Monument record MDO8738 - Christchurch Centre (site W9); medieval gullies

Excavation at Christchurch Centre, Bargates, Christchurch, during 1981 (site W9), revealed several medieval gullies [102, 157, 136, 135, 89, 33 & 50]. All were approximately E-W or N-S aligned. None of them had posts set in them as part of their function. They may represent field or plot boundaries outside the medieval town walls adjacent to the suburb of Bargates.

Wessex Archaeological Committee conducted an excavation at Christchurch centre, Bargates, Christchurch, during 1981(site W9) in order to investigate the southern limits of the pagan Saxon cemetery. The results were subsequently published in PDNHAS volume 105 (Davies 1983).

The excavation revealed several medieval gullies [102, 157, 136, 135, 89, 33 & 50]. All were approximately E-W or N-S aligned. [102] was aligned approximately E-W, round bottomed cut to 1.5m below the modern surface and c. 1.3m wide, cutting ditch [157] on its north side. It was filled with silted layers of loam and gravel. Dating for this ditch is reliant on a few undiagnostic sherds of the 12th-13th century.

[157], of which only a small fraction remained, was cut by ditches [102 & 48]. It was flat bottomed, c. 1.15m deep from the modern surface and its extant width was c. 1m. It was filled with sandy loam and gravel containing no dating evidence, although it is likely to be of 12th-13th century date.

Ditches [102 and 157] were located at the north end of the trench, the remaining ditches and gullies were in the central and southern parts and all aligned approximately N-S at a slight angle to the west and east edges of the trench. [136] was shallow, irregular and flat bottomed, some 0.15m deep and 0.8m wide. It extended for a length of 12m and cut ditches [102 & 135] at its north end. Pottery contained within its fill suggests a 13th-14th century date for this ditch.

[135] ran for c. 5m before turning through almost 90 degrees. It was c. 1m wide, 0.5m deep with a profile varying from V-shaped to U-shaped. Continuing the line of [135] to the SW after a gap of c. 1.2m was ditch [89]. This ditch was roughly U-profiled, 0.65m wide, 0.42m deep and c. 4m long. Both ditches contained chalk fragments in their upper fills sandy loam with pebbles in their lower fills. Pottery suggests a 12th-13th century date for these ditches.

Running from the south trench edge northward, along and under the east edge for c. 8.5m were ditches [33/50] both filled with grey sandy loam and scattered gravel pebbles. The full width of these ditches was not seen but [50] was up to 0.7m deep. Both ditches were flat bottomed with sloping sides, and [50] appears to be a re-cutting of [33]

None of the medieval ditches had posts set in them as part of their function and their fills derive from natural silting processes. They may represent field or plot boundaries outside the medieval town walls adjacent to the suburb of Bargates. Further medieval ditches were observed to the west during a subsequent watching brief, on similar alignments to these.

Davies, S M, 1983, Excavations at Christchurch, Dorset, 1981 to 1983; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 23-5 (Article in serial). SWX4065.

Record last edited

Oct 29 2024 4:14PM