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| HER Number: | MSH38 |
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| Type of Record: | Monument |
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| Name: | Town Defences - town wall between first tower south of Polymond and East Gate |
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| Grid Reference: | SU 4214 1156 |
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| Map: | Show location on Streetmap |
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Summary
This section of the eastern town wall was entirely demolished in the 18th century, along with the tower at the north end. The date of the eastern town wall is uncertain. It could be broadly contemporary with the north town wall – so probably of late 13th century date (1260 to 1291), however a mid-14th century or later date has also been suggested.
Archaeological excavations were carried out across the line of this part of the town wall in 1956 (SOU 141 Trenches 1 & 2) and in 1986 (SOU 175 Trench 13). In the SOU 141 trench, an early rampart bank had been cut away to insert the stone town wall, which was poorly built with shallow foundations. A second rampart was built against this wall, probably to support the wall. The lowest layer in the second rampart contained pottery dating to no earlier than the mid 14th century. The top of the wall was widened, perhaps in the 15th century.
The SOU 175 trench lay immediately to the north of the site of the SOU 141 trench. No sign of the town wall was found; it had been entirely removed when a malt house was built in the 18th century (by 1786). The town wall was rebuilt as a garden wall shortly after. These findings may suggest that the wall found on SOU 141 was a post-medieval rebuild, not the town wall. The SOU 175 excavator considered that a high medieval date (1200-1350) was most likely for the eastern town wall, based on another trench dug further north on another part of the east wall (see MSH37).
Protected Status: None recorded
Other Statuses/Codes: None Recorded
Monument Type(s):
- CURTAIN WALL (Built, Medieval - 1260 AD? to 1291 AD?)
- CURTAIN WALL (extant, Medieval to Post Medieval - 1260 AD? to 1786 AD?)
- TOWN WALL (Built, Medieval - 1260 AD? to 1291 AD?)
- TOWN WALL (extant, Medieval to Post Medieval - 1260 AD? to 1786 AD?)
- CURTAIN WALL (Built, Medieval - 1325 AD? to 1375 AD?)
- TOWN WALL (Built, Medieval - 1325 AD? to 1375 AD?)
- CURTAIN WALL (Demolished, Post Medieval - 1700 AD? to 1786 AD)
- TOWN WALL (Demolished, Post Medieval - 1700 AD? to 1786 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 at a later date. (SCC HER 4/12/09)
Sources / Further Reading
| --- | SSH4787 - Article in serial: Echo reporter. 1957. Their dig may fill gaps in Soton history.. Daily Echo, 14 August 1957. |
| --- | SSH4788 - Article in serial: Echo reporter. 1957. Soton 'dig' yields up 300-year-old secrets.. Daily Echo, 24 August 1957. |
| --- | SSH4789 - Article in serial: Echo reporter. 1957. Will you help to disinter the past?. Daily Echo, 29 June 1957. |
| --- | SSH4790 - Article in serial: Echo reporter. 1957. When the town wall was only a bank.. Daily Echo, 8 May 1957. |
| --- | SSH4792 - Article in serial: Echo reporter. 1957. Forgotten tower relic unearthed by Soton 'dig'.. Daily Echo, 11 April 1957. |
| --- | SSH4794 - Article in serial: Echo reporter. 1957. Medieval Soton had atmosphere!. Daily Echo, 18 April 1957. |
| [1] | SSH508 - Monograph: C Platt and R Coleman-Smith et al. 1975. Excavations in Medieval Southampton 1953 - 1969, Vol 1: The Excavation Reports. pp140-149, figs 39 & 40 |
| [2] | SSH519 - Serial: M Hughes (ed), Hampshire County Council. 1987. Archaeology in Hampshire Annual Report for 1986. p27 |
| [3] | SSH2510 - Archaeological Report: H Kavanagh. 1994. York Buildings - SOU 175 Interim Report. SOU 175. |
| [4] | SSH683 - Serial: The Society for Medieval Archaeology. 1958. Medieval Archaeology, Vol 2, 1958 (for 1957). p198 and p 199 (figure 49) |
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)
Related records
| MSH14 | Child of: Town Defences - town wall, towers and gates |
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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