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Summary

A raised garden was constructed along the town wall west of Polymond Tower in the late 18th century, above the former rampart. Vaults were built c1900 at the west end of the garden, and the garden was thereby shortened. The disused garden was extant the mid 1980s, when archaeological excavations began to reduce ground levels, a process completed in 1988. During the excavations, paths, drains, and a monkey burial were found (SOU 244, SOU 175 Trench 14).

Protected Status: None recorded

Other References/Statuses

• HER backup file (new series): SOU 624  (paper & digital)
• Old Southampton SMR No/Backup file: SU 4211 NW 41  Also SU 4211 NW 56

Monument Type(s):

• ANIMAL BURIAL (Post Medieval to Second World War - 1750 AD? to 1939 AD?)
• DRAIN (Post Medieval to Late 20th Century - 1750 AD? to 1985 AD?)
• GARDEN (Post Medieval to Late 20th Century - 1750 AD? to 1985 AD?)
• PATH (Post Medieval to Late 20th Century - 1750 AD? to 1985 AD?)

Full description

IP 26/9/02 (from personal memory of documentary research): A raised garden was laid out above the former rampart, between Polymond Tower and a point west of the current location of York Gate. In about the late 18th century (?probably when/about the time York Gate was constructed), the ground level was raised in this area using spoil derived from the digging of the basement of a building on East Street and dumped behind a stone retaining wall parallel to the town wall. The garden was probably laid out then although may have been altered in the 19th century. The disused garden was extant until the final stages of the work on SOU 175 Trench 14 in about 1992. It is shown on the 1961 OS map [5]. (More details in SOU 175 documentary research archive.)

IP 13/6/2017: Corporation leases show that the garden originally extended the full length of the corporation "rampier" property, from Polymond Tower to a point some way west of the second half-round tower east of Bargate, where it abutted the western rampier property attached to property on High Street. I've adjusted the GIS polygon to match the 1833 lease plan. In about 1900, vaults were built against the town wall at the western end, west of the half-round tower, thereby shortening the raised garden.

SOU 624:
[1][2][3][4]: During the demolition of York Gate in 1961, a section was exposed to the east of the gate, through the town wall, the bank to the rear of the town wall, and a later wall. This section was drawn and photographed.
[1]: The layers in the bank against the town wall were orange clay and dark soil. Layers were dipping off at the rear before being interupted by the later wall. The rear of the bank was cut away for the later wall and the (construction) trench filled up to make a level surface (more details in [1]).
[1][2]: Medieval pottery was retrieved from the lower part of the bank.
IP 8/10/02: The "later wall" must be the wall that held back the rampart garden, and the upper levelling layers in the bank must belong to the late-18th-century (or later) garden phase.

SOU 244:
H Kavanagh (July 1995) (from personal knowledge): In 1985 deposits exposed by the Masons in this area were examined. Circular and oval flower-beds defined by ceramic tile edging, and a gravelled path were exposed. These features were associated with a garden known to have been laid out in the 19th century garden (but see above - IP).

SOU 175 Trench 14:
H Kavanagh (July 1995) (from personal knowledge): The levels in the area were subsequently reduced by several metres during work on SOU 175 Trench 14, completely removing the garden deposits.
[6]: Later rampart garden in this area. Evidence included paths, drains, and monkey burial. The deposits associated with the garden were removed over several years, ending in 1988 (see event record for details).

(GIS: garden plotted using [5].)

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESH175 - Excavations at York Buildings (the Bargate Centre) and North Walls between 1983 and 1992 (Ref: SOU 175)
• ESH2035 - Excavations at North Walls - Trench 14 (Ref: SOU 175)
• ESH244 - Watching Brief on the Town Walls at York Buildings in 1985 (Ref: SOU 244)
• ESH624 - Watching brief during the demolition of York Gate in 1961 (Ref: SOU 624)

Related records

Associated Links: None recorded

If you have any feedback or new information about this record, please email the Southampton HER (her@southampton.gov.uk).

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