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| HER Number: | MSH2312 |
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| Type of Record: | Monument |
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| Name: | Back of the Walls, south-east of Chandlers Court - below-ground evidence |
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| Grid Reference: | SU 4211 1116 |
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| Map: | Show location on Streetmap |
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Summary
An early soil layer and a post-medieval soil layer were found during a watching brief on a service trench dug across Back of the Walls, just SE of the since-constructed Chandlers Court in 2000 (SOU 1061). The early soil layer was perhaps Late Saxon or medieval in date. The post-medieval soil layer overlay the medieval town rampart, and abutted the medieval town wall. It was probably of 17th century date. It appeared to be a garden soil. No trace of early road surfaces associated with Back of the Walls was found.
Protected Status: None recorded
Other Statuses/Codes: None Recorded
Monument Type(s):
Full description
SOU 1061 (watching brief during groundworks for the construction of Guild House and Chandlers Court in 2000):
[1]: Service trenches were observed in Back of the Walls (Trench 2 A-D, fig 2). All observations and recording took place from the trench edges.
Trench 2 A-D: Trench 2A was almost entirely under Back of the Walls, although just crossed the property boundary to the west. Trench 2B lay across the property boundary. Trench 2C lay along the inside of the current site boundary. Trench 2D lay in Back of the Walls.
The natural brickearth was exposed only in Trench 2B, overlain by modern deposits so perhaps truncated.
In Trench 2A, a section of the eastern town wall (wall 215) with its associated internal rampart (layer 217) was found under Back of the Walls (fig 2 and fig 3). Only the western face of the town wall was exposed. (See separate records for town wall and rampart.)
An early soil horizon (219) was found in the bases of Trenches 2C and D. This was probably not a garden soil, but rather an occupation layer; its relationship to the rampart 217 (in Trench 2A) was not established.
A later soil horizon (216) overlay rampart layer 217 in Trench 2A and layer 219 in Trench 2D. It was dated by finds to the post-medieval period, probably the 17th century, although residual medieval finds were present. Layer 216 appeared to be a garden soil. Speed's 1611 map shows a road in this location however no trace of early road surfaces associated with Back of the Walls was found. This can't be explained. An early soil horizon 219 was exposed in Trench 2D, which suggests the trenches were excavated to sufficient depth to expose road surfaces had they been present. Road surfaces certainly existed on SOU 934 just to the south of Trench 2. (A dark soil layer analogous with layer 216 was found in SOU 1061 Trenches 3 and 4, just west of Back of the Walls.) Overlying deposits were modern.
Sources / Further Reading
| [1] | SSH2113 - Archaeological Report: MP Smith. 2001. Report on the archaeological watching brief at the site of the former head Post Office, 57 - 58 High Street, Southampton.. SOU 1061. |
Associated Finds: None recorded
Associated Events
- ESH1061 - Watching Brief at 57 - 59 High Street in 2000 (Ref: SOU 1061)
Related records
| MSH2694 | Peer (Chronological): Back of the Walls, South-East of Chandlers Court - Medieval Town Rampart |
Associated Links: None recorded
If you have any feedback or new information about this record, please email the Southampton HER (her@southampton.gov.uk).
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