Monument MPM1555 - Medieval dock site, Oyster Street

Excavations in Oyster Street in 1968-71 revealed the remains of a 14th century dock and wharf/quay. The dock ran east from the Camber, where it had been cut into a natural sand and clay depression. It was 6m wide, shelved outwards to a depth of 2m, and ran at least 8m to the west. The remains of wattle walls, up to 1m thick, were present on the east and south sides of the dock. These had been constructed using upright stakes interwoven with branches and twigs of hazel, although only the extreme lower level of the walls had survived. Lighter wattle walling on the north side retained a gravel hard-standing which represented the lower part of a wharf/quay running east towards the main site. The only finds consisted of a few hazel nuts recovered from the lower silting of the dock. The remains of a possible mooring post were observed outside the wharf/quay. A sea defence wall had been constructed at the east end of the dock (see MPM1556). [1, p51-52]

The dock and quay were located 20m southwest of a medieval building complex (see MPM1551). The site would have provided berthing, storage and victualing facilities for the town's early commercial shipping trade during the 14th and 15th centuries. The dock silted-up and was probably abandoned during the early-16th century, when the whole site appears to have become redundant and was subsequently levelled. A new quay was constructed at the northern end of the Camber. [1, p52-53]

<1> Fox, R & Barton, K, 1986, Excavations at Oyster Street, Portsmouth, Hampshire, 1968-71 (Bibliographic reference). SPM34.