Bedford Town Bank and The Kings Ditch (The Gatehouse Record)

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Kings Dyke

In the civil parish of Bedford.
In the historic county of Bedfordshire.
Modern Authority of Bedfordshire.
1974 county of Bedfordshire.
Medieval County of Bedfordshire.

OS Map Grid Reference: TL050496
Latitude 52.13075° Longitude -0.46425°

Bedford Town Bank and The Kings Ditch has been described as a certain Urban Defence.

There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains.

Description

A battle is said to have taken place at Bedford in 571. Bedford's position on the Saxon/Norse frontier meant that it was frequently involved in conflict between the English and Danes in the 10th and 11th centuries. In 919, Edward the Elder recaptured the burh from the Danes and ordered the construction of a second burh on the south side of the river. The fortifications are still to be seen as a water filled ditch, known as the King's Ditch, although the western part has now been built over. The town was captured and burned by the Danes in 1010. Excavations have revealed evidence for late Saxon and early medieval occupation. (PastScape)

A section across the bank inside the Kings Ditch in the south-east part of the town indicated a primary Norman date rather than the traditional early 10th century context of Edward the Elder's burh construction. It may have functioned as a flood-prevention earthwork, and was heightened several times in the Medieval period. (Kennett, 1972)

Loop of ditch and trace of bank, prob. C10 origin, to south of river, no traces remain of Anglo-Saxon defences north of the river. Does not seem to have lasted as a defence very long into post-Conquest period and Bond puts the defences in his 'of no post-Conquest significance' list.

Sources of information, references and further reading

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s) 360162.
County Historic Environment Record (or Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) 10530.

Websites (Gatehouse is not responsible for the content of external websites.)
- Bedford Borough Council and Central Bedfordshire Council
Books
- Salter, Mike, 2013, Medieval Walled Towns (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 157 (slight)
  Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p. 26, 48, 60, 64, 143, 216, 258
  Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of The Thames Valley and The Chilterns (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 12
  Bond, C.J., 1987, 'Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Defences' in Schofield, J. and Leech, R. (eds) Urban Archaeology in Britain (CBA Research Report 61) p. 92-116 online copy
  King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 8
  Turner, H.L., 1971, Town Defences in England and Wales (London) p. 124
  Wadmore, Beauchamp, 1920, The Earthworks of Bedfordshire (Bedford) p. 61-3
  Page, Wm (ed), 1912, VCH Bedfordshire Vol. 3 p. 1-2 online transcription
  Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (London: Methuen and Co)
  Goddard, A.R., 1904, 'Ancient Earthworks' in Doubleday, H.Arthur and Page, Wm (eds), VCH Bedfordshire Vol. 1 p. 280-1
Periodical Articles
- Edgeworth, Matt, 2011 Nov/Dec, 'The weir and the flowing earthworks of Bedford' British Archaeology no. 121 p. 22-7
  2001, Bedfordshire Archaeology Vol. 24 p. 40-46 online copy (large file)
  1985, South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter Vol. 15 p. 18 (negative findings) online copy
  Haslam, J., 1983, 'The origins and plan of Bedford' Bedfordshire Archaeology Vol. 16 p. 28-36 online copy
  Baker, D. et al, 1979, 'Excavations in Bedford, 1967-1977' Bedfordshire Archaeological Journal Vol. 13 (almost whole volume dedicated to castle excavations) online copy (large file)
  1977, South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter Vol. 7 p. 43 online copy
  Hassall, J. and Baker, D., 1975, 'Bedford: aspects of town origins and development' Bedfordshire Archaeological Journal Vol. 9 p. 75-94 online copy (large file)
  (Baker), 1972, Medieval Archaeology Vol. 16 p. 186-7 download copy
  Baker, David, 1972, 'Bedford' South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter Vol. 2 p. 23 online copy
  Kennett, D.H., 1972, Bedfordshire Archaeological Journal Vol. 7 p. 89 online copy (large file)
  Hill, D.H., 1970, 'Late Saxon Bedford' Bedfordshire Archaeological Journal Vol. 5 p. 96-9 online copy (large file)
Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
- Ingram, James, (ed) 1912, The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (Everyman Press, London) AD919 view online transcription (Ingram's translation and notes date from 1823. More recent translations of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles should be consulted for serious study)
Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
- Speed, John, 1611-12, The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britain online copy

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The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.

Suggestions for finding online and/or hard copies of bibliographical sources can be seen at this link.
Minor archaeological investigations, such as watching brief reports, and some other 'grey' literature is most likely to be held by H.E.R.s but is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded here, or elsewhere, but some suggestions can be found here.

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