A watching brief carried out during test-pitting and contimination remediation works at St Mildred's Tannery 2001-9 found remnants of a post-and plank revetment that followed a markedly different line to the current river and, though set slightly back, was continued by substantial masonry walling, probably dating to c1540. The land between this and the existing river wall had probably been reclaimed by c1640, certainly by 1752.