Monument record MDO19337 - West of Millstream, Christchurch (site W10); late Saxon town defences

Excavation adjacent to the west bank of the Mill Stream, Christchurch, during 1981 (site W10), revealed evidence for the late Saxon town defences. This comprised a 0.6m thick layer of gravel and sand marking the position of the defensive bank and one edge of a large defensive ditch [123].

Wessex Archaeological Committee conducted an excavation adjacent to the west bank of the Mill Stream, Christchurch, during 1981(site W10). The results were subsequently published in PDNHAS volume 105 (1).

The excavation revealed evidence for the late Saxon town defences. This comprised a 0.6m thick layer of gravel and sand marking the position of the defensive bank and one edge of a large defensive ditch [123].

The bank comprised layers [7,8,12 & 13] at the SW end of the trench, the more westerly half contained a higher proportion of gravel. These layers were excavated in 0.2m thick spits to reveal an overall depth of 0.6m on a fairly level base and extended throughout the western 5m of the trench.

Approximately 3m east of the bank deposits a deep steeply angled cut [123] was revealed. It could not be fully excavated because of the damp conditions, however, auguring suggested that the base was 1.4m below the level of the natural. The width of the cut was not revealed.

A group of iron panned branches and bone led the excavator to suggest that the bank was laid out on top of a brushwood and bone base. However, this brushwood layer is stratigraphically below the marking out gully [44], upon which the bank was constructed. This seems to have occurred in the late Saxon period, together with the cutting of the deep ditch [123]. However, it is not clear if this bank and ditch defence is contemporary with the late Saxon defences on the NW side of the town.

<1> Davies, S M, 1983, Excavations at Christchurch, Dorset, 1981 to 1983; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 27-33 (Article in serial). SWX4065.

Record last edited

Feb 17 2011 11:56AM