During this third year of activity on the early garden at Prior Park part of the dam wall was excavated to investigate further the chronology of the dam, cascade and underground arched water culvert. Further excavation looked for evidence of the Bason and other water culverts. A mechanical digger was used for the initial work.
Findings indicated that the arched culvert had been installed as the dam had been constructed. The width of the remaining dam wall at the centre was found to be 2.9m and unusually had a calcite layer covering its outer northern surface. No further evidence of the cascade was found but evidence of demolition rubble was spread below the dam over a wide area.
Excavation where the extreme eastern edge of the Bason was expected to be found produced a layer of puddling clay, taken to be the waterproof base of the Bason. This height level showed the extent of landscaping that had taken place at demolition, removing the Bason, surrounding earth and the top of the dam wall to create a new ground level probably designed to allow a view from Prior Park Mansion of the new lakes and Palladian Bridge constructed at that time at the foot of the valley.
Considerably more knowledge has been found of the layout of the culvert network from various parts of the higher garden down to the Bason and onward to the Palladian Bridge.
The report is now available for download.