Monument record MDO19404 - Pound Lane, Christchurch (site X1); medieval town defences

Excavations at Pound Lane car park in the north-east corner of the Saxon burh and medieval town of Christchurch, during 1970-1, revealed the foundations of a rubble wall inserted into the late Saxon defensive bank. The spread of material from the destruction of the wall was over 4m wide in most places over an exposed length of 25m. Only 5m of the wall were in situ however. A shallow pit below the foundations contained Saxo-Norman pottery suggesting a date for construction of either just before of just after the conquest period. The return of the wall at the NE corner of the town was not found and neither was a terminal turret. Associated with this wall was a V-shaped re-cut of the original late Saxon ditch.

K. Jarvis directed excavations at Pound Lane car park in the north-east corner of the Saxon burh and medieval town of Christchurch, during 1970-1, in order to better understand the line of the Saxon burh defences. These excavations were subsequently published in DNHAS monograph 5 (1). The excavations revealed the foundations of a rubble wall inserted into the late Saxon defensive bank.

The spread of material from the destruction of the wall was over 4m wide in most places over an exposed length of 25m. Only 5m of the wall was in situ however. This spread probably resulted from the robbing of stone becoming more difficult as the river was approached and the surviving section of wall foundation was at the river (NE ) end of the wall. This remaining foundation [F17] was 1.4m wide and faced mainly with ironstone, the core being of mainly heathstone. The rubble spread was also mainly heathstone, with much decayed mortar, suggesting that the robbing had been selective. It is interesting to note that the walls of Christchurch Castle keep were also faced with ironstone with a core of heathstone.

The stones of the wall foundations were removed by the council for display purposes revealing a shallow pit [F18] below the massive corner stone. This pit contained Saxo-Norman pottery suggesting a date for construction of either just before or just after the conquest period. No evidence of gate, turret or tower was found and it is certain that none existed here.

Associated with this wall was a V-shaped re-cut of the original late Saxon ditch. This cut was 2.60m wide by 1.20m deep. This ditch is problematical however. It was certainly dug before the town wall was demolished but it also cuts levels corresponding to the proposed 13th century barn. A second larger ditch outside the excavated area was postulated through the use of geophysical survey.

The destruction layers of the wall overlay 13th century features associated with a possible medieval barn situated on the berm between bank and ditch.

<1> Jarvis, K S, 1983, Excavations in Christchurch 1969-80, 22-7 (Monograph). SWX4028.

Record last edited

Feb 17 2011 11:53AM