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Summary

A Late Saxon pit was found during an archaeological evaluation excavation in 2009 (SOU 1494, Trench 1). In addition, some Late Saxon pottery was found residual in later features.

Protected Status: None recorded

Other Statuses/Codes: None Recorded

Monument Type(s):

• RUBBISH PIT (Saxon - 850 AD to 1065 AD)

Full description

SOU 1494 (archaeological evaluation excavation at Castle Way Car Park in 2009):
[1]: The site lay in the NW corner of the medieval town, bounded to the north and west by the medieval town walls, to the south by the infilled ditch of Southampton Castle, and to the east by the post-WWII Castle Way. The southern part of the site was heavily disturbed by early 19th century redevelopment. The rest of the site had been levelled in places. The site had been a car park for the last 50 years.

Four trenches were excavated across the site, being (from N to S) Trenches 3, 1, 2 and 4. Natural brickearth was encountered in Trenches 1 to 3, but not in Trench 4 due to later disturbance. The natural surface was almost level across Trenches 1 and 2 and lower (by c0.70m) in Trench 3 to the north. This may indicate that there was a natural gully towards the north.

A “dirty brickearth” layer (layer 55) was found in Trench 2, formed by weathering and bioturbation of the upper surface of the natural brickearth. No finds were recovered from it. Above this was a yellowish brown layer, 0.10m thick, thought to be a developed soil horizon. No finds were found in it.

Some prehistoric flint flakes and Roman finds were recovered from later features.

LATE SAXON (850-1066)
The earliest occupation evidence was a pit (feature 23) found in Trench 1. It lay only partly within the trench and was not bottomed. Four fills were excavated. Late Saxon pottery and other finds were recovered. West Country slate fragments and a small sherd of Anglo-Norman pottery were found in a soil sample taken from the upper fill. The pit is thought to be of late Saxon date, with an upper post-Conquest fill slumped into the top.

The density of late Saxon features is low (compared to adjacent areas). This is surprising. It has been suggested that the castle had a Saxon antecedent (no source given); was this area to the north kept clear of occupation?

Late Saxon pottery was also found residual in medieval and later features on the site (see separate record for latter).

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESH1876 - Evaluation excavation at the Castle Way Car Park in 2009 (Ref: SOU 1494)

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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