Monument MPM1482 - Remains of Bath House to the former Victoria Barracks, City Museum and Record Office site

Sections of brick wall, guttering and roof tile revealed during an archaeological evaluation in the grounds of the City Museum and Record Office. The remains are thought to relate to a former early-mid 20th century bath house which was part of the Victoria Barracks complex.

Two sections of brick wall, ceramic guttering and smashed roof tile, thought to be associated with a former bath house which belonged to the Victoria Barracks complex, were revealed during an archaeological evaluation at the City Museum and Record Office site in 2001. A substantial bath house building is shown on a plan of the barracks dated 1935, but does not appear on an earlier plan of 1913. The remains probably represent the lower brick courses of the bath house. The barracks were demolished during the 1960s/1970s. The building remains were recorded in Trench 2.

A brick wall (15) on a roughly north-south alignment was uncovered fairly close to the surface of evaluation Trench 2. The wall was at least four courses deep and was surrounded by building rubble. To the east of wall 15, what appeared to be a corner section of another wall (16) was revealed. This had two sections, one running northeast-southwest, and another northwest-southeast. A white ceramic gutter abutted the western edge, and the imprint of another section of guttering was visible in a layer of mortar on top of the northwest-southeast aligned section of wall. A thin layer of red flat tiles was observed above both walls. The tiles had been smashed, but were very similar to the roof tiles used on the surviving buildings of the Clarence barracks complex.

A deep loose layer of deposited gravel was revealed to the east of the walls. Two interpretations as to what this layer might relate to have been suggested. The first is that it may have been the result of Second World War bomb damage in the area. The second, that it may be associated with the former town defences. It was noted during the evaluation that the ground surface started to rise towards the east at this point of the site, which might suggest that a former glacis was located in this area. It is also possible that it is fill from the moat.

Accession No: 2001/1344

Stevens, Jenny, 2001, Desk Based Assessment and Archaeological Evaluation Portsmouth City Museum and Record Office, Museum Road, Portsmouth (Unpublished document). SPM270.