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Summary

The western edge of the late 18th century canal was found during excavations on the former Supreme Warehouse site (now Saxon Gate offices) on Back of the Walls in 1989 (SOU 397). The western edge was lined by a limestone wall incorporating mooring rings.

Protected Status: None recorded

Other References/Statuses

• HER backup file (new series): SOU 397  (paper & digital) etc
• Old Southampton SMR No/Backup file: SU 4211 SW 31  

Monument Type(s):

• CANAL (Post Medieval - 1790 AD? to 1790 AD)
• RETAINING WALL (Post Medieval - 1790 AD? to 1790 AD?)

Full description

SOU 397 Trench 2 (evaluation excavation in 1989):
[1]: The canal was exposed on this excavation. It cut the surviving part of the central berm between the medieval inner and outer town ditch to a depth of over 4m.

IP 27/12/02: Only the canal is indexed on this record. No further information, including the exact location of the canal, is given in the sources used for this record; the archive has not been checked. (See below, 2020.)

[4]: On SOU 397, a limestone wall incorporating mooring rings was identified as the western edge of the canal. (The source of this information is not given in [4], written in 2004.)
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[5]: Canal (Phase 7).
Trench 2. West edge of canal cut exposed (see below).
Test pit 2. On projected line of canal. A floor of rough cut limestone blocks was observed at the base of this pit (at 3.9m depth, c2.1mOD?), otherwise occupied by a deep brick cellar. The floor was interpreted as a stone lining for the canal (although it was perhaps the floor of the cellar? HER).

HER 13/2/2020: [5] is a 2001 revision by P Cottrell of the original report by excavator T Robey, and contains some re-interpretations.
Note that the western edge of the canal, as marked by P Cottrell one of the annotated plans, is in the central berm, and some way west of the stone wall found on the site to the south (SOU 627 and SOU 1666).
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[6]: (SOU 1666 report for site to south.) SOU 397 Test Pit 2, where possible canal walls were identified, is a short distance to the west of the location of the canal depicted on Doswell’s map although not too far to dismiss it representing the western edge of the canal.
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HER 13/2/2020: GIS point shifted to west to approximately position of Trench 2 on plans in [5].

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESH397 - Evaluation Excavation at the Supreme Warehouse on Back of the Walls in 1989 (Ref: SOU 397)

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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