Monument record MDO8703 - Pound Lane, Christchurch (site X1); possible medieval barn

Excavations at Pound Lane car park in the north-east corner of the Saxon burh and medieval town of Christchurch, during 1970-1, revealed evidence for a 13th century post-built structure situated on the berm between the defensive bank and ditch. This comprised four features interpreted as the chalk or mortar lined settings for the major supports of a barn-like structure.

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 evidence for a 13th century post-built structure situated on the berm between the defensive bank and ditch. This comprised four features interpreted as the chalk or mortar lined settings for the major supports of a barn-like structure.

This set of features was first discovered in 1970 and planned and photographed as part of the main excavation in 1971. They consisted of four features [F3 & F6-8] which were uniform, 0.8m wide, 0.13m deep, dish-shaped and circular in plan. They were associated with a chalk floor level [layer 8]. These features are interpreted as the chalk or mortar-lined settings for major supports of a barn-like structure, their strange design being an attempt to protect the timbers from the very wet conditions prevailing here.

Pottery from the features tended to date from the 13th century. The features were overlain by rubble layers from the robbing of the medieval town wall.

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

<2> National Record of the Historic Environment, 884747 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Nov 3 2023 11:58AM