Monument record MDO19319 - Sainsbury's car park, Christchurch (site W23); late Saxon defences

Excavation at Sainsbury’s car park, Christchurch, during 1981-2 (site W23), revealed a large U-profiled ditch, approximately 4.4m wide at the top and c. 2.2m deep running along the line of the northern town defences. This is thought to represent the late Saxon defensive ditch 1 with a very similar fill and profile to the section recorded at the adjacent site (W6). No dating evidenc was recovered but the ditch is thought to be late Saxon in origin, abandoned by the 12th-13th century.

Wessex Archaeological Committee conducted an excavation at Sainsbury’s car park, Christchurch, during 1981-2 (site W23) in order to investigate the northern Saxon town defences. The results were subsequently published in PDNHAS volume 105 (Davies 1983).

The site was started by P. Aitken by hand during a watching brief, but the ditch section was cut by machine. The excavation revealed a large defensive ditch with a splayed U-profile, approximately 4.4m wide at the top and c. 2.2m deep running along the line of the northern town defences. This is thought to represent the late Saxon defensive ditch 1. The fill comprised sand or sand and gravel layers, clayey towards the centre. The upper levels contained a relatively high loam content and signs of construction or demolition debris, including small spreads of charcoal, building stone and a thick mortar layer c. 0.4m from the top.

Due to the method of excavation no dating evidence was recovered but the ditch is thought to be late Saxon in origin, and the construction/demolition layers may relate to the construction/demolition of the revetment wall of the medieval defences abandoned by the 12th-13th century. The profile and fill of the ditch is similar to those of the late Saxon defensive ditch 1 [14] seen at the adjacent site (W6).

Davies, S M, 1983, Excavations at Christchurch, Dorset, 1981 to 1983; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 25-7 (Article in serial). SWX4065.

Record last edited

Oct 29 2024 4:23PM