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Summary

A map published in 1611 shows a double ditch - including an inner ditch (this record) and an outer ditch (MSH3424) - 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, and it is likely that the northern inner ditch and perhaps part of the eastern inner ditch, dates to this time. However part or all of the eastern inner ditch may be of mid-to-late 14th century date. (See child records for details on individual sites along the ditch.)

Protected Status: None recorded

Other References/Statuses

• HER backup file (new series): SOU 357  (paper & digital)
• HER backup file (new series): SOU 583  (paper & digital)
• Old Southampton SMR No/Backup file: SU 4211 SW 52  
• Old Southampton SMR No/Backup file: SU 4211 SW 8  
• Old Southampton SMR No/Backup file: SU 4211 SW 86  

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 [5] 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.
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SOU 180 (archaeological work at Hanover Buildings - Town Ditch - in 1955):
IP 4/10/02: SOU 180 may have involved work on the inner 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).
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SOU 141 (Excavations on the North-East Defences and Polymond Tower in 1957):
[3]: Sections through the part of the eastern inner town ditch between East Street and Polymond Tower (to the north) were obtained (see figure 40), showing the relationship between the ditch and the rampart.
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SOU 357 (watching brief on the southeast corner of Bernard Street and Back of the Walls in 1957):
[6][7]: In 1957 a watching brief took place on groundworks for a new basement, on the southeast corner of Bernard Street and Back of the Walls. "Signs of the old ditch bottom appeared about 12' 9" down from the existing ground level", over a length of 51'. The ditch was under the canal deposits. (See sketch plan in [5].)
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SOU 634 (excavation at the rear of the Dolpin Hotel between Back of the Walls and Canal Walk in 1962):
[8]: In 1962, an excavation took place to the rear of the Dolpin Hotel, between Back of the Walls and Canal Walk. The purpose of the excavation was to investigate the eastern town ditch. The eastern end of the trench collapsed. At the western end of the trench, natural gravel was found about 4' (1.2m) below the Back of the Walls road level. This gravel sloped down to the east due to the cut for a 19th century brick culvert (for which see separate record). Therefore the side of the town ditch* in this area may have been cut back.
IP 7/1/03: *Presumably the inner town ditch. The eastern end of the trench probably collapsed due to the presence of the outer town ditch/canal.
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SOU 583 (watching brief in 1972 at 24/26 Bernard Street and possibly 1/1a Back of the Walls):
[10]: An "east-west section through fill of town moat" shows a 7.5m long section through a sequence of deposits, 3m deep BMGS. Basic descriptions of the deposits are given. No dating evidence is noted. The deposits are briefly as follows. On the east side was a sequence of more-or-less horizontal (although very uneven) layers, with "clays" at the bottom, then a "thin pebbly brown soil layer", then an "orange natural clay", then a "light yellow-brown gravel". These layers appeared to be cut to the west by a large steep-sided feature, filled with gravels and "redeposited natural orange clay". There were two pockets of the latter (possibly in features) above the gravel at the top of the eastern sequence. The entire section was then overlain by a mortar layer, followed by between 0.75m and 1.5m of modern soil and brick rubble.
IP 15/1/03: The SOU 583 section drawing is rather difficult to interpret, as natural deposits are not clearly/consistently labelled. The deposits shown on the section drawing lie west of a cellar. This seems to place them over the assumed line of the inner town ditch, however evidence from SOU 357 to the south (although unclear) suggests the late-18th century canal ran quite close to the town wall in this area. The deposits on the eastern side of the section could be interpreted as natural deposits (although, if so, the sequence is rather odd), the large cut to the west being the inner town ditch. Alternatively, and perhaps more likely, the eastern deposits could be fills of the inner town ditch or canal, the large western cut being a later feature. (It might be worth asking P Cottrell to interpret the section.) (In view of the uncertainty, I have added this information to the records for the inner town ditch and canal.)
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SOU 175 (archaeological excavations at York Buildings/Bargate Centre in the late 1980s):
IP 15/12/09: Work on the inner town ditch between Bargate and East Street was undertaken as part of the SOU 175 excavations. Further details to follow. See SOU 175 interim report [2]. See also [4].
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SOU 445 (excavations at Another Tower, Bargate Street in 1991):
[1]: Part of the inner ditch west of Bargate possibly revealed - see child record MSH135 for details.
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SOU 627 (evaluation excavation at the Old SEB Depot in Back of the Walls in 1994):
[9]: Negative Evidence. On this evaluation excavation, the inner town ditch was not located due to the survival of later archaeologically significant deposits across the area (which were not removed).
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SOU 860 (excavations on the site of the Bargate Street subway in 1998):
Evidence for the medieval Inner Town Ditch, possibly on the line of a natural watercourse. Probable recut in the post-medieval period, perhaps associated with drainage. Perhaps partially scoured during the English Civil War. (See child record MSH5761 for details and sources.)
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SOU 1482 (excavation & watching brief on land at 72 – 74 Canal Walk in 2008-2011):
[12]: Evidence for the medieval inner town ditch was found during a watching brief on piling in 2011 (the excavation trench was west of the inner ditch). The inner ditch was probably about 7.5m wide at its widest part, and at least 4m deep below the top of the natural brickearth. It was not cut by the robbed foundation trench of the tower on the town walls there (found in the excavation trench).
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SOU 1562 Trenches 1, 2, 3 & 5 (archaeological evaluation excavation at Canal Walk, rear of 104/106a East Street, in 2011):
[13]: Evidence for the medieval inner town ditch was found at this site on the eastern defences, just south of the site of East Gate. The west edge of the inner town ditch was found, with signs of a later medieval timber revetment. The excavated ditch fills were 16th century. 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 ditch was not fully excavated.

SOU 1690 (archaeological excavation at the rear of 104–106 East Street in 2015):
[15]: (NB. This followed the SOU 1562 work, above.) The western edge and base of the medieval town ditch was found*. The SOU 1562 revetment proved to be a ditch fill, not a revetment. The lowest ditch fill was dated by finds to the 16th century (primary fill). This was deposited after scouring of the ditch in the early 16th century (documentary evidence). Above this were 18th century secondary and tertiary fills. Environmental evidence was obtained from the ditch.
* HER 21/1/2016: This was either the inner ditch, or the wide single ditch shown just south of East Gate on Speed’s map published 1611. The exact location of the trench in relation to Speed’s map is uncertain. (See [15] 4.4.)
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SOU 1666 (evaluation excavation at former SEB Depot/NCP Car Park site, 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. See MSH5523 for full outline of evidence for inner town ditch.
[11]: Evidence for the inner town ditch was found in Trenches 3, 4, 5. Trench 1 was not deep enough to reach ditch deposits.
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SOU 1666 (watching brief at the former SEB Depot, Back of the Walls in 2015):
HER 19/5/2017: The eastern side of the inner town ditch was found in Trench 6, at the north end of Site. It is suggested in report [16] that the inner and outer town ditches merged to become a single wide ditch in Trench 7, and continued as such in the southern part of the Site; however this was unproven and other interpretations are possible. See MSH5523. (Report [16] to be read with [17].)
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SOU 1699 Trenches 2 & 3 (archaeological evaluation at the Fruit and Vegetable Market, Back of the Walls, south of Bernard Street, in 2014/2015):
[14]: TRENCHES 2 & 3. The earliest deposits exposed were probably upper fills of the medieval inner town ditch, and probably of late post-medieval or later date. The town wall probably lies in its projected location, to the west of these trenches.
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Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESH141 - Excavations on the North-East Defences and Polymond Tower in 1957 (Ref: SOU 141)
• 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)
• ESH357 - Watching Brief on the southeast corner of Bernard Street and Back of the Walls in 1957 (Ref: SOU 357)
• ESH583 - Watching Brief at 24 Bernard Street (ex Wheatsheaf Public House ?and 1/1a Bernard Street) in 1972/1973 (Ref: SOU 583)
• ESH634 - Excavation at the Rear of the Dolpin Hotel between Back of the Walls and Canal Walk in 1962 (Ref: SOU 634)
• 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)
• ESH2288 - Evaluation excavation at the Fruit and Vegetable Market in Back of the Walls, Bernard Street and Queensway in 2014/2015 (Ref: SOU 1669)
• ESH2320 - Watching brief at the former SEB Depot (NCP Car Park), Back of the Walls in 2015 (Ref: SOU 1666)
• ESH860 - Excavations on the site of the Bargate Street subway in 1998 (Ref: SOU 860)
• ESH2406 - Watching brief/recording in Hanover Buildings in c1940 (Ref: SOU 1732)

Related records

Associated Links: None recorded

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