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Summary

A map published in 1611 shows a double ditch - including an inner ditch (MSH3425) and an outer ditch (this record) - all around the outside of the town walls, except at the south end of the east side, where a single wide ditch (MSH1085) is shown. The documentary evidence suggests that the town ditches were begun in or soon after 1202. However archaeological evidence for the outer ditch - at least the part west of Bargate - suggests that it was dug in or after the late 13th century. (See child records for details on individual sites along the ditch.)

Protected Status: None recorded

Other Statuses/Codes: None Recorded

Monument Type(s):

• TOWN DITCH (dug, Medieval - 1202 AD? to 1373 AD?)

Full description

Records for the town defences are currently being enhanced and it is intended that further details will be added to this description and summary at a later date. (SCC HER 15/12/09)
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SCC HER 15/12/09: Speeds map of 1611 [1] shows a double ditch (including inner and outer ditches) all around the outside of the town walls, except at the south end of the east side, where a single wide ditch is shown. The line of the ditch is only approximately known.

SOU 1732 (watching brief in Hanover Buildings in late 1930s or 1940):
HER 15/12/2016: Section exposed across the upper part of the outer town ditch somewhere in Hanover Buildings, either at No 28/29 or at Hanover House. Maximum width 21.3 ft (6.49m), although steeper cut was 16.3 ft (4.97m) wide. Cut through "natural soil" (presumably brickearth) at about 6.8ft (2.07m) BMGS. Ditch exposed to just over 4 ft (1.22m) deep, but not bottomed. The north edge of the ditch roughly corresponded to the front/north end of the properties on Hanover Buildings.

SOU 180 (archaeological work at Hanover Buildings - Town Ditch - in 1955):
SCC HER 4/10/02: SOU 180 may have involved work on the outer town ditch east of Bargate, but this is uncertain, and no details are known.
SCC HER 2/2/2016: However, further research on this suggests that the site may have been north of the town ditches (see event record).

SOU 142 (Excavation in Bargate Street/Spa Road in 1956-1958):
[6] (page 142, page 145/6): An almost complete section was cut across the outer ditch west of Bargate. The first phase of the ditch was at least 3.7m deep and probably about 12.2m wide. It cut two earlier pits, the later of which contained late 13th century pottery (see separate records). The ditch was later made deeper and wider by enlargement to the south, leaving a small part of the bottom of the original cut untouched on the north side. There were a series of rounded shallow scoops in the base of the extended ditch. The lowest fills contained pottery from the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th century.
(See also 1957 Echo reports [7] to [11] for SOU 142.)

SOU 175 (excavations at York Buildings/Bargate Centre in the late 1980s):
SCC HER 15/12/09: Work on the part of the eastern outer ditch north of East Street was undertaken during these excavations (eg Trench 17). See [4][5]. Details to follow.

SOU 860 (excavations on the site of the Bargate Street subway in 1998):
Evidence for the medieval OuterTown Ditch, which appears not to have continued as far as the cliff edge. Ditch probably backfilled by the end of the late medieval period. (See child record MSH5762 for details and sources.)

Negative Evidence for the part of the outer ditch south of East Street:
[2] SOU 537: No features or layers associated with the town ditch were observed in this small trench. The site therefore lay east of the ditch.
[3] SOU 627: On this evaluation excavation, the outer town ditch was not located due to thick modern deposits across the area (which were not removed). It probably lies east of wall 27, found at the east end of Trench 1 (see figure 2).

SOU 1482 (excavation & watching brief on land at 72 – 74 Canal Walk in 2008-2011):
[13]: Evidence for the medieval outer town ditch was found during watching briefs in 2008 and 2011 (SOU 1482) (the excavation trench was further west). Deposits found during piling suggested that the outer ditch was probably over 12m wide, and at least 4m deep below the top of the natural brickearth.

SOU 1562 Trenches 1, 2, 3 & 5 (archaeological evaluation excavation at Canal Walk, rear of 104/106a East Street, in 2011):
[14]: Evidence for the medieval inner town ditch was found at this site on the eastern defences, just south of the site of East Gate (see separate record). The east edge of the inner ditch was not found at the expected location, and possible ditch fills were also found further east; this perhaps confirms Speed’s map of 1611, which shows the inner and outer ditches with no central berm. (The outer ditch as such was not found.)

SOU 1666 (evaluation excavation at former SEB Depot, Back of the Walls in 2014)
HER 17/3/2015: This site revealed the cuts and fills of the medieval town ditches, an 18th century ?bastion, and small areas of berm/other earlier deposits. There was much 19th and 20th century disturbance. Most deposits were machined, with little hand excavation.
[12]: Evidence for the outer town ditch was found in Trenches 2 and 3. Possible evidence for the berm between the inner and outer ditches was found. Silting deposits were exposed in the base of the ditch, overlain by post-medieval and later backfill. In Trench 2, all these deposits appeared to post-date the stone wall of an 18th century bastion (MSH2241). In the eastern part of Trench 3, two in situ wooden posts were perhaps part of a bridge.

SOU 1666 (watching brief at the former SEB Depot, Back of the Walls in 2015):
HER 19/5/2017: No evidence of the outer ditch was found during the watching brief. It is suggested in [16] that the two town ditches in the north part of the site became a single wide ditch in the area of Trench 7, continuing as such to the south; however this was unproven. Related to this, the evidence from evaluation Trench 3 was reinterpreted in [16]. ([16] to be read with [17].)

SOU 1690 (archaeological excavation at the rear of 104–106 East Street in 2015):
[15]: (This followed the SOU 1562 work. No evidence was found relating to the outer town ditch.)

HER 4/4/2016: North edge of ditch on Bargate Street amended to allow for corrected location of SOU 142.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESH142 - Excavation in Bargate Street/Spa Road in 1956-1958 (Ref: SOU 142)
• ESH175 - Excavations at York Buildings (the Bargate Centre) and North Walls between 1983 and 1992 (Ref: SOU 175)
• ESH180 - Investigation at Hanover Buildings/York Buildings in 1955 (Ref: SOU 180)
• ESH2081 - Evaluation excavation rear of 104/106a East Street (on Canal Walk/Back of the Walls) in 2011 (Ref: SOU 1562)
• ESH860 - Excavations on the site of the Bargate Street subway in 1998 (Ref: SOU 860)
• ESH2285 - Evaluation excavation at the former SEB Depot (NCP Car Park), Back of the Walls in 2014 (Ref: SOU 1666)
• ESH1865 - Excavation and watching brief at 72-74 Canal Walk between 2008 and 2011 (Ref: SOU 1482)
• ESH2336 - Excavation rear of 104-106 East Street (on Canal Walk/Back of the Walls) in 2015 (Ref: SOU 1690)
• ESH2320 - Watching brief at the former SEB Depot (NCP Car Park), Back of the Walls in 2015 (Ref: SOU 1666)
• ESH2406 - Watching brief/recording in Hanover Buildings in c1940 (Ref: SOU 1732)

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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