AAG Archaeology has been excavating the site of town’s former billiard hall since 2014, after the landowner decided to demolish the building to make way for new houses.
And during the work the team found a ship’s chair which researchers have traced back to the RMS Olympic , the older sister ship of the Titanic .
The chair is able to swivel on a heavy cast iron base, making it ideal for a billiard hall as players could turn between the snooker table and rest table without disturbing their opponent.
AAG team leader Jon Welsh said: “I think the best find is the chair from the Olympic . A lot of the Olympic ended up around this area, but it’s still an amazing find.”
The Titanic famously sank in 1912 with the loss of 1,500 lives after striking an iceberg on her maiden voyage, but the Olympic had a long career, including life as a troop ship during the First World War.
She was scrapped in 1935 in Jarrow, but beforehand, her fittings were auctioned off.
The billiard hall itself was built in 1936, but prior to that the site formed part of the gardens of Orchard House, which now houses Orchard House Veterinary Centre.
AAG said that throughout its 20-year lifespan, the billiard hall, situated close to the County Hotel, Hexham Mart and the Farmer’s Club, developed a reputation as an institution frequented by ladies of the night, on the look out for rich clients.
After closing in the 1950s, the hall became part of Fewster’s garage, before becoming a workshop and storeroom for Robinson & Cowell in the mid-1980s.
Once the hall was demolished, the archaeologists turned their attention to the former gardens beneath the building and found the remains of unusual pottery and china that hinted at the luxurious lifestyle enjoyed by residents of Orchard House.
These included the spout of a creamware coffee pot shaped like the barrel of a musket, dating from 1730-1760, and a moulded stoneware fragment in the shape of a woman’s head, from the mid to late 18th century. All the finds will be given to the archives at the Great North Museum
AAG Archaeology currently has other projects in Hexham at the Sele First School and the former Dickinson’s store.
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