Summary

A section of the medieval town ditch was excavated in 1961 to the rear of a vicarage that once stood on King Street, both the building and the street superceded by the ring road. The ditch was found to be shallow for a medieval city defence. It post-dated a 15th century cess pit, confirming that the wall, ditch and bank in this area were built after 1450.

Monument Type(s):

• CESS PIT (Later Medieval - 1400 AD to 1450 AD (at some time))
• TOWN DITCH (Later Medieval - 1450 AD to 1450 AD (post))

Protected Status: None recorded

Full description

1> Mrs. C. Woodfield for the City Museum at St. Mark's Vicarage, King Street excavated a section across the ditch, which showed it to be small for a medieval city defence; for, although 35 ft across from the wall to the top of the counter-scarp bank, it was only 7ft deep and flat-bottomed fo 3.5 ft, the sides rising at about 45 degrees. The ditch was dry in this area and contained very little domestic material, but the counter-scarp bank overlay a 15th century cesspit, which confirms that the wall, its bank, and its ditch are after 1450. There was no trace of the earlier 'red ditch' in this sector…

<1> Medieval Archaeology, 1963, Medieval Archaeology Volume 6-7 (1962-63): Medieval Britain in 1961, p.330 (--ARTICLE). SCT1974.

Sources and Further Reading

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• ECT209 - Excavation of City Ditch, Rear of St. Mark's Vicarage, King Street (Ref: COVE141)

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