Monument Type(s):

• CULVERT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD? to 1901 AD?)
• DRAIN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD? to 1901 AD?)

Summary

This site represents: a drain of probable post medieval date, a culvert of probable post medieval date.

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA6139 - 2007 DBA at Barker Street, Shrewsbury by SCCAS
• ESA4908 - 1996 DBA and buildings assessment of land between Victoria Avenue and Lower Claremont Bank, Shrewsbury by Richard K Morriss & Associates

Description

Large culvert or drain, first brought to the attention of the archaeological community by J A Morris, who plotted its line on his 1901 and 1905 MS plans of the Austin Friars area [<1>], subsequently the Morris's Bakery site. JAM plotted it running along the north frontage of St Austin's Street (now partly under Claremont Bank) before turning north, immediately outside the line of the town wall [PRN 62563] to head for the river via the area known in the early 19th century and earlier as the Mudholes. Was said by Morris to represent the outfall of the Gullet, a watercourse issuing from the Kettle Hole (Gumbestolesmore, PRN 62610) in The Square: 'This culvert was so large that it was possible to walk through it from the river to Mardol Head, and at the lower end it was so wide (8 or 9ft) as to suggest that it may once have been the bed of a stream flowing into the river ' [<2>]. Present verbal information from Morris & Co. indicates that the culvert still exists, taking surface-water run-off into the river; a section of it is said to be stone-built (probably south of wall 60296); it may be entered, but it has not been followed to its source and its course south-east of the Morris's site is not (at least by them) known. The extramural section of the culvert follows precisely the line to be expected of the extramural town ditch [PRN 62570] extrapolated northwards from its last excavated position (Quarry Place, site 60323). It is therefore hypothesised that the culvert represents a successor feature following the line of the town ditch and containing a watercourse that would formerly have been channelled into the ditch, and into the river via the Mudholes. It is probable that its 'original' (i.e. pre-19th-century) termination was c.46m south of the present riverbank at observed wall PRN 60296, and that it was later extended in brick when the Mudholes area was cleaned up and built over. See PRNs 62570 and 60296 for further information <3>

An archaeological desk-based assessment was undertaken of the area bounded by Barker Street, St Austin’s Street, Claremont Bank, Hills lane and Claremont Street in association with proposals to redevelop the area. Historical documentary and map evidence suggests a watercourse followed the line of Barker Street, and was possibly part of a more complex drainage pattern in the area. <4>

Plotted on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map by Richard K Morriss from J A Morris' notes. The wall marking the end of the culvert (PRN 60296) is also shown. Known as the Mudholes or Muckholes, marked as such on a map of c.1835 (reproduced in report). This was the outflow of the main town sewer culvert which ran from The Square, via Gullet Passage and Mardol Head. It has been suggested that it followed the line of a substantial stream from the area around the Square to the river. <5>

<01> Morris J A, 1901/ 1905, Annotated maps (Map). SSA10384.

<02> Morris J A, 1931/ 1932, Austin Friars and the Town Drainage, p46, p51-57 (Article in serial). SSA10447.

<03> Baker Nigel J, UAD Analysis (SMR comment). SSA20432.

<04> Baker Nigel J, 2007, An archaeological desk-based assessment of land at Barker Street, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, p7-9, p16 (Deskbased survey report). SSA22967.

<05> Morriss Richard K, 1996, The Welsh Bridge Development, Shrewsbury: an Archaeological Desk-top Study, fig.7; pp.41-43 (Deskbased survey report). SSA10661.

Sources

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.