Monument Type(s):

• DITCH (13th century to 15th century - 1200 AD to 1499 AD)
• TOWN DEFENCES (13th century to 15th century - 1200 AD to 1499 AD)

Summary

A ditch of medieval date, part of the town defences. It is virtually certain that, when the town wall was built, a defensive ditch was dug at the base of the slope below it. The projected line of this ditch has been drawn at the base of the slop as it appears on 1st edition Ordnance Survey mapping.

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA3555 - 1985 -1986 WB on town wall demolition and groundworks for Pride Hill Centre by BUFAU
• ESA3572 - 1987 WB on the construction of the Charles Darwin Shopping Centre, Shrewsbury by BUFAU
• ESA3750 - 1993-1995 WB on construction of Shropshire Records and Research Centre by SCCAS
• ESA3758 - 1987 machined test pit during WB on Darwin Centre by BUFAU
• ESA3759 - 1987 machined test pit during WB on Darwin Centre
• ESA3760 - 1987 machine test pit during WB on Darwin Centre by BUFAU
• ESA3761 - 1987 machine test pit during WB on Darwin Centre by BUFAU
• ESA3765 - 1987 observation during WB on Darwin Centre construction by BUFAU
• ESA4838 - 1997 Evaluation at Raven Meadows, Shrewsbury by SCCAS
• ESA7590 - 2015 Conservation management survey of the town walls, Shrewsbury, by SCAS

Description

Line of the medieval extramural ditch, extrapolated between the excavated section on the SRRC site to the north [PRN 62518] and the Roushill excavation [PRN 60179] to the south, where deeply-stratified extramural deposits may have accumulated within a section of ditch. No complete profiles of the ditch have been identified to-date within this stretch, though 1987 observations [PRNs 60256, 60257, 60263] on the Charles Darwin Centre site of deep fills bordering an area of immediately sub-surface natural continue the line from the SRRC and are likely to represent its course. The presence of the ditch was suspected in 1986 on the Pride Hill Centre site PRN 60060 but could not be confirmed. The line, as drawn, follows the base of the slope as shown on the 1st edition O.S. 1:500 plans <1>

It is virtually certain that, when the town wall was built, a defensive ditch was dug at the base of the slope below it. The remains of this town ditch were found by excavation on the site of the Records & Research Centre (<3>), and have been seen in several excavations elsewhere around the town (e.g. Quarry Place, St Julian's Friars: PRN60323, PRN 60177). In the immediate environs of the study area, observations of deposits that may have been filling the ditch have been made on the Charles Darwin Centre and Pride Hill Centre sites, but could not, in limited exposures, be distinguished from the dark alluvial soil background. In the late 1950s excavation behind Mardol of what were probably ditch fills produced very large quantities of medieval pottery and other contemporary rubbish (PRN 60177). No trace of the town ditch was subsequently recorded in trial trenching on this site, although it may have existed beneath the excavated levels (on its most likely suggested alignment the top of the ditch would have lain about 2.9m below the existing ground level). Waterlogging was noted in this area, together with a row of stones which probably represented debris from a building known to have occupied the top of the slope and partially demolished in the 16th or 17th centuries. <2>

A conservation management plan was prepared in 2015 for the entire circuit of town walls surrounding Shrewsbury (excluding around Shrewsbury Castle at the NE corner). This provides a general historic overview of the development of the town defences, together with detailed analysis and management recommendations for individual sections (in gazetteer form in volume 2). This stretch is identified as 4e.The evaluation in 1997 <2> recorded a deep accumulation of post-medieval deposits on the rear slope of Pride Hill but found no trace of the town ditch. <4>

<01> Baker Nigel J, UAD Analysis, 17/06/1997 (SMR comment). SSA20432.

<02> Hannaford Hugh R & Baker Nigel J, 1997, An Archaeological Evaluation at Raven Meadows, Shrewsbury, p.5 (Excavation report). SSA20852.

<03> Hannaford Hugh R, 1995, A Watching Brief at the New Records and Research Centre, Shrewsbury (Watching brief report). SSA4152.

<04> Hannaford Hugh R, 2015, Shrewsbury Town Walls: a conservation management plan (2 volumes), Gazetteer 4e (Management report). SSA28223.

Sources

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