Summary

A section of the town ditch was excavated in Upper Well Street in 2004. The ditch was found to have been constructed in the early 15th century.

Monument Type(s):

• TOWN DITCH (Constructed, Later Medieval to Tudor - 1401 AD to 1500 AD (between))

Protected Status: None recorded

Full description

1> The city ditch was excavated and the sandstone wall erected at some point in the early 15th century. The lower fills of the ditch dated to the later 15th century, probably due to silting up and the occasional dump of rubbish. There was an episode of partial back-filling in the late 16th century, however, the ditch remained fairly deep throughout this phase…17th and 18th centuries: this phase covers the period of time during which the civil war brought an end to the use of the city's defences. At this time much of the wall around Coventry was demolished and the ditch filled in. The upper fill of the city ditch dates to this period, and the ditch appears to have been completely back-filled, probably in a single episode, at the end of the 17th century.
2>The town ditch was excavated and present in the eastern part of Area C. The ditch was aligned NNE-SSW, parallel with the line of the town wall. The section excavated by machine through the ditch in Area A, revealed the north-western half of the profile only.
However, extrapolation suggested the ditch was 9-10m in width and at least 2.8m deep. It had a stepped V-shaped profile with a rounded base. The lowest fills consisted of dark brown sandy clay and mid orange-brown sandy silt that suggested slow gradual silting of the lower fills of the ditch since it was originally constructed. The latter fill contained Tudor Green type ware cup of probable late-15th century date along with sherds from jugs in Midlands Purple ware.
Only the upper fills of the ditch were exposed in Trenches 1 or 2. The actual depth of the city ditch was revealed by augering of Trench 2 revealed natural at a depth of 3.5m (81.68m AOD) below the top of the trench.

<1> University of Birmingham, 2005, Upper Well Street, Coventry, An Archaeological Excavation 2004: Post Excavation Assessment and Updated Project Design, p.6-7 (--EXCAVATION REPORT). SCT1621.

<2> Birmingham Archaeology, 2013, Outside The Wall. Archaeological Excavations of the Settlement in Upper Well Street, Coventry. 2003-2004, p.21-22 (--EXCAVATION REPORT). SCT2118.

Sources and Further Reading

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• ECT292 - Upper Well Street, excavation (Ref: COVE227)

Related records

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