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Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service
Bury Resource Centre
Hollow Road
Bury St Edmunds
IP32 7AY
Ipswich Borough Council, as landowner, gained planning permission (I/1016/79) for development of this vacant site with industrial units and gave permission for the Suffolk Archaeological Unit to excavate it in 1980.
The excavation was funded by Suffolk County Council, the Department of the Environment (Ancient Monuments Branch) and the Manpower Services Commission (Youth Opportunities Programme).
There was little evidence of pre Middle Saxon occupation with no Roman pottery and only 10 grass tempered Early Middle Saxon sherds.
Six pits and a short length of foundation trench, in the north half of the site, belonged to the Middle Saxon period (MS: c.700-850). A flotation column was taken from pit 0005.The site produced a total of 422 sherds of Ipswich ware and 11 Middle Saxon imports but no pre-medieval coins other than one Roman bronze (0002/7404N), a 3rd century radiate, in pit 0055. One pit, 0054, may belong to the Early Late Saxon period (ELS: c.850-900).
Ten pits, in a north-south row across the site, a short length of foundation trench, and a large posthole/small pit, were attributed to the Early Medieval period (EMED: c.1000-1200). Pit 0075, with 4 unprovenanced glazed sherds and 0081, with one sherd of London glazed ware, must be late 12th century or possibly early 13th century. Five pits, at the north end of the site, belonged to the Late Medieval period (LMED: c.1200-1450) and four pits, also at the north end of the site, to the Late Medieval Transitional period (LMT: c.1450-1600).
Redevelopment of the area had started by the late 17th century. Ogilby’s map of 1674 shows two semi-detached houses on the Little Whip Street frontage, at the south end of the site, and two buildings fronting Great Whip Street, at the north end of the site. By 1881, the OS map shows the whole area developed with terraced housing. Remnants of these houses, and the associated outbuildings and drainage features, survived across the whole site.
Some of the Post Medieval features clearly predate this redevelopment (earlier 17th century) but the lack of detailed analysis of the Post Medieval pot prevents a full identification. However, a large oven and a pit certainly dated to the late 16th-17th century, prior to the redevelopment of the area. The oven chamber was 1.4m in diameter with a stoke hole extending 1.5m on its north side. The majority of Post Medieval features were undoubtedly 19th century. The bases of five rectangular brick outbuildings, five wall foundation trenches, two wells, five pipe trenches, three pits, and six postholes belonged to this period.
Further information can be found in the Site Summary which can be accessed by selecting the 'Reports' tab on the 'Downloads' page.