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Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service
Bury Resource Centre
Hollow Road
Bury St Edmunds
IP32 7AY
Following the demolition of Turret Lane School, Suffolk County Council made the area available for excavation by the Suffolk Archaeological Unit in March/April 1978.
As the site was not immediately threatened with destruction, and funding was limited, excavation was minimal. Owing to the exceptional depth of post medieval overburden encountered, battered excavation edges were necessary and the top 3.25m was removed by machine and halted on reaching an earlier ground surface of uniform dark greyish-brown loam. The sand and gravel subsoil was found at c. 2.9m OD, some 3.5m below the modern ground surface.
The main features on this site dated to the Middle Saxon period (c.700-850) or later. The Middle Saxon features included a well with a wooden lining which survived below the water table. A pottery kiln was attributed to the Early Late Saxon period (c.850-900/920). Features from the Middle Late Saxon period (c.900/920-1000) up to the Post-Medieval periods were generally confined to pits and post-holes.
Further information can be found in the Site Summary which can be accessed by selecting the 'Reports' tab on the 'Downloads' page.