The Helena independent., 1890-12-12
TOWN DITCH OF LONDON.
Excavations Reveal Some Relics OF
the Roman Period and the
Middle Ages.
uouses Built Upon the Windings
of the Great Ditch OF
Defense.
The Canal Dried Up and the Land became
neutrality-suspicious. of Roman
Wall.

Tho racert excavations for the new post
office in st. Martin s-le-Grand have led to
the discovery not only Of by far the most
,,orfect niece of the Roman wall laid bare
Il recent5. mes, but also Of complete out
line of The old town ditch, which defended
London during the middle ages says 'he
London Times. The age OF q ditch can not
be settled by the workmanship with the
same certaiuty as that Of wall. we know
That ditch existed round London in the
troublesome times of King Richard and
Kino John. but there seems to be no reason
,,hv n shonld not be much older. Stow
s,,oake oe ditch 200 feet broad, but this
was certainly not the breadth IN the ne'Rh-
borhood of Aldersgate. 1t appears, now
ever to have been broad trench of 70 feet
across. and at one time, it is said, was
stored with GOOD fish Down to the time
of Elizabeth it was frequently cleaned by
order Of the corporation, but at the emu OF
the sixteenth century 1t seems 10 nave
been allowed to fall into bad order. mis-
ditch SAYS Stow, writing in l59o, 'belnR
originally made for the defense OF the CITY,
WAS also for long time together carefully
c,aaned and maintained es need required;
Int now of late neglected, and forced either
tn a very narrow, and at the same hlthy
channel, or altogether stopped up ior gar
dens planted and houses built thereon, even
to the wall; and in many places upon Doth
ditch and wall houses are built, to what
5aroar To the CITY leave to wiser consider
ation. and can but wish that reformation
nav be had" Slows pious wish was not
cratifed. Despite spasmodlc attempts on
the part of the corporation to cieahse tneir
ditches the old moat OF Aoauun a On iapuas saue,,
filed up, and by the middle OF the seven.
teenth century formed the site not only OF
private houses, but of many public build
,nos and gardens. III 1854 we are told no
fewer than seven church yards existed on
the site of the town ditch and the old wall,
beside the Church OF Allhallows-ln.!he- :,
Wall, the new beth!ehem no; no;Sl.u,; Snant
structure. $40 feet in LENGTH"
the hall of the Loriners company,
the garden and library of the college OF
physicians, and the sessions house IN tn, the
old Bailey, with the garden behind 1t. Inc
way in which church yards were formed on
the side Of the ditch is well exemplited IN
the neiphborhood of the postotlice. The
turial grounds both of st. Botolph with
ont Alderspate and of Christ church, New
cate street extend far over the spot where
the water of the moat must have once
washed. Christ church itself stands INSIDE
the old wall, while st. Botolph ls outside,
but each resorted to the ditch for space to
bury its dead. The explanation is. no doubt,
that that ditch became dry and furnished
piece of unoccupied ground which, being
near at hand. was quickly seized to meet Il
need which must have always been felt N
the crowded days of the city. Abroad, old
city walls have been converted INTO poule-
Yards: it is to be regretted that the defenses
of London have been turned to less ep-
propriate and desirable purpose.
The course OF the old ditch was readily
traced during the recent postoftice excava-
ticns by layer of soft black mud, OF the
consistency OF butter, some SIX or seven
feet thick, Below this deposit of centuries
was a layer of puddled clay from six to
nine inches thick. The puddle and mud
started at a point about eight or nine feet
outside the Roman wall, thus indicating
tbat the waters Of the moat did not wash
the foot of the wall, but that way broad
enough for horsemen, and even for
the ditch. The top of the puddle and mud
appear, moreover, to be on level with the
bottom tile of the WALL and this fact would
seem to indicate that the ditch and wall
were contemporary. If the ditch had been
the work of saxons of later times, one would
have expected the water line to be above
the footings of the Roman wall. From
its top point. the mud and puddle slope
down at an angle of about forty-tive degrees
till they reach point about IA feet below
the bottom tile of the wall. This point is at
greater depth than that of the London
clay, which has a thickness of about ten
feet five inches in this part. Below the
clay is good grovel, into which the excRva-
tors Of the ditch penetrated. The ditch has
fat bottom of thirty five feet, and ther
the mud marks an ascent on the other side
of a similar character to that on the inside
Assuming this slope to continue at the sam'
angle, we have total space of about seven
ty-five feet-a formidable obstacle to I
besieging force.
Nearly midway across the bottom Of tn
ditch, IN the line Of Aldersgate street, 10
gravel mound of some feet across. The 90
currence of this mound suggests that a
some date, pier or prop rose from tn
water to support the bridge which mus
have given access to the AldersRate. It
not quite easy to understand the relation 9
such a support to draw-bridge, unless
was used simply to strengthen the bridg
when down. Possibly it may refer to q tim
when the fosse had ceased to be thought q
importance as defense, and may hay
formed part of a fixed and permanen
way over the water.
It is difficult to draw for ourselves now
picture of London as walled town washe
by broad moat. Wall and rosse are no
in the very heart Of the county Of Londol
Not only so. but the town has covered thel
in and grown over them. From the presel
street level to the footings of the old r,
man wall the level of the old moat is abo,
eight feet eight inches. The accumulation
Of centuries have buried the defences
the city out of sight, and it needs an own
more anxious than usual to make the mo
of his property to bring to light the hid6,
history of the place. 1t is curious that Il
enormous value of city land for commerci
purposes and the burrowing into the bo,
els Of the earth thereby cccasioned, shou
lead to the disinterment of relics
London of the Roman period OF the Midd
Ages.
A PLUNGE FOR LIBERTY
Tho mysterious Escape of Convict Fro
Sing Sing Prison.
Cf~AA ~