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Summary

The section of the eastern town wall immediately south of East Gate, only part of which survives above ground, the rest having been demolished in or after the 19th century. The date of the eastern town wall is uncertain. It could be broadly contemporary with the north town wall, so probably of late 13th century date (1260 to 1291), however a mid-14th century or later date has also been suggested. The above-ground remains are listed and scheduled.

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1001931
• Listed Building (II) 1091983: TOWN WALLS: SECTION OF WALL RUNNING NORTH FROM A POINT OPPOSITE THE ENTRANCE TO EAST GATE STREET TO REAR OF NO 107 EAST STREET

Other Statuses/Codes: None Recorded

Monument Type(s):

• CURTAIN WALL (Built, Medieval - 1260 AD? to 1291 AD?)
• CURTAIN WALL (extant, Medieval to Second World War - 1260 AD? to 1940 AD?)
• TOWN WALL (Built, Medieval - 1260 AD? to 1291 AD?)
• TOWN WALL (extant, Medieval to Second World War - 1260 AD? to 1940 AD?)
• CURTAIN WALL (Built, Medieval - 1325 AD? to 1375 AD?)
• TOWN WALL (Built, Medieval - 1325 AD? to 1375 AD?)
• CURTAIN WALL (Demolished, Post Medieval to Second World War - 1870 AD? to 1940 AD?)
• TOWN WALL (Demolished, Post Medieval to Second World War - 1870 AD? to 1940 AD?)

Full description

Records for the town defences are currently being enhanced and it is intended that further details will be added to this description at a later date. (SCC HER 4/12/09)
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SOU 1562 Trenches 1, 2 & 3 (archaeological evaluation excavation at Canal Walk, rear of 104/106a East Street, in 2011):
[2] (and [3]): The site was not far south of East Street, on the line of the eastern town wall and ditches. Trench 1 was next to the west face of the town wall. Trenches 2 and 3 were both next to the east face of town wall, and in Trench 3 a small sondage was dug below the wall. In Trench 2, later structural features had removed much of the deposits immediately below the wall.

The earliest deposits in these trenches were probable rampart deposits (see separate record). They contained (Late Saxon to) Anglo-Norman artefacts, probably because soil deposits of that period were scraped up from the ditch area to construct the rampart. The town wall here is built into the rampart, whereas further north on Wacher’s site C (SOU 141) the wall sat on the natural. It was not clear if the town wall was built in a trench cut into the rampart, or the rampart had been built to a level, the wall built, and then the rampart raised behind it.

The town wall here consists of a well-built, vertical external (east) face standing some 2.8m high, showing much evidence of patching and repair, and with a narrow modern concrete plinth protecting the base. The west side of the wall is uneven with no facing stone, and is wider at the base; it appeared to have been rebuilt/repointed in the post-war period. Above ground, the wall is c600mm/650mm wide. Its base it is now c.1m wide. The modern ground level is lower on the east side of the wall (levels given). The base of the wall is c80mm higher than the former concrete slab surface of the development site. A 19th century brick-lined pit, partly exposed in Trench 2, undercut the town wall and appeared to be causing cracks in the wall.
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SOU 1690 (archaeological excavation at the rear of 104–106 East Street in 2015):
[4]: (This followed the SOU 1562 work. No evidence was found relating to the town wall.)
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Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESH2081 - Evaluation excavation rear of 104/106a East Street (on Canal Walk/Back of the Walls) in 2011 (Ref: SOU 1562)
• ESH2336 - Excavation rear of 104-106 East Street (on Canal Walk/Back of the Walls) in 2015 (Ref: SOU 1690)

Related records

Associated Links: None recorded

Images

Old Bond Store and remants of east town wall, Back of the Walls south of East Street, looking north, 6/9/09, © I Peckham	Old Bond Store and remants of east town wall, Back of the Walls south of East Street, 6/9/09, © I Peckham
Old Bond Store and section of stone wall, probably not part of town wall, Back of the Walls, 6/9/09, © I Peckham	Old Bond Store and section of stone wall, probably not part of town wall, Back of the Walls, 6/9/09, © I Peckham
Remant of east town wall, Back of the Walls south of East Street, 6/9/09, © I Peckham	Old Bond Store, Back of the Walls, 6/9/09, © I Peckham
Remant of east town wall, Back of the Walls south of East Street, 6/9/09, © I Peckham	Remant of east town wall, Back of the Walls south of East Street, 6/9/09, © I Peckham
Remant of east town wall, Back of the Walls south of East Street, 6/9/09, © I Peckham	Remant of east town wall, Back of the Walls south of East Street, 6/9/09, © I Peckham
Remant of east town wall, Back of the Walls south of East Street, 6/9/09, © I Peckham

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

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