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Summary

A castle bailey ditch and its associated rampart bank (MSH605) defined the northern and eastern edges of the outer bailey of Southampton Castle. There have been some limted archaeological excavations of the bailey ditch, but a complete cross-section has not been obtained and the primary fills have not been investigated. The combined dating evidence for the ditch and rampart suggests they were constructed in the 12th century or the 13th century. From the documentary evidence, it has been suggested that the bank was constructed between 1201 and 1208, or after 1241. The ditch seems to have been continuous in front of the Castle Eastgate, with no causeway. In front of the gate the ditch may have been recut in the late 14th century when the gate towers were built, however the evidence for this is unclear. The outer extent of the ditch, especially in front of the gate, is unclear.

Protected Status: None recorded

Other Statuses/Codes: None Recorded

Monument Type(s):

• BAILEY (Medieval - 1100 AD to 1539 AD)
• CASTLE (Medieval - 1100 AD to 1539 AD)
• DITCH (dug, Medieval - 1100 AD to 1250 AD)
• DITCH (recut?, Medieval - 1378 AD to 1400 AD)

Full description

See Parent Record MSH23 for a summary of the documentary and excavation evidence for Southampton Castle, a discussion of the development of the Castle, and a full list of sources. (The summary and indexing on this record is derived from MSH23.)
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CHILD RECORDS in monument record order
This record includes only details concerning the location of the ditch edge. See child records for further details of each site and sources.

MSH3389 - SOU 132 (1953/4):
Partial section dug through castle ditch just north of Castle East Gate. (Limited dating evidence suggested the ditch was dug some time in the 12th century.)

MSH3394 - SOU 147 (excavation outside the Castle East Gate in 1960 and 1961):
Inner edge of castle ditch found 0.46m east of gateway towers. Ditch apparently continuous in front of the gate with no causeway. Ditch fills of 13th century date found. (see below)

MSH3395 - SOU 148 (excavations at Albion Place in 1959/60):
Trenches were dug across line of castle ditch. Outer edge of ditch not reached but width inferred to be 18.3m. No clear signs of a berm between ditch and castle bank.

MSH3397 - SOU 158 (Midland Bank watching brief in 1961):
Outer edge of castle ditch in front of the East Gate - said to have been found during groundworks for an extension to the Midland Bank. Apparently, the section exposed seemed to be the re-entrant angle of a causeway, where the ditch narrowed for the drawbridge. This is some way east of outer edge of ditch as suggested from other sites.

MSH3401 - SOU 621 (watching brief on sewer trench along the line of the Inner Ring Road/Castle Way in 1961):
Sewer trench observations recorded from a point south of West Street to somewhere north of the Castle East Gate, mainly within the former castle ditch. East of Castle East Gate, observations showed the castle ditch was continuous in front of East Gate, with no evidence of a causeway. It is argued, by comparison with the SOU 147 results, that the ditch was realigned (recut) to the east when the two towers were built (however, the argument for this is unclear and probably flawed - SCC HER).
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NEGATIVE EVIDENCE

SOU 717 (watching brief at the Masonic Hall, Albion Place in 1995):
Two boreholes observed, but no positive evidence of castle ditch found. One borehole probably lay north of the ditch, the other was probably west of the former cliff edge in this area. (See separate records for further details of results of these boreholes.)
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[1][2]: Englefield 1801/5. Deep ditch - north bailey.
[3]: Davies, 1883. Archery butts in north ditch of castle.
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GIS: The edge of the bailey ditch has been observed in several places, although much of the GIS plot is conjectural, especially at the south end where it presumably joined the motte ditch. The shape of the outer ditch outside the Castle East Gate is very uncertain; the plot here reflects the excavator's suggestion concerning the SOU 158 results. The ditch stops short of the line of the west castle wall, as there was a natural cliff east of that wall, observed at several locations to the north and south. (SCC HER 30/10/09)

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events: None recorded

Related records

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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