16 High Street Mildenhall, Suffolk Client: Steve Watson Date: September 2016 MNL 775 Archaeological Evaluation Report SACIC Report No. 2016_066 Author: Martin Cuthbert BA (Hons) ACIfA © SACIC 16 High Street, Mildenhall, Suffolk MNL 775 Archaeological Evaluation Report SACIC Report No. 2016_066 Author: Martin Cuthbert BA (Hons) ACIfA Contributions By: Richenda Goffin, Julie Curl and Ruth Beveridge Illustrator: Gemma Bowen Editor: Richenda Goffin Report Date: September 2016 HER Information Site Code/Event Number: MNL 775/ ESF 24357 Site Name: 16 High Street, Mildenhall, Suffolk Report Number 2016_066 Planning Application No: DC/15/1876/FUL Date of Fieldwork: 9th-12th August 2016 Grid Reference: TL 7100 7467 Oasis Reference: Suffolka1-258312 HER Search Reference: 9190156 Curatorial Officer: Abby Antrobus Project Officer: Martin Cuthbert Client/Funding Body: Steve Watson Digital report submitted to Archaeological Data Service: http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/library/greylit Disclaimer Any opinions expressed in this report about the need for further archaeological work are those of Suffolk Archaeology CIC. Ultimately the need for further work will be determined by the Local Planning Authority and its Archaeological Advisors when a planning application is registered. Suffolk Archaeology CIC cannot accept responsibility for inconvenience caused to the clients should the Planning Authority take a different view to that expressed in the report. Prepared By: Martin Cuthbert Date: September 2016 Approved By: Rhodri Gardener Position: Director Date: Signed: Contents Summary Drawing Conventions 1. Introduction 1 2. Geology and topography 1 3. Archaeology and historical background 2 4. Methodology 4 5. Results 6 5.1. Introduction 6 5.2. Trench results 8 5.2.1. Medieval pits and postholes 8 5.2.2. Late medieval/early post-medieval features 10 5.2.3. Post-medieval features and structures 12 5.2.4. Late post-medieval/modern structures 14 6. Finds and environmental evidence 18 6.1. Introduction 18 6.2. The Pottery 18 6.2.1. Introduction and methodology 18 6.2.2. Pottery by period 19 6.2.3. Discussion 22 6.3. Ceramic building material 22 6.3.1. Introduction and recording methodology 22 6.3.2. Ceramic building material by period 23 6.3.3. Conclusions 24 6.4. Fired clay 25 6.4.1. Introduction 25 6.4.2. The assemblage 25 6.5. Mortar 25 6.6. Clay tobacco pipe 26 6.7. Slag 26 6.8. Iron nails 26 6.9. Small finds 26 6.9.1. Introduction and recording method 26 6.9.2. Discussion 27 6.10. Animal bone 27 6.10.1. Introduction 27 6.10.2. Methodology 27 6.10.3. The faunal assemblage 28 6.10.4. Conclusions and comparisons with other assemblages 34 6.10.5. Recommendations for further work 35 6.11. Shell 35 6.12. Discussion of material evidence 36 7. Discussion 37 7.1. Medieval 37 7.2. Late medieval/early post-medieval 37 7.3. Post-medieval 37 7.4. Late post-medieval/modern 37 8. Conclusions and recommendations for further work 39 9. Archive deposition 40 10. Acknowledgements 40 11. Bibliography 41 List of Figures Figure 1. Location of site with trench positions 3 Figure 2. Trench plan with phasing 5 Figure 3. Trench 1, plan and sections 16 Figure 4. Trench 2, plan and sections 17 Figure 5. 1881 O.S map with evaluation trenches (red). 38 List of Tables Table 1. Summary of HER entries 2 Table 2. Bulk finds quantities 18 Table 3. Breakdown of pottery by major period and fabric 19 Table 4. Breakdown of CBM by period 23 Table 5. Breakdown of CBM by form 23 Table 6. Fired clay quantities by feature 25 Table 7. Quantification of the faunal assemblage by feature type and weight 28 Table 8. Quantification of the faunal assemblage by feature type and count of elements 28 Table 9. Quantification of species 30 List of Plates Plate 1. General view of Trench 1, looking west 7 Plate 2. General view of Trench 1, looking south 7 Plate 3. General view of Trench 2, looking north 7 Plate 4. General view of Trench 2, looking north 7 Plate 5. General shot of postholes 0042, 0044 & 0046, looking south, 1m scale 8 Plate 6. East facing section through pit 0013, 1m scale 9 Plate 7. South facing section through pit 0015, 1m scale 10 Plate 8. East-northeast facing section through posthole 0008, 0.5m scale 11 Plate 9. East facing section through well 0020, 1m scale 12 Plate 10. General shot of oven 0030, looking north, 1m scale 13 Plate 11. General shot of pit 0061, looking north, 1m scale 14 Plate 12. Wall 0051, looking south, 1m scale 15 Plate 13. Structure 0028, looking east, 1m scale 15 Plate 14. Surrey whiteware anthropormorphic jug 21 Plate 15. Faunal remains from fill 0033, pit 0020 31 Plate 16. Bird bones from fill 0034, pit 020 31 Plate 17. Turkey humerus from fill 0022, pit 0021 31 Plate 18. Cetacean skull fragment, 0059 32 Plate 19. Knife cuts on goose sternum, fill 0033, pit 0020 33 Plate 20. Knife cuts on goose sternum, fill 0033, pit 0020 33 List of Appendices Appendix 1. Context List Appendix 2. Bulk finds catalogue Appendix 3. Pottery catalogue Appendix 4. Ceramic building material catalogue Appendix 5. Animal bone catalogue (hand-collected and from samples) Appendix 6. OASIS Form Appendix 7. Written Scheme of Investigation Summary In August 2016 a trial trench evaluation was undertaken on a piece of land at the rear of 16 High Street, Mildenhall, Suffolk, prior to the construction of new dwellings. Two trenches were excavated within the footprint of the proposed development. The evaluation trenches revealed four phases of activity indicating the site has been in use throughout the medieval period from as early as the 12th century through to modern day. The medieval and early post medieval phases are characterised by a number of pits and postholes associated with the backyard activity of medieval properties. The later post-medieval activity is characterised by the remnants of small brick structures, including an oven. Drawing Conventions Plans Limit of Excavation Features Break of Slope Features - Conjectured Natural Features Sondages/Machine Strip Intrusion/Truncation Illustrated Section S.14 Cut Number 0008 Archaeological Features Sections Limit of Excavation Cut Modern Cut Cut - Conjectured Deposit Horizon Deposit Horizon - Conjectured Intrusion/Truncation Top of Natural Top Surface Break in Section Cut Number 0008 Deposit Number 0007 Ordnance Datum 18.45m OD 1. Introduction In August 2016 Suffolk Archaeology CIC (SACIC) carried out an archaeological evaluation on a piece of land at the rear of the 16 High Street, Mildenhall, Suffolk. The project was commissioned by the client, Steve Watson, and undertaken according to a Brief (dated 12/07/2016) produced by the Archaeological Advisor (AA) to the Local Planning Authority (LPA), Abby Antrobus of Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service (SCCAS), and then addressed by a SACIC Written Scheme of Investigation (Gardiner, 2016; Appendix 7). This evaluation was required under the terms of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), as a condition of planning permission for the development of the site. The relevant planning application reference is DC/15/1876/FUL. The proposed development consists of the construction of new dwellings. The site is located in the Forrest Heath district of Suffolk, in the civil parish of Mildenhall, centred on NGR TL 7100 7467. It is situated in the town centre and consists of a sub- rectangular area, equating 0.1 hectares, bounded by residential development on all sides (Fig. 1). 2. Geology and topography The bedrock geology is described as Holywell Nodular Chalk formation and New Pit Chalk formation, formed approximately 89-100 million years ago in the Cretaceous Period, in warm chalk seas with little sediment input from land (BGS, 2016). The site is flat and lies at an elevation of c.8.6m AOD. 1 3. Archaeology and historical background SCCAS have stated that the site requires archaeological evaluation as it lies in an area of archaeological importance recorded in the Suffolk County Council Historic Environment Record (HER). The site is located behind buildings that would have once fronted onto the medieval market place and in close proximity to the church in the core of historic Mildenhall. Earlier occupation evidence has also been identified in the vicinity of the site, at Recreation Way, with the discovery of large Iron Age enclosure ditches. The full results of a search of the Suffolk HER commissioned as part of the project (Ref No. 9190156) are included in the digital project archive. The table below summarises the HER entries within 500m of the site centre. HER No. Date Nature of Evidence MNL 617 Medieval The medieval historic core of Mildenhall. The site is located within the known boundaries of this area. MNL 329 Post-medieval The location of a post-medieval manor house with some modern alterations. Located 75m to the north of the site. MNL 695 Medieval An undated surface and a medieval posthole was found during monitoring works. Located 160m to the east-northeast of the site MNL 133 Medieval Market Cross, a scheduled monument with medieval origins. Located 60m to the east of the site. MNL 620 Post-medieval An evaluation showed a post-medieval 16th century pit and layers. Located 70m east of the site. MNL 680 Medieval A monitoring showed a late medieval to post-medieval ditch. Located 160m to the east of the site. MNL 746 Post-medieval Post Medieval structural features identified during evaluation trenching at 21 High Street, 100m southeast of the site. MNL 622 Iron Age Excavations at Recreation Way uncovered Iron age features including large ditches and habitation evidence.