Event/Activity EPM126 - Archaeological Watching Brief at Portsmouth City Museum, Museum Road, Portsmouth

An archaeological watching brief was carried out by Southampton Archaeology Unit on test pits and boreholes at the Portsmouth City Museum & Records Office site in 2009. Eight test pits and five boreholes were dug around the western end of the Old Records Office building, located next to the City Museum (to the east). Three of the test pits measured 1m x 1m and were 1.8m deep, and the remaining five were between 500mm and 700mm long, 400mm and 700mm wide, and were 1.7m deep. The borehole starter pits were 400m x 400mm, and the boreholes were 15m deep. One borehole was not observed. The museum site lies within the area of the former East Bastion and moat, which once formed part of the post-medieval town defences, demolished in the 1860s and 1870s. The Old Records Office is situated partly within the area of outworks of the former East Bastion, and the western end of the building lies within the former line of the moat. The site is also located within an area of archaeological potential, defined as being of principle importance for medieval and post-medieval archaeology. Evidence of the town defences was observed across the entire site. Accession number: 2009/13