More information : (SU00096151 - SU 00256100) The town ditch consisted of a rampart with outer ditch which was filled in in 1538. It started in the valley near the railway station and crossed Northgate St. between 'Sandcliff' and Station Rd. It passed through the gasworks where, during excavations for a new gasholder, it was seen to be 25 ft wide, 7 ft deep and 4 ft wide at the bottom. It crossed the wharf, Wharf St., the W side of Victoria Rd. and then followed the approximate course of Commercial Rd., crossing Sidmouth St. behind Southbroom Terrace, the top end of Hare and Hounds St. and on to the top of Long St. It continued down Hillworth Rd. on the right hand side and ended just below Gallows Ditch Pond.
There were three gates:- the S. gate just inside the ditch in Long St.,the N. gate near the brewery and the E. gate or 'Mary Port' was near Albion Place in Sidmouth St. In December 1944 the ditch was revealed in a trench dug down Hillworth Road which indicated that it crossed at about No.30 Long St. (1)
There are no longer any traces of either the town ditch or the gates.
The gates were situated as follows:-
N. gate - SU 00136165
E. gate - SU 00736144
S. gate - SU 00616107. (2)
The town was put in readiness during the Civil War, a small ditch found in 1974 possibly being the remains. (3) |