Monument MPM1663 - Wall foundations, Armoury building, Gunwharf

A series of limestone wall foundations were revealed during a watching brief at the Gunwharf Quays site in 2004. The walls corresponded with the plan of the former 18th century Armoury as shown on the 1861 Ordnance Survey map, and therefore probably formed three sides of this building. They had been constructed using large Portland limestone slabs with brick work visible at the east end. Some of the stones measured upto 1m in length x 0.8m wide x 0.6m deep. The stones used on the inside and centre of the walls were smaller, with larger square cut stones on the outer and north face. The wall appeared to extend east beyond the boundary of the watching brief site. Foundations which extended further south were removed before they could be recorded. A partition wall and a brick arch were observed approximately 15m to the south-east of the wall foundations. The arch was probably used to strengthen the floor, possibly for an industrial process.

A circular ceramic door knob, probably Victorian, was recovered from disturbed soil nearby. The backfill of the stone wall contained a 19th century clay pipe stem.

Accession No: 2004/809

Beach, & Couling, G, 2004, Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth: Results of the Archaeological Watching Brief on Ariadne Phase II (Unpublished document). SPM316.