EDO4938 - Wick Lane Access Road (Regent Way) (W43), Christchurch; excavation 1983

Wessex Archaeology conducted a small excavation in 1983 on the site of a prop osed access Road from Wick Lane to the rear of the High Street, Christchurch. It was hoped that the projected line of a possible medieval defensive town ditch, running west of and parallel to the High Street, could be sectioned. To this end an 8.5m x 2m trench was dug by hand. This showed that the ditch continued as far south as Wick Lane and measured 4.5m across at the surface with sloping sides and a flat base. It was cut 1.4m deep into natural gravel. The pottery suggests that the ditch was infilled by the 12th-13th century and may have been cut not much earlier. Further to the north this ditch had a steep 'v' profile. The flat bottomed profile in this trench may suggest that it had been re-cut at this point, possibly because of it becoming clogged with silt and domestic refuse. The ditch lies some way inside the line of the Saxon burh defences, suggesting that the town defences were substantially altered in the post-conquest period. An isolated post-hole and a 2m x 1m pit cut 0.6m into the gravel were also recorded in the trench. Neither can be definitely related to the ditch, but the pit may pre-date it slightly. (1) Site code: W43/30752. Directed by Sue Davies