Monument record MDO19338 - West of Millstream, Christchurch (site W10); late Saxon gullies

Excavation adjacent to the west bank of the Mill Stream, Christchurch, during 1981 (site W10), revealed a series of parallel late Saxon gullies. Two [88 & 89] were contemporary, of late 9th or early 10th century date, and probably delineating the line of the Saxon burh. At a slightly later 10th century date shallow gully [44] was dug on a similar alignment and probably with a similar function

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 a series of parallel late Saxon gullies. Two [88 & 89] were contemporary, of late 9th or early 10th century date, and probably delineating the line of the Saxon burh. Gully [88] was round bottomed, c. 0.6m wide and c. 0.15m deep. Gully [89] was flat bottomed, 1.6m wide and 0.20m deep. [88] produced several sherds of late Saxon, probably 10th century, pottery and [89] only a single abraded sherd of possibly Romano-British pottery. Both the gullies were cut into natural subsoil, fluvial sand and clay. Their function is uncertain.

These two gullies silted up and were sealed by a thin grey sand layer [68] which was itself overlain by a 0.3m deep mottled sand and gravel layer [58]. Cut into this layer was another shallow gully [44] on a similar alignment to [88-9]. [44] was 0.25m deep, round bottomed and contained no dating evidence, although it is also thought to be 10th century in date and is sealed by the 12th-13th century rubble feature [16]. Although of uncertain function, this gully was also interpreted as a pre-defence delineation of the Saxon burh.

<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