Fonner Sappa Hatchery Fornham All Saints, FAS
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I I I ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION REPORT I Fonner Sappa Hatchery I Fornham All Saints, FAS 027 I GRIDREF: TL 8506 6779 PLANtHNG APP. NO: E/99/1109/P I December 1999 For I J. S. Bloor Ltd I Contents I Introduction Method Results I Conclusions and Recommendation Figure 1 Site location plan I Figure 2 Trench location plan Figure 3 Trenches 1 and2 I Figure 4 Trench 3 ditch 0002, section Figure 5 Trenches 4 and 5 I Appendix 1 Brief and Specification Appendix2 Documentary Search I Appendix 3 Context List I I Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service I . Field Projects Division PJ Thompson MSc CEng FICE County Director of Environment and Transport St Edmund House, County Hall, Ipswich. IP4 1 LZ. I SCCAS Reportno. 99/74 I I I I I Former Sappa Hatchery, Fornham All Saints Archaeological Evaluation FAS 027 I I Introduction An archaeological evaluation was carried out in advance ofredevelopment ofthe site I ofthe former Sappa factory at Fornham All Saints (see fig. 1). The site lies on the edge ofthe flood plain for the River Lark, next to Fornham Hall, which is known to be the site ofa medieval manor ofthe Abbot ofBury St Edmunds. The aim ofthe I evaluation was to establish the presence and condition ofany surviving archaeological deposits and to provide sufficient information to allow the formation ofa conservation I strategy. I Method Five trenches l.5m wide and totalling 85m in length (see fig. 2) were excavated by JCB using a ditching bucket in the places suggested by the Briefand Specification I (see appendix 1). Trench 2 had to be stepped sideways halfway along its length to avoid a water pipe running down the trench and trench 3 was stopped short and a I trench cut at 90° to establish a section through a large ditch found running along its length. A further small trench was inserted south oftrench 3 and at right angles to it to I test the interpretation ofthis ditch as a boundary relating to Fornham Hall. Small features found in the trenches were partially sectioned by hand and the large ditch in trench 3 by machine. All finds were kept. Plans were drawn at 1:50 and I sections offeatures and trenches at 1:20. Colour slide and black and white print photographs were taken ofall stages ofthe evaluation. I Results I Deep deposits were found in all trenches. In trench 1 and the south end oftrench 2 these were made up ofancient silt layers consistent with natural flood deposits (see fig. 3). No features were identified in trench 1 but two ditches filled with grey, peaty I sand and gravel were found in trench two. These appeared to be parallel to the road (BII06) and an existing roadside ditch but lay 14m and 16.6m further north. There were no finds from these but they cut the apparent flood deposits. It is likely that I these represent drainage ditches contemporary with the existing road-line. The silt deposits became thinner towards the northern halfoftrench 2 suggesting that the area I around Fornham Hall was slightly higher than that to the south ofit. A large ditch (0002) was found running along the line oftrench 3. Once this was I identified a short length oftrench was dug at right angles to it to enable it to be seen in section (see fig. 4) and the base found. The rest oftrench 3 was then abandoned as no I I ,I I further information was likely to be obtained. This ditch contained few finds, some small pieces ofbrick could be seen in the section but these were irretrievable and none I were found in the upcast soil. However no modem material was seen in the upper fill and the ditch fills were sealed by topsoil and loam layers supporting large trees. The I possible surviving remnants ofa lining constructed ofblue clay could be seen on the west side and base ofthe ditch which suggests that the ditch was dug to contain water as much as to provide drainage from surrounding areas. The map evidence shows that I the boundary line for Fornham Hall is irregular and curving in places (see fig. 2) and it has been postulated from this that there may have originally been a moat round either the hall or the earlier manor. No evidence ofthis can be found from readily I available documentary sources (see appendix 2) which date back to 1768. With this possibility in mind a small trench was dug to establish whether the ditch continued on the same alignment southwards but it was not located. It is therefore suggested that I this ditch represents a medieval moat relating either to Fornham Hall or the manor which was backfilled by the 18th century (see fig. 6). I A pond (0003) was found in trench 4 (see fig. 5), this had peaty and gravelly layers. A few finds, animal bone, flint and brick/tile were recovered from one ofthe peaty I layers near the base (0004) but these have been spot-dated to the 19th century. Trench 5 at the rear (north end) ofthe site showed a greater depth oftopsoil than I elsewhere. The surrounding meadows beyond the site were lower lying which suggests that this area may have been deliberately built up to aid drainage and make the land workable. There were two ditches found in this trench (see fig. 5) but neither I contained finds. As no finds were recovered from the topsoil either it was not possible to tell when the land may have been raised. I Conclusions and Recommendations I This evaluation has identified a site with a number ofditches and a pond on it. Evidence from soil layers suggests that it has always been wet and it is likely that I many ofthe ditches are drainage ditches ofuncertain date, and as such oflittle archaeological interest. The pond lies close to an area where medieval pottery has been seen but none was found in the sample ofthe pond excavated and no trenches I showed any positive evidence ofmedieval occupation. The most significant feature is the large ditch in trench 2 which appears to have been I constructed to hold water and which is too large to have been an ordinary functional ditch (drainage or nominal boundary marker). The line ofthe boundary ofFornham Hall suggest the possibility ofthere once having been a moat around it and this line I fits with the projected line ofthe ditch found in the evaluation. The size ofthis ditch at greater than 5m wide by c. 2m deep is consistent with its interpretation as a moat enclosure ditch which leads to the conclusion that this is the remains ofa moat around I either Fornham Hall or the earlier manor. The fact that this moat does not appear in the documentary records suggests that it was filled prior to the 18th century and may I imply that it is medieval in origin and possibly related to the manor rather than the later hall. I I I I There is little ofarchaeological interest across the majority ofthe site and deep soil I deposits protect potential archaeological layers. The only important archaeological find is the moat but this lies in an area destined to be back gardens ofthe new houses I and this is also therefore not threatened by the proposed development. It is therefore recommended that a monitoring condition will be sufficient to allow the recording of I any unexpected finds. Jo Caruth I December 1999 I I I I Any opinions expressed in this report about the need for further archaeological work are those ofthe I Field Projects Division alone. The need for further work will be determined by the Local Planning Authority and its archaeological advisors when a planning application is registered. Suffolk County Council's archaeological contracting service cannot accept responsibility for inconvenience caused to I clients should the Planning Authority take a different view to that expressed in the report. I I I I I I I I I - - -- -- -- -- -- - - --- ---- / / " PRODUCEDBY Suffolk County Council NORTII Grid• North CHECKED BY Figure 1 Site Location Plan Reproduced from Ordnance Survey mapping with the DRAWINGNo. permission of the Controller of HMSO(clCrown P. J. Thompson, MSc. CEng. FICE copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes County Director of Environment & Transport Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution. DATE St Edmund House, County Hall, Ipswich, Suffolk Suffolk County Council 1998 Licence No. LA076864 I I / / / / / / / I / / / / / / I ~ I I / / / . / I /' ',,/' I I I FomhamHall 0900 I 0479 I I I I \ \ I ~ I, Fa I Figure 2 Trench Location Plan I PRODUCED BY Suffolk County Coun~~~rt Scale 1:1000 igJ NORTH CHECKED BY Grid•North I Reproduced from Ordnance Survey mapping with the DRAWING No. permission of the Controller of HMSO (c)Crown P. J. Thompson, MSc. CEng FICE copyrighL Unauthorised reproduction Infringes County Director of Environment & Transport Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution. DATE I SL Edmund house, County Hall, Ipswich, Suffolk. Suffolk County Council 1998 Licence No. LA076864 I I I Trench 1 Sample Section I r- ~ .. :"'- '-+:= ·l) ITopsoil I! ~ ~ I I ." 1 1 \ I I ~ •. Brow~.graveJ-1¥_si~t'j f ..'. _"_:..i I I.· C/'. • Grey gravel..' •I · .. Co • .. I I Gravel subsoil I I '\ Trench 2 Plan I N 0006 !'1ft '\.0006 III ~ •I '0 I\ •• .' Grey peaty sand and gravel I ., , : I .' -. ~1'~ ....:. \007 -~ 1 \ Itt\ I \. 0007 . , I Grey peaty sand and gravel I Feature sections I I o_-==:::JI_-==~_1rn Scale for sections I Srn Scale for plan I I I I Figure 3 Trenches 1 and 2 I ---------------------I 0002 ~ W,_.