An archaeological excavation into the 17th-century Dorset home of the world’s first modern chemist has officially been completed.

Dorset Diggers Community Archaeology Group and the Stalbridge History Society announced today that they have completed the excavation of the home of 17th-century scientist Robert Boyle, who, along with Isaac Newton, Christopher Wren and Robert Hooke, was a founder member of the Royal Society, patronised by King Charles II.

In 1643, Boyle inherited Stalbridge House in Stalbridge, north Dorset, from his father, Richard Boyle, Earl of Cork. It was considered the fifth-largest house in the county at that time.

Community Archaeologist Chris Tripp, who led the dig, said: “After locating the exact position of the surviving foundations we wanted to find out just how big the house was, so we concentrated on finding the corners and then joining the dots”.

Archaeological investigations were carried out over four seasons, ending in the summer of 2022.

Using a geophysical survey this was accomplished, and by digging small trenches at various points, the foundations were unearthed.

Much of the stone foundations had either been taken away during demolition or altered during refurbishments, but what has survived gives an approximation of the house, at a maximum size, of 46m x 30m.

Two surprises from these excavations were the ‘great drain’ and the stone well structure.

Mr Tripp explained: “The drain was built with large slabs of stone and was a metre square and ran next to the house and down the sloping site to where a large pond was once located, next to the gate that gave access to the estate”.

The well was built just after the taking down of the house and was located by the team due to a square parch mark of dead grass during the hot summer of 2018.

It sat in its own little stone house and was found, by dropping a plumb bob down to the silt, to be at least 8m deep.

Stalbridge House was Robert Boyle’s main home from 1644 to 1655 where he began his pioneering laboratory experiments into colours, respiration, disease, combustion, sound, and air pressure. The latter led to his famous air pump, capable of creating and sustaining a vacuum. He also discovered the inverse relationship between the pressure and volume of a confined gas, known to the world as Boyle’s Law.

Dorset Diggers Community Archaeology Group runs a Facebook page and blog and can be contacted by email at tripp.chris60@gmail.com