Monument record MDO19897 - Christchurch Castle ditch, Christchurch

Evidence for ditches or moats around Christchurch castle motte and bailey was revealed through geophysical survey of land to the SE of the motte and S of the bailey by The Christchurch Antiquarians and Bournemouth University during 2003 and 2004. A ditched and banked boundary earthwork is visible at this location on 1940s aerial photographs and was mapped by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

The Christchurch Antiquarians and Bournemouth University conducted a geophysical survey of land immediately SE of Christchurch castle motte and in Church Hatch public gardens to the south of the castle bailey during 2003 and 2004.

In particular a ground penetrating radar survey during 2004 revealed a ditch or moat surrounding the base of the motte measuring up to 6m wide and 1.5m deep. At the SE part of this ditch a second ditch appeared to head off in an easterly direction towards the mill stream. This is thought to represent the moat around the castle bailey. Its full dimensions are not because only the southern edge was visible to the SE of the motte and the northern edge in the Church Hatch public gardens (possibly due to waterlogging).

A further interpretation might be that the eastern leg of the ditch represents alterations to the castle defences during the civil war in the 17th century (1).

Further sloping layers were observed during groundworks for the new bowls pavilion to the east of the motte which were also interpreted as possibly being part of the castle ditch (2).

Documentary evidence suggests that the northern section of the ditch was out of use and occupied by the back plots of houses on the south side of Castle Street by the 13th century (3).

A ditched and banked boundary earthwork is visible at this location on 1940s aerial photographs and was mapped by the Dorset Stour NMP project (4).

<1> The Christchurch Antiquarians, 2006, Christchurch Castle, Christchurch, Dorset; report on survey work July-October 2004 (Unpublished document). SDO10455.

<2> Jarvis, K S, 1987, Christchurch Castle New Bowls Pavilion; Proceedingsof the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society (Article in serial). SDO10157.

<3> Penn, K J, 1980, Historic Towns in Dorset, 39 (Monograph). SWX1202.

<4> Royal Air Force, 26-MAR-48, RAF/CPE/UK/2548 V 5077 (Aerial Photograph). SDO15395.

Record last edited

Sep 18 2017 3:12PM