The Itchen River begins to the northeast of Winchester, near New Alresford where three freshwater spring-fed streams converge to form the larger waterway of the Itchen. From this starting point, it winds through Hampshire, flowing through Winchester, Twyford, Eastleigh, and Southampton before joining the River Test to form Southampton Water. This 26 mile (42km) stretch of waterway is currently navigable along its tidal reach, which encompasses the last 5 miles (8km) south of Woodmill.

The Itchen River is considered a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) by Natural England (SSSI No. 2000227) and a Special Area of Conservation by the European Union under the Bern Convention (SAC Code UK0012599). Additionally, the Maritime Archaeology Trust has identified 25 sites of Archaeological Importance along the navigable stretch of the Itchen River (MAT 2002), while Historic England has designated two Scheduled Monuments and two Listed Buildings along its shores and within the Inter-Tidal Zone (Historic England Listing No. 1402622, 1178451, 1005538, and 1425731).

Unfortunately, to the casual observer, this distinguished waterway is seldom given a second glance and has been described as ‘unkempt’ or an ‘eyesore’ by the media and casual observers; however, to an archaeologist or historian the Itchen River is teeming with important information about the people of the past stretching from the last Ice Age (c. 12.9kya) to the current era. This interactive Story Map aims to pass on the information learned through the Itchen River Project (1997-2002) and subsequent studies of the Itchen River to the greater public so everyone can enjoy the rich history of the industrious river that glides through our back gardens.

All maps and images are fully interactive with additional information and images for the public's benefit. Happy exploring!

The prehistoric riverine environment in the south of England appeared drastically different than it does today. The primeval River Solent was one of three major rivers during the Pleistocene Epoch (2.58mya – 11.7kya) and was not destroyed by the major climactic event known as Anglian Glaciation (c. 450kya) where a massive ice sheet stretched across Britain down to the Isles of Scilly. The river became extinct after the end of the warming period known as the Younger Dryas (c. 12.9-11.7kya) where intense flooding caused by de-glaciation resulted in the prehistoric river to sink into the current Solent strait, giving rise to the Isle of Wight. This gradual 100 meter sea-level rise resulted in Britain being separated from mainland Europe and the topography at this point becomes similar to what we see today, with the Solent being fed by the River Test, the Itchen River, the River Avon, and the River Medina (Momber et al. 2021: 80-81; Davies et al. 2021).

This area would have been a particularly favorable region for human activity, which is demonstrated in the paleolithic record for the area. In terms of numbers alone of found artefacts and known sites, the larger Solent region is one of only three major concentrations of Lower Paleolithic (c.3.3mya – 200kya) material in all of Britain at the time of this publication. Most notably, the Itchen River has yielded large quantities of Paleolithic material recovered from fluvial gravel, with hand axes being the most frequent find (Davies et al. 2021).

This level of preservation is partly caused by the ideal conditions of the Itchen River for peat formation. Peat is formed when vegetal debris becomes enveloped in anoxic (zero oxygen environment) and waterlogged conditions, resulting in an exceptional medium for preservation that can last thousands of years.

As peat builds up, it can create distinguishable and dateable layers, containing information about prehistoric flora and fauna, insects and pollen. Several peat deposits have been discovered on the foreshore of the Itchen River, some dated to be over 8,000 years old, informing researchers about changing prehistoric environments which would have had a massive impact on its human inhabitants.

During the Itchen River Project (1997-2002) one of these peat deposits was discovered and identified during an investigation of Roman era timbers found on the foreshore of St. Denys, opposite the north side of the promontory of Bitterne Manor (NGR: SU 43353 13612). The sediment was augered to take soil samples and the following pollen analysis from the University of Southampton dated the peat deposit to between 9.5kya-7.5kya (Southampton HER: MSH1646).

The remains of this Mesolithic (c. 8000-2700 BCE) forest are only visible at very low water spring tides when the moon’s influence over the water is at its peak. The submerged forest is indicative of an area with a high level of organic preservation and thus, a high level of archaeological potential (Wessex Archaeology 2013: 33).

During construction of Empress Dock from between 1883 and 1889 peat deposits were discovered and they contained a large amount of prehistoric material from the Mesolithic and Neolithic, most notably a perforated mace head, ancient reindeer remains, a hippopotamus skull, caches of aurochs bones (extinct cattle species), a single dug-out canoe, along with flint debris were recovered (Shore and Elwes 1889).

The earliest evidence of permanent settlement along the Itchen begins with the Romans at the site of Clausentum, located in current day Bitterne Manor. There is some debate on if the Roman site at Bitterne Manor is actually Clausentum, as there is a bit of discrepancy of approximate milage given in the Antonine Itinerary (Itinerarium Antonini Augusti) which is a register of Roman stations and roads with given distances. Clausentum was described to be 20 Roman miles (1 Roman mile = approx. 0.9 modern miles) from Chichester and 10 Roman miles from Winchester; however, Bitterne Manor is situated 30 Roman miles from Chichester rather than 20, but alternate sites have similar distance discrepancies.

The Roman site at Bitterne Manor was occupied from circa 70 CE during the Flavian period. The earliest site (approx. an area of 27.5 acres) is attributed to a small hut located west of the current day Bitterne Manor House, alongside timber wharves, lead pig figurines, rubbish pits, and outer earthworks.

Hadrianic earthwork defences start to appear in 120 CE along with evidence for a timber stockade. Evidence for Trajanic era timber houses and a palisade begin to appear circa 150 CE. The palisade was roughly 8 enclosed acres and was placed in the earlier earthworks from the Flavian period. Stone buildings begin to appear between 170-180 CE, including a four roomed bath house and the western wall of a building, underneath the current day manor house.

Between 286-296 CE the Gallo-Roman military commander Carausius and his successor Allectus usurped power in Roman Britain. During this time coins were minted in Britannia for the first time in over 250 years of occupation. The two known mints at this period were associated with the mintmark 'L', associated with London (Londinium), and the other mintmark 'C / CL'. Attribution to this particular mark is unknown and has never been resolved with certainty; however, Clausentum was at one point the favored hypothetical location for this second mint. No structures within the Bitterne Manor promontory can currently be associated with any sort of mint (Llyod 1998).

During the Constantinian dynasty rebuilding of extant structures were undertaken. Between 350-370 CE the Trajanic palisade was replaced by a stone wall, the bath house was rebuilt, and other stone features were demolished.

In c. 390 CE there was a last phase of building activity, with no evidence for major building works appearing until the Medieval period.

This last phase of demolition and rebuilding has been associated with fortifications for the threat of raiding Saxons, some archaeologists and historians have interpreted this activity as a possible Saxon Shore fort being built; however, there is no mention of a fort in this area in the Notitia Dignitatum (a document of Roman offices and the state of the military around c. 420 CE), but our earliest manuscript dates from the 15 ^th  century and has been subject to extensive copying.

First recording of Roman occupation here dates back to 1779 during the construction of Northam Bridge. In 1804/5 more recording took place as the grounds of the Manor House were under restoration. The first formal excavations that occurred were by Waterman and Muller between 1935 and 1937; however, excavations were halted during World War II and then resumed in 1946 by Muller. That same year, Mrs. Cotton began her excavations, which halted and started again in 1951 until 1954. During her time as director of excavations, two major sites were examined and she identified 11 major chronological phases within the area. Of the 10 phases that were Roman, the earliest identified was pre-Flavian (before 70 CE) but Cotton maintained that this dating was not firmly established (Cotton 1958: 13). Smaller scale excavations have taken place since during development, with interesting and important discoveries occurring all the way up to the current day.

The major sites at Bitterne Manor associated with Roman occupation are shown below in an interactive map. Have a click around to explore some of the findings!

On the western side of the Itchen River in the inter-tidal mudflats between Roman Clausentum (NGR: SU4349013370) and St. Denys (NGR: SU4331713886) are the remains of a Roman riverfront facility consisting of three different structures (NGR: SU43391361) (Beattie-Edwards 1999; Historic England 2015: List Entry 1425731). These timber structures were first recorded in 1997 as part of the Itchen Foreshore Community Project during field walking. The subsequential Itchen River Project that occurred over the next 5 years further investigated these Roman timber structures (along with other maritime history along the Itchen River) and was supported by the Maritime Archaeology Trust, the Southampton City Council Archaeological Unit, students from the University of Southampton’s Centre for Maritime Archaeology, University City College London, Portsmouth University, and the Southampton branch of the Young Archaeologist's Club.

These Roman timbers were sampled for dating and sent off to the University of Sheffield for dendrochronology (dating using tree ring data).

This testing confirmed a construction date to the spring of 201 AD (Southampton HER: MSH1645; Historic England: List Entry 1425731).

Prior to the Itchen River Project the posts visible during low tide were rumored to be the remains of footings for WWII era pontoons by the locals.

Several Roman finds of pottery and ceramics were discovered during the 1999 field season as well (Momber & Satchell 2000; Southampton HER: MSH2968); however, it is possible that these finds were washed into the site via riverine activity.

The current theory is that the positioning of the vertical wooden posts suggest that there are three possible structures, and have been interpreted as being a western pier, an eastern pier or jetty, and a possible revetement.

Today, the timber structures are currently thought to be related to the Roman settlement of Clausentum sitting directly across the river as the region would have made a very suitable site for transferring goods from seaworthy vessels to either land-based trading methods or smaller riverine craft that could navigate through the narrow channels up to where modern day Winchester sits.

Currently, the rows of timber posts become visible during low tides between 1.11m and 1.46m below the Ordinance Datum. The site itself survives in relatively good condition considering the age and location of the waterlogged timbers. 175 vertical timbers of various dimensions poking out of the mud survive and can be seen from Janaway Gardens or from the shores of Clausentum across the river on a clear day (Beattie-Edwards 1999; Historic England: List Entry 1425731).

The Maritime Archaeology Trust has also generated a photogrammetry model of the revetement feature in 2015 during a supermoon ultra-low tide event for a more dynamic (and less muddy) viewing experience.

Further research of the area has been suggested by Historic England and the Maritime Archaeological Research Framework for England as this site demonstrates the very high quality of the survival of Romano-British archaeology within the inter-tidal zone (Historic England: List Entry 1425731; Walsh et al. 2023). The proposed revetment section of the timber structures is an extraordinary site type with very rare examples that survive outside of London and due to the lack of evidence for a bridge, this site is also unique as the presence of a pier without an associated bridge does not exist elsewhere in the country.

Further study of the site boundaries and nature of extant structures would supplement understanding of whether or not this particular site configuration is completely unique in England (Historic England: List Entry 1425731).

While there are some remnants of early Saxon settlement around the area of Clausentum, these peoples ultimately relocated further south down the Itchen on the west bank of the river.

During the 7 ^th  and 8 ^th  century’s Saxon ‘Hamwic’, positioned near present day St. Mary's, was one of the largest ports and centres for trade in Britain.

This location was to have a large influence on the future development of the Solent.

It was the port town for the city of Winchester and would have acted as a centre for trans-shipment of goods onto smaller vessels that could navigate up the Itchen. This is reflected in the archaeological remains that demonstrate high quality imports of pottery especially from Rouen. The river and port would have formed a bustling centre for merchants to trade and live, while out-lying areas produced goods for export. Coin evidence, also reinforces the evidence for prosperity, particularly in the mid 8 ^th  and 9 ^th  centuries, a period from which more coin finds have been discovered in Hamwic than any other site in the country (Gareth 2008).

The decision to settle on the relatively exposed west bank of the Itchen would have been questioned when Viking raids became a very real threat from the 9 ^th  century.

A solution to the vulnerability of the peninsular was not realized until the 10 ^th  century when the settlement was relocated on higher, defend-able ground to the west, on the banks of the River Test, this was to become the Medieval town of ‘Hamptun’ (Rance 1986).

While the main Saxon settlement had relocated further to the southwest, there is still evidence of a small burgh and cemetery at the site of where Clausentum stood. On record, there is currently evidence for over 85 instances of human remains found on the Bitterne Manor promontory.

The Medieval town of Hamptun rose from the relocated Anglo-Saxon settlement located on the banks of the River Test, rather than the River Itchen; however, a medieval manor house was to be built over then Romano-Saxon site of the Bitterne Manor promontory, which is what it’s current day placename derives from.

In 1045 the Bishops of Winchester received a grant of land from Edward I at the then named Stanham, which has been identified with Bitterne Manor. By the 13 ^th  century, the record shows that the buildings consisted of not only a great manor house, but also a courtyard, cloisters, a chapel, four small homes, and a free standing kitchen, all belonging to the Bishop’s holding.

The complex was in use up until the 16 ^th  century, where it appears to have fallen into a state of disrepair.

In 1598, Francis Mylles, a government official, acquired the house and removed some of  the Roman and Medieval stonework to build the nearby Peartree House.

In 1799 when the Northam Bridge was completed, the owners of Bitterne Manor decided to convert the residence into a hotel; however, this venture ultimately failed and the manor was returned to a private estate (Macnaghten 1953: 474; Vale 1983). The addition of crenellated stucco facades (false battlements) occurred in 1805. Colonel de Billinghurst lived in Bitterne Manor House around 1810. The next occupant was a Mrs. Stuart Hall, who left it upon her death in 1847 to her sister Mrs. Jane Eastmont. The house was inherited by Agnes, daughter of Jane Eastmont and wife of local barrister and Director of the Southampton Docks Company Steuart MacNaghten. The couple made many alterations to the manor house, including a west wing, a conservatory, and a ballroom (Vale 1983).

The manor house was badly damaged in World War II, but the house was reconstructed and restored by architect Herbert Collins in 1951-55 and converted into a group of flats.

During restoration the 19 ^th  century stucco and crenelation was removed, thus revealing the medieval façade.

The next phase of large scale industry on the riverside was shipbuilding at Northam which followed almost immediately after Charles II granted a charter extending the port of Southampton up the river to Northam. In the following year, 1693, John Winter moved from West Quay to establish the Northam shipyard following his acquisition of an Admiralty contract. Naval shipbuilding ceased five years later however it resumed in the Georgian era (1714–1795) during the 1730s, continuing through the 18 ^th  century. Some of the largest vessels built included 74 gun ships that compared in length and breadth to Nelsons Flagship HMS Victory.

As naval shipbuilding prospered on the Itchen, so too did affiliated businesses. In 1781, Taylor at Woodmill began using steam in his factory as well as water to turn the lathes for the production of rigging blocks. The same year Aaron Moody joined with Christopher Potter, setting up a biscuit factory north of Chapel Mill to supply the Navy. The factory was years ahead of its time using a Newcomen engine to grind corn with sets of French stones, and could produce five tons of biscuits a day. By the end of the century the need for improved communications and transport links to support the growing economy saw the building of the Northam Bridge, completed in 1799, parts of which still survive. 

Following the conclusion of the Napoleonic wars, the demand for ships diminished. While this marked the beginning of the end for other shipbuilding centers in the region, the yards on the Itchen adapted by embracing new technologies with the building of steam engines and steam propelled vessels for the merchant navy. The spin-offs of the innovative industrialists along the rivers edge led to the development of steam locomotive works at Millbrook in 1830. This was soon followed by the construction of iron ships at Millbrook and Northam, and in 1835 the Southampton Dock Company was formed with the foundation stone for the new Southampton Docks being laid in 1838.

The shipbuilding yards of the Itchen flourished in the nineteenth century building hundreds of vessels, bigger and better than those that went before. At the beginning of the twentieth century, however, the emphasis changed.

John Goodman Fay of Northam took over the Woolston Yard which became instrumental in the expansion of shipbuilding and ship repair adjacent to the new dock complexes now growing along the west bank of the river mouth.

The yard was taken over by John Isaac Thornycroft in 1904, which continued to thrive for 100 years, ceasing operations in 2004.

A little to the north, ancillary industries and small yards producing yachts and coastal craft continued to thrive. Shipbuilding, notably the Day and Summers yards, received a boost at the beginning of World War I.

However, by 1929 they completed their ninth floating bridge which was to be their last vessel before selling the yard to ship-breakers.

Their eighth floating bridge launched in 1896 was laid up at Kemps yard (Still extant as Kemps Quay), the huge shed in which it was built, and still stands on Prince’s Street.

The last floating bridge on the Itchen was decommissioned in June of 1977, commemorated by souvenir tickets issued during the last week of operation.

Innovations in aircraft also thrived along the forshore of the Itchen River, primarily with flying boats and other aviation works.

The concrete foundation of a slipway found on the southern east bank foreshore of the Itchen River is the last remnant of the Supermarine Aviation Works in Woolston.

This company was responsible for developing some of the most important and impressive seaplanes in the United Kingdom, including significant seaplanes like the Supermarine Southampton and the Supermarine Walrus.

One notable occurrence at the Woolston Yard during this period was the arrival of Miss Amelia Earhart after a flight across the Atlantic Ocean. This flight made her the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, but as a passenger- not as a pilot. Four years later in 1932, she would make the journey alone as the first female pilot to cross the Atlantic nonstop.

"Stultz did all the flying- had to. I was just baggage, like a sack of potatoes. Maybe someday I'll try it alone." - Amelia Earhart June 1928

She arrived in the Fokker F.VII Friendship at the mouth of the Itchen and was greeted amid cheers and calls from the press by the mayor of Southampton.

This was part of the beginnings of Southampton's love of aviation which would last through the booming era of flying boats, the production of the Spitfire, and eventually commercial aircraft.

Shortly after Miss Earhart's historic landing, in 1933 the Supermarine Aviation Works developed the infamous Spitfire aircraft, which became critical in defeating Luftwaffe air attacks during the Battle of Britain in 1940.

During World War II the aviation factory was bombed on the 24th of September in 1940, and again on the 26th of September 1940, killing 55 and injuring 92 people. A commemorative plaque near the historic slipway can be visited today to honor those who lost their lives during the bombing.

The very last Supermarine aircraft was built in 1963.

Today the shipbuilding and aviation industry has diminished along the Itchen River but much of the infrastructure that supported the industries has left its mark on the water’s edge, while vessels that facilitated past successes now lie abandoned in the intertidal mud flats.

The Maritime Archaeology Trust undertook an expansive desk-based study and subsequent 6 year fieldwork of 44 different vessels along the shores of the Itchen. This collection of vessels not only varied over a span of 100 years but also included a large array of vessel types: motorized sailing barges, hopper barges, tenders, ferries, pleasure craft, and additionally, quayside facility remains. The sites, where accessible, were visited to visually record the current structures as part of the fieldwork program, 12 extraordinary examples of which are outlined below.

The fieldwork was carried out from 1997 to 2002 under the direction of Garry Momber, Julie Satchell, and Brian Sparks from the Maritime Archaeology Trust (formerly the Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology) alongside Dr. Andrew Russel, the Southampton City Council Archaeologist.

The work was undertaken by not only professional archaeologists, but also local volunteers and students from the University of Southampton, Portsmouth University, and University College London. The goal of the project was to not only identify, record, and report on the archaeologically significant finds along the Itchen River, but to also train students and volunteers on how to conduct site surveys.

After initial fieldwalking and identification of remains that could be of interest to investigate, a survey in 1998 was conducted as a further attempt to identify unknown wrecks that are not within the inter-tidal zone. When the tides are at their lowest in the Itchen River, the main channel in the center of the riverbed remains flooded.

A technique by the name of side scan sonar was used to identify anomalies beneath the waters surface on the obscured riverbed below. Side scan sonar uses high frequency sound pulses that are projected on the riverbed, causing an image of the topography below to be created when those sound pulses bounce back.

This side scan sonar was conducted by the School of Ocean and Earth Science from Southampton University on behalf of the Maritime Archaeology Trust. The side scan sonar inspected the seabed and detected a wooden hulk near the edge of the tidal reach.

The hulk identified during this survey was located on the far intertidal reach just south of Northam Bridge, given site code ITCH15.

This vessel has a wooden hull fastened together with treenails and can be seen as a barge in aerial photography from 1928 (CCC8875/619), making it the oldest vessel recorded during this survey.

The vessel has remains of coal dust between its frames and may have been associated with the coal wharf across the river. At the time this vessel was in use the most important traffic through the Itchen was coal, transhipped from the collier brigs from the north-east coast at Northam, and taken up to Winchester (Course 1983).

Its construction is typical of shipbuilding prior to the industrial revolution, and her date of construction may be mid 19th century or earlier. She shows characteristics typical of a vessel for the Victorian period - the collier type of carvel construction. The dimensions of her remains are: 20.48 x 4.88 x 1.01m.

At the date of publication, the state of ITCH15 is heavily degraded. It is unclear if the vessel is sinking into the mudflats below or if the wooden structure itself is deteriorating. A second survey may illuminate the actual condition of the rare wreck.

Nearby and further inland in Holdens Yard there are several other wrecks of note, one of which is a riveted iron barge and is also visible in the 1928 aerial photograph series. This iron barge was given the site code ITCH14.

The barge was surveyed in 1997 and 1999. The vessel seems to be the oldest vessel of this type surviving in port and would have been typical of the vessels in use between the late 19 ^th  century and early 20 ^th  century.

At the time of the survey she was surviving in a fairly good state of preservation, but as of today she has slightly degraded, losing a lot of the structural integrity on the deck she had 20+ years ago. Dimensions of the vessel are 13.70 x 4.20 x 1.21m.

Further up the shore sits another wreck in Holdens Yard, identified as a hopper barge (a type of non-mechanical vessel that is designed to carry materials, like rocks, sand, or soil for dumping into bodies of water) and given site code ITCH13. The vessel is made up of wood with iron fastenings and is of carvel construction (planks laid flush, edge-to-edge).

The vessel is described as a mud hopper used for dredging soil- fitted with drop doors at the base of her hoppers. During the initial survey the hopper barge was in a poor state of preservation with 5 timber knees and iron bolts surviving, which has heavily degraded over time. The first recorded dimensions of the vessel were 30.7 x 5.72 x 2.5m, making this the largest barge in Holdens Yard. The engine was still present during initial survey but completely inoperable and was towed, then moored by heavy stud chain.

It is speculated that the vessel was once owned by Kendall Dredging, which has been in operation since the 1800’s, as they had many other vessels broken up in Holden’s Yard such as the Sand Skipper.

The ITCH13 wreck as it stands today has degraded heavily over the past 20 years since it was originally surveyed- the entire bow of the ship no longer survives as well as the upper decking, planking, and other numerous features.

The hopper barge has been the subject of many training field surveys since, as the University of Southampton frequently uses the barge as a training tool for maritime archaeology students in order for them to get experience with field survey, geographic information systems, and 3D modeling practices all within the inter-tidal zone which presents different approaches and problems than it's terrestrial counterpart.

When surveying or excavating in the inter-tidal zone an archaeologist must work quickly and in a timely manner. The tides only go out for so long, with the evening tide in the autumn, winter, and spring being unfavorable due to the waning light.

Another thing the inter-tidal archaeologist must consider is the incredibly muddy conditions where wellies can easily get stuck, trapping the wearer until they can be rescued by fellow researchers.

The University of Portsmouth conducted an initial digital recording in 1998 using a web measuring technique of this wreck; however, the hosting website of the results of this survey has now gone defunct.

Numerous records of the vessel survive in different mediums, including student surveys from the University of Southampton and the Maritime Archaeology Trust archives; however, the rate of degradation is quite extreme and in another 20 years time this piece of history might very well be eroded down to the mudline.

Following the shoreline, to the east of the ITCH13 Hopper Barge are the remains of two 20 ^th  century wooden pontoons given site code ITCH27.

Only 10% of the decking survives of these cross and box framed pontoons and there is evidence of wear and tear from boats being moored to them- this is typical of this style of boat anchorage where the boat is ideally moored directly against the pontoon which over time can cause erosion.

They are of similar dimensions, with one standing at 2.57m tall and the other at 2.61m tall, both over 8m long and wide. One of the pontoons still has a winch mounted on the top.

Further out on the mudflats in Holden's Yard is a collection of four vessels all moored together, all of which are 20 ^th  century. The large wooden flat bottomed barge (ITCH09) has a flat bow and stern and is held together with iron fastenings. It was a towed vessel, most likely associated with the transportation of goods up the river; however, when it was surveyed the vessel was completely empty.

The smaller vessel nearby (ITCH39) is a clinker constructed rowboat that might have been a tender (a smaller support vessel for large watercraft). The clinker construction uses the tongue and groove planking method and has iron fastenings. The boat at the time of survey survived in good condition, almost a complete structure, but with no contents.

A metal ID plate survives on the stern which reads ‘Manufacture: Darroch + Espie Out of Glasgow, Seats 23 people, ID # = 1664’. Darroch and Espie Ltd. were listed as carpenters in 1861 in the Slater’s National Directory, then listed as shipwrights in 1903. The Glasgow Herald on July 10 ^th  of 1958 reported the premises that the company operated out of was destroyed by a fire, and the company later submitted for a ‘voluntary wind up’ (liquidation of assets) in April 1963.

This vessel sits directly next to a large barge (ITCH11) constructed of wood, steel, and iron. The vessel is a flat-bottomed steel paneled barge with numerous welded patches and wooden decking inside the steel riveted panels. There is evidence of mooring cleats and had a few contents, including springs, rope, and hoses. The vessel’s dimensions are 18.55 x 4.34 x 1.82m.

The last vessel in this grouping is ITCH40. This vessel is the stern end of a steel barge that’s been cut from the rest of the vessel, which there are no associated finds in the area of. A rudder and mooring gear survives. The dimensions of this partial vessel are 2.08 x 4.45 x 2.08m at its widest point.

At the time of the Itchen River Project, two steel hulks were identified on the northern shore of Holden’s Yard to the east of the wrecks already discussed. These two steel hulks were cleared for development shortly after the survey took place and this remains the only record of the two vessels.

They were moored up next to each other, with ITCH44 adjacent to the shoreline and ITCH43 directly next to it. The wrecks were considered dangerous to board or enter due to the heavily deteriorated deck and the difficulty of access, so only an external survey could be completed.

ITCH43 was a riveted and welded steel munitions barge from the pre-World War II era. A mount for what was most likely a winch bore the following inscription: "W. Roberston & Co - Shipbuilders". This was a towed vessel with approximately one third of its hold enclosed with a steel deck and bulkhead, both of riveted construction, with a possible crane mounting fitted to this deck. The remains of a windlass were also evident. The dimensions of the vessel are 26 x 7 x 3m.

The sister vessel, ITCH44, was a welded steel lighter way barge with a mounted crane from the pre-World War II era as well. The hull had steel plating 10mm thick and a fixed iron rudder. The hull was painted with ‘Reefway No.’ with the number unintelligible. The crane had embossed manufacturing information detailing that it was constructed by George Cohen Sons & Co, London, and was rated to 60cwt. The serial number was SC40413 with the given detail of ‘Steelfounders & Engineer Ltd, Lechworth, Herts’.

They both used to reside at (NGR) SU43551314 and SU43551315 but have since been scrapped and cleared.

The last find of note in Holden’s Yard is ITCH38, which has been described as a ‘mass of wrecked timber on metal held together with iron spikes’ that was found partially buried. While many ships were broken down in Holden’s Yard over the years this particular one might be attributed to a vessel named the Shield.

The Shield was registered in Rochester, given official vessel number 99935 with a registered tonnage of 50. The ship was built by London & Rochester Trading Co. Ltd (known as ‘Chatham Shipbuilding Business of Gill and Sons’ at the time) in 1894 and was described as a spritsail rigged barge.

It’s history of use was first recorded in 1894 when it was built, then in 1929 with the managing owner being listed as Maurice O. Gill. Following this, in 1939-1945 it was listed as a powder hulk, then in 1946 as a house barge.

The Shield was noted to have been buried under the marina in Holden’s Yard in 1985 in the periodical titled 'The Berth of a Sailorman'.

Due to the nature of the remains of ITCH38 (as well as some of the other vessels identified during the course of the Itchen River Project), it cannot be said for certain that it is the Shield; however, the Shield’s story and the remains of ITCH38 are telling tales of the life-cycle of these working vessels during this industrious age of the Itchen River.

Outside of Holden's Yard, further north of the river, a wreck situated just off Janaway Gardens, on the west bank south of Cobden Bridge has also been investigated more extensively by the Maritime Archaeology Trust and Southampton City Archaeological Unit.

Being close to the shore it provides an easily accessible site for training students and volunteers, and has been surveyed as recently as March 2023 by students from the University of Southampton as part of their Applied Maritime Archaeology coursework.

The remains of the wreck consisted of the outline of a vessel sticking out of the river mud with timbers, concrete blocks, and iron fastenings visible. The vessel was initially identified in 1998, then fully surveyed in 1999. At widest point the dimensions are 5.76 x 3.75 x 0.25m.

Later, the Southampton City Archaeology Unit, under the direction of Dr. Andrew Russel, undertook the excavation of the remains of the wreck. The excavation found that there is only half a vessel present, the stern half being cut off and removed, with no associated timbers in the area. The remains are those of a wooden barge; it has a flat bottom and heavy transverse framing. In the bottom of the hull some of the ballast blocks still remain. It's construction is typical of early 20 ^th  or late 19 ^th  century construction.

The last vessel of note that was surveyed during the course of the Itchen River Project was a hard lesson in maritime heritage importance and protection. This vessel was located on the west bank of the Itchen River, just north of Cobden bridge.

In January 1999 the dismantling of a vessel hulked on the Itchen River was brought to the attention of the Maritime Archaeology Trust by Dr. Andrew Russel, the Southampton City Council Archaeologist. The stern section was being cleared of overburden, sawn off and removed prior to development on the adjacent shore. Following negotiations, the work was postponed for two weeks to allow a survey to be conducted of the cleared section.

The wreck was only accessible at low water and hence could only be surveyed when the tides were suitable. A small team of students, volunteers and Maritime Archaeology Trust staff set about recording the hulk. Three days were spent working in tidal windows of less than three hours. The barge measured 29.29 metres in length and was excellently preserved in anaerobic conditions within the mud and silt. The hulk proved to be fairly symmetrical, despite warping of the wood and inconsistent removal or loss of strakes from both the port and starboard sides.

The barge was post-Medieval, possibly mid-to-late 19 ^th  century. It was heavily built of grown oak frames with elm planking. It was a well-constructed vessel with a hull designed to deal with the rigours of coastal waters. The fastenings were large iron bolts. The remains of a concrete engine mount and fixings for twin prop shafts showed that an engine had been added at some point during the vessel's life.

Two weeks after the survey, the section of the vessel that had been surveyed was removed.

Plans were put forward to survey the rest of the vessel, but it was destroyed by the developers before any action could be taken.

The ownership of the vessel was unknown and there was no statutory mechanism in place to prevent the loss of this well made and well-preserved vessel over 100 years old.

It was believed to be local and could have told us a great deal about past regional shipbuilding practices.

Part of the vessel managed to be saved via salvage efforts, and found a home at the University of Southampton, where it could be used as an instructional tool for young archaeologists in training.

The Itchen River has flown through the area for thousands of years, providing ideal conditions within its inter-tidal mudflats for retaining important ‘archives’ of both environmental and human events, showing the changing occupation on fluctuating coastal margins over the course of an immense timespan. Hopefully this virtual tour through the expansive history of the Itchen River has given a greater understanding of the past to those who commute over its various bridges, walk along the coastal recreation pathways, or even live along its margins, overlooking the tides that swell and ebb, revealing the remains of thousands of years of activity. The Itchen River is an asset to the city of Southampton, demonstrating its importance to industry, education, recreation, identity, and heritage, and should be considered an iconic piece of the city that its inhabitants should be proud of.