m across and containing (at uppermost levels at least) dark brown soil with lots of bones and pottery and - most exciting of all - late-17th Century clay pipes. NOW then, this isn't confirmed yet and this isn't IT - BUT, it looks as promising as anything so far - as it looks like domestic rubbish. And judging by the steep angle of the tiles and stones we see, its likely to be a pit, not a shallow scoop. Moreover, the upper fill at least is dating from the same century that Shakespeare was resident (although he was early 17th Century of course) - but we are getting sooo much closer to the real thing.