Monument record 1160/3/37 - Possible Civil War Defensive Ditch

{1} Two ditches at the foot of the former medieval wall. The v-shaped outer ditch was 1m deep and there was a fall of 1.8m from the surviving top of the bank to the base of the broad, flat-bottomed inner ditch. The cutting of these ditches may be interpreted as part of the refurbishment of the town defences between 1643 and 1646 - the only dating evidence is an early clay tobacco-pipe bowl date to 1610-1640. The lower fills of the Civil War ditches were sticky black, wagerlogged silts and the upper fills were sealed by a layer containing scattered fragments and blocks of ironstone most probably derived from the medieval town wall.

<1> Chapman A., 1998, Excavation of The Town Defences at Green Street, Northampton 1995-6, (checked) (Article). SNN39672.

<2> Welsh T.C., 2000-01, Documentary Sources for The Course of The Medieval Town Wall, Northampton, (unchecked) (Article). SNN103958.

<3> CHAPMAN A., 1998, Excavation of The Town Defences at Green Street, Northampton 1995-6, (unchecked) (Report). SNN39652.

Record last edited

Dec 23 2014 10:08AM