Monument MPM1029 - 140 Copnor Road

An archaeological watching brief at the site of 140 Copnor Road in 2004 revealed evidence of medieval and post-medieval agricultural activity. This included the remains of medieval open strip fields which had been enclosed around the first half of the 17th century. Layers which may have been associated with the construction of a late-19th century house and an earlier building were also observed.

A watching brief on the site of 140 Copnor Road in 2004 revealed three phases of activity which were broadly identified as:

1) Earlier Medieval phase, represented by ditches, a water-hole and post-holes

2) Medieval to Post-Medieval phase, represented by ditches, water-holes and post-holes

3) Post-Medieval to Modern phase, represented by post-holes and pits


The first two phases represented a medieval open strip field system, with each strip separated by a ditch. The third phase related to when the fields were enclosed by hedges and fences, which was represented by the remains of post-holes and pits. Pottery found on the site suggested this change took place at some point during the 16th or 17th century. This would tie in with the date of enclosure, which occurred in the early-17th century in Copnor. A more substantial ditch running east-west possibly marked the division between the fields and the village. This would fit with the position of the Manor House shown on the 1859 OS map. This house had disappeared by the 1898 OS map, by which time a new Manor House had been built slightly to the north-east of the earlier building.

Several layers were identified which pre-dated the construction of the late-19th century Manor House. The latest of these, through which the house foundations were dug, was a thin spread of burnt material which contained much degraded brick. Below this was a layer of sandy clay containing sherds of 15th-16th century pottery, and a layer of gravel. Both of these layers had been deliberately deposited, but their purpose was difficult to determine as only a very limited area was excavated. It is possible that the sandy clay and gravel may have been a yard surface associated with the earlier house shown on the 1859 OS map. The burnt layer may have represented the destruction of this house in the 19th century, before the new Manor House was built.

Layers of soil and rubble which overlay the earlier layers and features had almost certainly been laid down to level the site during the construction of the late-19th century Manor House.


Accession number: 2004/629

West Sussex Archaeology, 2002, Report on an Archaeological Watching Brief at The Manor House, 140 Copnor Road, Hilsea, Portsmouth (Unpublished document). SPM76.