Record Details

Summary

A scheduled section of the Saxon and medieval defences of the burh of Tamworth. Archaeological excavations have revealed substantial surviving remains of the town defensive ditches, although a mound recorded to be situated in the north-east angle of the defences by Robert Plot was not identified during the excavation works in this area.

Monument Type(s):

• TOWN DEFENCES (Anglo Saxon - 913 AD to 913 AD)
• DITCH (Early Medieval to Anglo Saxon - 410 AD? to 912 AD)
• TOWN DITCH (MEDIEVAL - 1066 AD to 1485 AD)
• ROAD? (MEDIEVAL - 1066 AD to 1485 AD)

Associated Finds:

• COIN (Anglo Saxon - 975 AD to 978 AD)
• SHERD (Elizabethan to Stuart - 1600 AD to 1699 AD)

Associated Events:

• EST56 - An archaeological excavation along the northern burh defences, south of Albert Road, Tamworth in 1971. (NRHE Name - Albert Road, (Northern Defences))
• EST674 - Archaeological desk-based assessment at Tamworth Youth Centre, Albert Road, Tamworth, 2001. (NRHE Name - Land at Tamworth Youth Centre, Albert Road) (Ref: Report No. 185)
• EST76 - An archaeological excavation along the northern burh defences, south of Albert Road, Tamworth in 1960. (NRHE Name - Northern Defences) (Ref: No Reference)
• EST1944 - Heritage at Risk Survey 2009 (West Midlands Region)
• EST2052 - Heritage at Risk Survey 2010 (West Midlands Region)
• EST2248 - Heritage at Risk Survey 2011 (West Midlands Region)
• EST2483 - Heritage at Risk Survey 2012 (West Midlands Region)
• EST2484 - Heritage at Risk Survey 2013 (West Midlands Region)
• EST2485 - Heritage at Risk Survey 2014 (West Midlands Region)
• EST2552 - Heritage at Risk Survey 2015 (West Midlands Region)

Protected Status:

• Scheduled Monument 1006088: Saxon Defences

Full description

Town defences: Part of Tamworth's Anglian defences, which were sectioned (by Ken Sheridan of Staffordshire County Council) in the early 1970s. Plot refers to a mound in the north-east angle of the defences but this has not survived. An earlier section excavated by Wainwright has also been written up by Sheridan. <1> <2>

Archaeological excavations by Dr. F.T. Wainwright in 1960 determined the line of the defensive ditch and bank in this area with some precision. One of the fortunate incidents of this excavation was the find of an Anglo-Saxon coin embedded in a paved road adjacent to and associated with the bank. (SB, 02-Feb-2014) <3>

Archaeological excavations through the northern defences of Tamworth's Saxon burh by Dr. F.T. Wainwright undertaken in 1960 (see <3> above), were written up Ken Sheridan of Staffordshire County Council in 1971. Wainwright's excavation consisted of a series of trenches, just over 1 metre wide, extending southwards from Albert Road for circa 30 metres and lying 65 metres to the west of an area investigated in 1971 (see EST56 and <5> below). The surviving records from Wainwright's excavation included a section drawing of the eastern faces of the trenches, a day book and a small number of finds. The finds included a silver cut halfpenny of Edward II, The Martyr, A.D. 975 to 978, from the Torskey mint (see FST488) and apart from that just a few fragments of bone and a small number of sherds of 17th century pottery. The coin was recovered from a layer of stones immediately below a layer of clayey humus, while the pottery was recovered from the upper fill of a large ditch at the northern end of the excavation.
The earliest feature represented in the excavation appears to be a shallow depression with a low bank to the north, which was sealed by two joining banks to the north and south. This depression may equate to the small pre-rampart ditch identified during archaeological excavations on the west side of the town (see PRN 01316 and PRN 58280).
The main problem in interpreting Wainwright's section drawing is in deciding which of the two portions of the bank above the depression is the earliest. The stratification as indicated on the drawing suggests that the northern portion is earlier than the southern, the latter apparently overlying the end of the former. There are, however, objections to this interpretation. The Torskey halfpenny was recovered from a layer of stones (interpreted by Wainwright as an intervallum road) which overlaid the tail of the bank, suggesting a 10th century date for the southern part of the bank. It seems likely, therefore, that the southern portion of the bank represents the Saxon rampart of A.D. 913, while the northern portion is the medieval bank added to the front of its predecessor. It would, moreover, seem unlikely that the two should have reversed their relative positions in the short distance between this section and that just to the east excavated in 1971 (see <5> below).
The large ditch to the north is presumably of medieval date, to judge by its size, associated with the bank immediately behind it. The associated of the 17th century pottery with this ditch is not unexpected as it was clearly visible up to the early part of the 19th century. A patch of stones on the southern slope of the ditch may equate to those found in a similar position during excavation in 1971 to the east (see <5> below). It has been suggested that they may have formed a revetment for the front of the medieval bank, in this instance having collapsed into the ditch itself. This further points to this bank being of medieval date. The ditch associated with the Saxon rampart would, assuming a 6 metre berm as elsewhere, probably have been destroyed by the larger. Medieval ditch.
In general the sequences of defences at this point on the circuit as interpreted above follows that seen elsewhere in the town. Although several other significant points may be added. The position of the Torskey halfpenny is notable in that it suggests that the stone layer from which it came may have been a later addition to the rear of the rampart, assuming the rampart to be that of A.D. 913. Although riding up the tail of the bank it does not appear to have continued through as the stone layer found in the 1971 excavation to the east (see <5> below) did. If, however, the two stone layers can be equated then it would suggest that the rampart was added to in the later 10th century, perhaps following the destruction of the original defences in A.D. 940. Another possibility is that the stone layer may have formed a road to the rear of the A.D. 913 rampart which was still in use in the later 10th century.
It is also noteworthy that evidence, although slight, for a pre-rampart ditch was also found here. This, in conjunction with evidence for the same along the western side of the defences at Orchard Street (PRN 58280) and Lichfield Street (PRN 01316), suggests that the line of the defensive circuit was established prior to A.D. 913, and raises the question of whether the area of the 10th century burh equates to that of the palace complex known to have been existence at Tamworth by A.D. 781. (the date of the first charter for Tamworth issued by Offa). (SB, 02-Feb-2015) <4>

An archaeological excavation was undertaken in January 1971 on land to the south of Albert Road (and to the rear of properties along the west side of Marmion Street) in advance of the proposed redevelopment of the site as a police station. Several factors identify this site as lying along the northern defences of the Saxon burh and later medieval town ditch. To the west of the site the medieval rampart still appears to be visible as an irregularity in the ground between the modern houses. The line of the 'king's Ditch' (i.e. the late medieval ditch) was still visible here in the 19th century (as evidenced by several maps of this period). To the west archaeological excavations by Dr. F.T. Wainwright in 1960 revealed evidence for both the Saxon and medieval defences, as well as evidence for a possible pre-Saxon (defensive?) ditch (see <4> above). Archaeological excavations to the south in 1964 also revealed (undated) evidence for a truncated bank running north to south (see PRN 01317). The latter, in conjunction with the present excavation, confirms the siting of the north-east corner of the defences at the junction of Albert Road and Marmion Street. Plot references to a 'mount' in the angle of the defences at this point.
Much of the site had been disturbed to a depth of just over 2 metres by the construction of underground air-raid shelters during World War II. A narrow strip on the east side, however, was expected to be comparatively undisturbed. A trench was cut 1m to the rear of the properties fronting on to Marmion Street and this located the Saxon ditch and rampart along with the southern edge of the medieval ditch and its rampart.
The Saxon defences:
The Saxon defences consisted of a V-shaped ditch 2.5 metres wide and 1.2 metres deep. And a rampart 5.2 metres wide, the ditch and rampart being separated by a 6.4 metre wide berm. No dating evidence was recovered from either the ditch or the rampart, but the former pre-dated the vey large ditch to the north which can only have been the medieval ditch (therefore indicating a pre-conquest date for the former). The ditch and rampart could not be shown definitely to be of the same construction as seen elsewhere, but the almost identical width of the berm to that found during excavations on the western side of the town in 1967 tends to support such an interpretation. The ditch had been cut through a buried soil and had almost completed silted up before the construction of the medieval defences. The bottom of the ditch contained a fine silt and smooth round pebbles; the main filling was of light-brown soil which continued over the buried soil to the north and was cut by the edge of the medieval ditch.
The Saxon rampart remained as a layer of heavy grey-brown earth, possibly decayed turf (although this cannot be said with any degree of certainty). A similar layer of large stones was located in plan to the west extending 1.5 metres north of that in section, and containing two small post holes. Robert Sherlock, excavating in 1964 on the eastern side of the defences (to the south of this site) also identified a similar feature (see PRN 01317), interpreted as a possible stone facing to the rampart. If the stone feature in plan corresponds with that seen in section it suggests that the rampart at this point turns southwards, as would be expected here. The continuation of the layer of stones over the full width of the rampart suggests that it may not have been constructed solely of turf and timber as hitherto supposed, but that it also had a substantial stone filling. The absence of any such stone layer along the western side of the defences can be explained by the fact that only the lowest level of the rampart survived in those areas examined. An alternative explanation is that the layer of stones represents a later addition to the rampart. This seems unlikely, however, as there was no evidence for any recutting of the ditch as would be expected if this was the case (although the possibility of a second phase cannot be ruled out entirely).
Beneath the rampart were six features cutting into the natural sand, the most northerly of which contained iron panning. These features did not confirm to the size or location of those earlier features identified on the western side of the defences and could not have held major timber of the rampart. They bear a closer resemblance to the post-holes of the western entrance excavated in 1968 (south of Lichfield Street - see PRN 01316), where iron panning was also noted in several of the post holes. This perhaps suggests a more complex structure that just a rampart existed here, perhaps an elaboration of the rampart as a corner defence at this point (although extensive modern disturbance has prevented further investigation in this area).
The buried soil had been removed before the building of the rampart and did not continue behind it, perhaps due to turf cutting for its construction. Any trace of a possible intervallum road had been removed by later disturbance.
Between the ditch and the rampart and overlying the buried soil was a layer of soft grey earth containing a few small pebbles. The colour of this was suggestive of timber staining and may indicate horizontal timbering on the berm. Similar signs of horizontal timbering were found on the site of the eastern defences (off Bolebridge Street), though these appeared to be strapping for the rampart itself. It may be that this feature was connected with the medieval rather than Saxon defences.
The medieval defences:
Immediately adjacent to the modern road (and running parallel to it) was a wide ditch filled with mixed clay and soil. Neither the bottom nor the northern edge were located in the present excavation, the former due to the danger of deep excavation close to the adjacent buildings and the latter lying beneath the modern road. Despite lack of dating evidence a ditch of this size can only have been the medieval town ditch, corresponding to that identified during archaeological excavations along the western line of the town defences. The southern edge of the ditch lay 8.5 metres south of the modern road. Such a width of the ditch is not unexpected in view of documentary evidence (Erdeswick, writing in 1820, refers to a 45ft wide ditch on the west, north and east sides of the town). The fill of the ditch consisted of a mixed red clay and earth, probably back-filled rampart material. The only evidence of the rampart itself was a patch of stones on the lip of the ditch, possibly the remains of a stone revetment and a layer of sandy clay immediately above the Saxon ditch. No correlation between the two could be established due to later disturbance. Beneath the layer of sandy clay and above the silt of the Saxon ditch was a layer of sand and gravel, which appears to be upcast from the excavation of the medieval ditch, over which the rampart of disturbed marl from deeper levels was raised. The timber staining noted between the Saxon ditch and rampart may in fact be associated with this phase of the defences as a timber intervallum road, since it could not be stratigraphically associated with either period, and from its northern limit a spread of gravel extended over the fill of the Saxon ditch.
The absence of dating evidence from any of the features is unfortunate but it still considered likely that the larger ditch represents the medieval town ditch in view of its size. As this can be shown to be of later construction that the smaller ditch it is reasonable to assume that the latter is of pre-conquest date. The coincidence of the width of the berm between this ditch and the rampart to the south, with that excavated on the western side of the defences suggest that the ditch and rampart here form part of the same defensive circuit (that erected by Aethelflaed in A.D. 913). The layer of stones in the rampart is noteworthy as this has not been hitherto found in Tamworth. It is considered likely that these stones formed part of the packing of a timber-faced rampart.
The possibility of a timber intervallum road associated with the medieval defences is also noteworthy as no such feature has previously been identified in the town. An intervallum road would certainly be expected and the use of timber roads in the late Saxon or early Norman period is not unknown in Tamworth (with a well preserved example excavated off Bolebridge Street in 1971 - See PRN 01314).
No evidence for the destruction of the burh defences recorded to have occurred in A.D. 940 was identified and no trace of the pre-A.D. 913 ditch was found. (SB, 02-Feb-2015) <5>

Identified as being at risk on the 2011 Heritage at Risk Register. (RH, 21-Jun-2016)<6>
Identified as being at risk on the 2012 Heritage at Risk Register. (RH, 21-Jun-2016)<7>
Identified as being at risk on the 2013 Heritage at Risk Register. (RH, 29-Jun-2016)<8>
Identified as being at risk on the 2014 Heritage at Risk Register. (RH, 1-July-2016) <9>
Identified as being at risk on the 2015 Heritage at Risk Register. (RH,7-July-2016)<10>

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