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In 1995 the Museum of London Archaeological Service (MOLA) undertook an evaluation of the brewery site, prior to the brewery owners, then Courage Mortlake Brewery, constructing a new bottling plant on the site.

A desk-top assessment had been carried out earlier and it was anticipated that medieval and other historic remains would be uncovered due to the well-documented and extensive history of the site over many centuries. MOLA produced an impressive document, The Stag Brewery: An Archaeological Impact Assessment (TQ 2046 7606).

Five trenches (T) and three test-pits (TP) were opened on the site. The trenches measured 15 by 5 metres and each test-pit was 3 by 2 metres. Any deposits found were cleaned and investigated by hand. The diagram below shows the site and the excavations.

Little of significant interest was found in any of the trenches. The disturbance to the ground in the 19th and 20th centuries – the development of the brewery and its buildings, the construction of basements, and the removal of topsoil in places – was greater than expected by the archaeologists. The lack of archaeological evidence on the site was a disappointment and the proposed building went ahead.

When the current planned development goes ahead, a further archaeological survey will be undertaken. This should be more extensive and deeper than the 1995 excavations, so it is hoped that deposits or constructions may be discovered below the 19th century disturbances.