This pile is one of several we uncovered, all positioned to keep the timber revetment at the bottom of the leat in place. “Pile” is a technical term meaning that the timber has a pointed end and is driven into the ground rather than placed in a hole.
Once it was removed, we could see that the pile is 1.2m long, and 220mm by 120mm in cross-section (although it was originally a little longer as we can see the top has eroded) – a substantial timber! There are tooling marks on the surface, probably made with an adze. The post will sampled for dendrochronology (tree ring dating) to determine the dates when it was growing.