Fourteenth to sixteenth century ditch, EEV site, Gate Street. (EHER 14548)

Test pitting in 1992 recorded a north-south aligned ditch which was dated to the 14th-16th century based on pottery recovered from its fills.

1992. Test pitting. The archaeological evaluation at the EEV Site, Gate Street, revealed a number of features interpreted as either ditches or pits, the earliest of which can be ascribed to the 14th-16th century. A north-south aligned ditch was recorded in Test Pit 4 and produced pottery of this date. The majority, however, are either late 18th to early 20th century in date, or undated (see EHER 14549). Whilst a number of ditches were found on the projected route of the 10th century burh ditch (EHER 7766), only one is a likely candidate as a defensive ditch. However, there is a problem with the identification of this ditch as the Saxon burh ditch in that the only dating evidence from it is undisputedly post-medieval (see EHER 14549). Medieval pottery was found in the fill of some of the features and included a beaded cooking pot rim datable to the 12th century and a sherd of sandy orange ware decorated with cream slip-painting from the medieval period. <1> <2>