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Summary

The inner ditch or fosse of the Roman settlement of Clausentum is still visible as an earthwork in the public park to the north of Bitterne Road, at Bitterne Manor, although the part south of Bitterne Road has been backfilled and built over. The inner ditch cut across the end of the Bitterne Manor peninsular, enclosing the Roman settlement. In 1805 Englefield noted that the ditch north of what is now Bitterne Road was being filled in, although it was still visible as an earthwork along its entire length in 1909, after which the part south of the road was gradually filled in and built over. During excavations in Steuart Road in 1946 (SOU 698), the outer edge of the inner ditch was found. In 1951 a trench was dug in Steuart Road (SOU 202) and the ditch was found to be 58 feet wide, but very little excavation took place in the ditch itself. During a watching brief on road widening, probably on the south side of Bitterne Road, in 1959 (SOU 700), backfill deposits in the ditch were observed across its full width. During an excavation south of Steuart Road in 1996 (SOU 755), the edges of the ditch were tentatively located.

Protected Status: None recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old Southampton SMR No/Backup file: SU 4313 SE 12  
• Old Southampton SMR No/Backup file: SU 4313 SE 5  (This seems to be a mistake. This was actually the backup file for MSH1732, now renamed as such. IP 2/4/13.)
• Old Southampton SMR No/Backup file: SU 4313 SE 55  
• Old Southampton SMR No/Backup file: SU 4313 SE 6  

Monument Type(s):

• DITCH (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Full description

IP 4/9/03: In Speed's 1770 description of the remains at Bitterne Manor [7], the inner ditch and bank are mentioned, the bank being referred to as "the inner bank" of the ditch. A plan of Bitterne [9] (reproduced as [8] and originally included with the manuscript copy of [7]) shows/labels the inner ditch with banks on it's inside and outside edges. The representation of the inner ditch is rather odd however, and I suspect has been mis-drawn. Were there really two banks? Another rough plan [10], with the manuscript drafts of [7], shows various features including the inner ditch, although the bank(s) are not shown. (IP 4/9/03).

[16] (1798): This plan shows the inner ditch or "Fosse", with a "New Road" (now Bitterne Road - IP) cutting across it.
(See also [17] (1800), reprinted in [19].)

[18]: This plan (dated ?1802/?1804) shows the "Inner Ditch".

[19] (1805): Englefield reports that in 1804/5, "the inner fosse" was being levelled and filled in "north of the road, for the purpose of making a kitchen garden".

[20]: On this 1820 map, the inner ditch south of the road is shown as "Ancient Moat", although the ditch north of the road is not shown.
[21]: On the 1859 map, the line of the whole inner ditch is shown.

[4][5]: Roadworks in 1901 involved the construction of a causeway across the inner fosse in both Steuart Road and Quayside Road.

IP 4/9/03: The causeways mentioned in [4][5] are shown on the 1909 map [6]. After 1909, maps show that the inner ditch south of Bitterne Road was gradually filled in to allow for housing; there is now no above-ground trace of it. The part of the ditch north of Bitterne Road is preserved in a public park.

SOU 698 (Excavations in Steuart Road in 1946):
[11][12][13]: The outer edge of the inner ditch of Clausentum was found in Trench 3/9. The fills were clays and gravels, with tile and pottery. A ditch or gulley was found in Trenches 1, 4 and 10, apparently running into the inner ditch (indexed on a separate record).

SOU 202 (Excavation in Steuart Road in 1951 - Cotton Site B):
[14]: A trench was dug across the inner ditch of Clausentum, extending as far as possible either side of the ditch. (The trench location is shown on figure 8, trench sections and detailed plan on figure 7.) The eastern and western edges of the inner ditch were exposed but very little excavation took place in the ditch itself due largely to flooding and unstable sections. The ditch was 58' wide. Below modern silts (levels 2 to 4) were 3 layers of undated silts which produced brick and wood fragments, and a very little pottery, the only two recognisable sherds being of mid 4th century date. Layers dated to the first half of the 4th century were found on both sides of the ditch, but the relationship of the ditch cut and the ditch silts to these layers couldn't be determined. (See MSH1742 for full details of this site.)

SOU 700 (Watching brief on road widening, probably of south side of Bitterne Road, in 1959):
[1]: Cutting across the inner ditch to a depth of 4ft. Water in trench shows high level of water table. Edges revealed 70ft apart. Inner (western) lip appeared to be steeper and filling contained gravel on this side as if from deliberate levelling at some period. Some stones visible in ditch, halfway across or slightly into the eastern half; 55ft from western lip.
HK May 1995: The gravel may derive from a bank. The stones, if 55ft from the west, would only be 15ft from the east lip.
IP 8/8/03: See event record for discussion of location of trench.

SOU 755 (Excavation and Watching Brief at Steuart Road/Quayside Road in 1996):
[15]:
Trench 1 (west of the inner ditch): The Roman fosse (outer ditch) was not exposed, but two post-Roman layers sloped in such a way as to suggest that they overlay a large feature such as the fosse. The western edge of the fosse may therefore have been close to the NE corner of the excavated part of Trench 1.
Trench 2 (west of the inner ditch): The fosse was not definitely located, but one Roman layer and modern layer may have filled the fosse. Several layers in Trench 2 sloped down or thickened towards the north-east.
Trench 3 (east of the inner ditch): Feature 158 was probably the Roman fosse, but only a small part was exposed and excavated.

SOU 1110 (watching brief on groundworks for new crash barriers along Bitterne Road West in 2001):
[22]: The groundworks crossed the line of the inner fosse. Redeposited material used to fill the fosse was revealed, including a few Roman finds. A piece of limestone rubble recovered from one deposit in the southwestern-most hole over the fosse probably derived from the 19th century demolition of a limestone wall uncovered on SOU 914 (1 on fig 1) (see separate record).

SOU 1179 (watching brief at 42 Bitterne Road in 2002, on underpinning work and foundations for a conservatory):
[23]: see child record.

SOU 1393 (archaeological evaluation excavation at 34 Bitterne Road in 2006):
[24]: (See child record MSH4453 for further details.) A small trench was excavated. Cutting the natural gravel was the western edge of a cN/S aligned feature, probably the Roman defensive ditch (inner ditch – HER) assumed to have been constructed in the late 3rd century. The fills were of uncertain date but included 1st and 2nd century pottery, perhaps redeposited from an early Roman pit on the berm of the ditch (such pits were found on SOU 202).
Above the ditch fills was a dark soil layer, slumped into the ditch; this was probably a former ploughsoil developed in the medieval period and later. Finds from this layer included a large amount of Roman material. None of the Roman pottery in this layer need be later than the 2nd century. It contained rubble and large amounts of ceramic building material, perhaps derived from a nearby Roman building or the late Roman wall.

GIS: Inner ditch plotted roughly using current OS base layers and the 1948 map [3]. IP 8/8/03.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESH1110 - Watching Brief on the Crash Barrier at Bitterne Road West in 2001 (Ref: SOU 1110)
• ESH1366 - Rough Field Survey of the Roman Remains at Bitterne Manor in 1770
• ESH202 - Excavation in Steuart Road in 1951 (Cotton Site B) (Ref: SOU 202)
• ESH219 - Excavations at the West End of Steuart Road in 1946 (Ref: SOU 698)
• ESH700 - Watching Brief on road widening in Bitterne Manor (probably Bitterne Road) in 1959 (Ref: SOU 700)
• ESH755 - Excavation and Watching Brief at the Former Bitterne Manor Primary and Middle School, Steuart Road/Quayside Road in 1996 (Ref: SOU 755)

Related records

Associated Links: None recorded

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