Monument record MDR14138 - Ditch, Chapel Street, Monyash

An archaeological watching brief was carried out at this site in September 2013 during the excavation of foundations and service trenches for a new dwelling. During the reduction of topsoil, a linear ditch feature was exposed and subsequently recorded. Pottery sherds recovered from the top fill of this feature indicate that it was back-filled during the medieval period, probably during the late 12th-13th century. It should be noted, however, that the irregular 'double-dip' basal profile of the ditch, together with the difference in gradient between the western and eastern edges, possibly denotes that the ditch had been cleaned and therefore that its origins may be older than this. Based upon the limited excavation area, the ditch appears to run parallel to the original street frontage and medieval market-place. Although the charter for the market at Monyash dates from 1340 and therefore post-dates the pottery, it is possible that non-chartered market activities took place prior to this, and in theory the ditch may be associated with this. Using historic map evidence and the orientation of the ditch, a postulated original street frontage line can be drawn to the north and south. According to this theory, the front gardens of those houses adjacent to the site, as well as the properties to the east of this line as it approaches the former Friends' Meeting House [SMR 10273] to the north, would be later encroachment. Prior to this probable encroachment, the road would have formed a V-shape as it approached the market-place, no doubt to facilitate droving as animals neared the market. The ditch would therefore represent an important period in the development of Monyash. (1)