Monument record BSE 137 - Town ditch evidence

April 1996: Three trial trenches in area of proposed development S of Tayfen Road and crossing line of Sax(?), Med & PMed town defences (S5). Trenches avoided line of bank (& wall?) but did sample part of the water course shown on Downing's & Warren's maps of 1740 & 1747 (S1)(S2), which may also form the town ditch at this point (compare with West's excavations of defences circa 500m to the NE - see BSE 016).
Layers including LMed & PMed tile, brick, occasional pottery and animal bones overlay layers of clayey loam, with animal bone and one sherd EMed ware and peat. A large piece of tapered revetment post was also brought up (from the peat?) by the JCB. For details see (S3).
For details of defences see BSE 136 and for Tayfen Road ditch/water course see BSE 138.

1997: Excavation by trench, prior to development exposed sections of the Med town defences in the form of remains of a bank up to 11m wide and 0.8m high and parts of a flint and mortar wall (pushed?) into the backfill of the Tayfen Water. Details in (S4).