Ditch cut into compact reddish-brown silty clay that contained a single pig bone and a further unidentified animal bone. The eastern slope of the ditch was at approximately 45 degrees, running to a rounded base. The primary fill consisted of compact yellow silty sand with crushed stone at its base and five handmade brick fragments of 18th to mid 20th century date. This was sealed by moderately compact greyish-brown sandy silt with occasional limestone inclusions and a mid/late 16th to mid 17th century Cistercian cylindrical cup fragment and a single dog tooth. The third deposit to accumulate within the central portion of ditch was pale yellow silty sand with crushed sandstone, ceramic building material (CBM) and large fragments of limestone. This material was likely a dump from a nearby structure, as mortar was adhering to the building fragments. The final fill was moderately compact greyish brown sandy silt with frequent limestone inclusions.

The dumping of the handmade bricks within ditch shows that it was backfilled with demolition rubble no earlier than the 18th century, and quite possibly later. This would indicate the bricks are not from Exeter House in the Spittal which was demolished in 1664 following the siege by Sir John Meldrum (leader of the second siege of Newark). The presence of a single pottery sherd of late 16th to mid 17th century date from later backfill must therefore be residual.

K. Trott, 2010, Archaeological Evaluation Report: Trial Trenching of land at Malt Park, Off Maltkiln Lane, in Newark, Nottinghamshire, p. 8 (Unpublished document). SNT5467.