Excavations at Portchester Castle, Hants, 1961–3. First Interim Report

Abstract

Portchester Castle remained untouched by archaeologists until the Office of Works took charge of the site in 1926. From that date until 1938 tidying up operations were carried out, entailing the excavation of moats and the general lowering of the ground level within the Inner Bailey. In 1956 Mr. R. Robertson-Mackay, on behalf of the Ministry of Works, supervised the digging of a trial trench, to the south of the present road, across the line of the second Roman ditch outside the west wall of the fort. In June and July 1961, the writer excavated an area, 100 ft. by 30 ft., against the inside of the west wall, to the south of the Landgate, the work being organized by the Ministry of Works as a rescue excavation prior to the proposed construction of a changing-room and lavatory. The site was later considered to be unsuitable for such a structure, but it was decided to conduct further excavations, the first phase of which (Easter 1962—Easter 1963) was designed to examine the Roman defences. The work was carried out with the co-operation of the Ministry of Public Building and Works and was financed by grants from the Libraries and Museums Committee of the Portsmouth City Council, the Hampshire Field Club, and the Joint Archaeological Committee.