Event/Activity EPM183 - Archaeological Watching Brief on Installation of Lighting at Pembroke Path, Portsmouth

An archaeological watching brief was carried out by Southampton Archaeology Unit on the installation of street lighting at Pembroke Path in 2010. Scheduled Monument Consent was required for the work, as part of the route included an area of King's Bastion, a surviving section of the post-medieval town defences and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The site also lay within an area of archaeological potential, which includes the medieval town of Portsmouth and the former town defences. The watching brief monitored all groundworks, which consisted of the excavation by hand of nine lamp-post pits, and the excavation of ten cable runs by a mechanical excavator. The lamp post pits varied between 0.30m-0.32m in length, 0.30m wide and 0.80m-0.96m deep. Trenches varied between 0.30m - 37m in length, 0.22m-0.30m wide and 0.30m-0.90m deep. Although fairly superficial, the works did impact on the King's Bastion. The pits and trenches were only deep enough to reveal the natural soil in five places. A change in the nature of the natural, from gravel (probable storm gravel beach deposits) in the area of the Long Curtain rampart in the south, to silty clay in the north, may indicate an early shore-line. A group of stone walls found in the south-east of the site may be associated with the medieval Domus Dei Hospital or post-medieval Governor's House, although no definite evidence of these buildings was found. Nineteenth century structures associated with the foot of the Long Curtain rampart and part of the remains of a 20th century drill hall were also found. Accession No: 2010/407