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Summary

Evidence for the outer town ditch was found during an archaeological evaluation excavation at former SEB Depot/NCP Car Park site, Back of the Walls in 2014 (SOU 1666 Trenches 2 and 3). Possible evidence for the berm between the inner and outer ditches was also found. Silting deposits were exposed in the base of the ditch, overlain by post-medieval and later backfill. In Trench 2, all these deposits appeared to post-date the stone wall of an 18th century bastion (MSH2241). In the eastern part of Trench 3 two in situ wooden posts were perhaps part of a bridge.

In the report for the 2015 watching brief (also SOU 1666) it was suggested that the two ditches had merged into one single ditch in the southern part of the site; however this was unproven.

Protected Status: None recorded

Other Statuses/Codes: None Recorded

Monument Type(s):

• FOOTBRIDGE? (Medieval - 1202 AD? to 1539 AD?)
• TOWN DITCH (dug, Medieval - 1202 AD? to 1373 AD?)

Full description

SOU 1666 (evaluation excavation at former SEB Depot/NCP Car Park site, Back of the Walls in 2014)

HER 17/3/2015: This site revealed the cuts and fills of the medieval town ditches, an 18th century ?bastion, and small areas of berm/other earlier deposits. There was much 19th and 20th century disturbance. Most deposits were machined, with little hand excavation. This record refers to evidence for the outer town ditch.

[1]: Evidence for outer town ditch found in Trenches 2 and 3. (Inner town ditch found in Trenches 1, 3, 4, 5 – see separate record.)
>> Trench 2. Outer town ditch, with possible evidence for the berm between the inner and outer ditches (on western edge of trench, approximately 18.5m east of the town wall. Base of ditch not reached. The lowest recorded ditch fill was “alluvium” (blackish-blue gravelly silt), with upper ditch fills also present, which overlay the upper part of the 18th century ?bastion wall. (HER. The “alluvium” seems also to have overlain the sloping lower part of this wall, see Sections 11 & 12. The late 18th century canal may also have been present in this trench, and the ?bastion wall reused as part of the canal, see 5.2.6. If so, the “ditch” deposits are actually canal infill.)
>> Trench 3 (eastern part). Pronounced W to E tip lines of deposits suggests the vicinity of the western edge of the outer
town ditch. Natural gravel in base of ditch, at 4.4m BGS, overlain by early ditch fills (blackish-blue gleys) of the outer ditch at 2.5m BGS containing remnants of two in situ wooden (oak) posts – perhaps part of a bridge. Upper ditch fills above this, much disturbed by modern groundworks. (Context 351 is described as a fill of the outer ditch in the Appendix.)
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SOU 1666 (watching brief at the former SEB Depot, Back of the Walls in 2015):
HER 19/5/2017: No evidence of the outer ditch was found during the watching brief. It is suggested in [2] that the two town ditches in the north part of the site became a single wide ditch in the area of Trench 7, continuing as such to the south; however this was unproven. Related to this, the evidence from evaluation Trench 3 was reinterpreted in [2]. (See also [3].)
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Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESH2285 - Evaluation excavation at the former SEB Depot (NCP Car Park), Back of the Walls in 2014 (Ref: SOU 1666)
• ESH2320 - Watching brief at the former SEB Depot (NCP Car Park), Back of the Walls in 2015 (Ref: SOU 1666)

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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