Site Event/Activity record ESF20017 - Evaluation, Church Farm, Hepworth

An archaeological evaluation was carried out in advance of development on land at Church Farm, Hepworth, which lies near the centre of the village and the medieval parish church. The development, an area of c.220sqm was evaluated by a single trench. This identified the natural subsoil lying at a depth of 0.6m-0.9m under a thick agricultural topsoil with some evidence of minor truncation. A linear boundary, corresponding to the post-medieval field edge shown on the First and Second Edition Ordnance Surveys of 1883 and 1904, was clearly identified running the length of the trench. This was infilled during the 20th century and the field edge moved north by c.5m. A single find of a Late-Saxon copper alloy finger ring was metal-detected from the spoilheap and is the only evidence of activity on the site pre-dating the post-medieval period. It seems likely that the site was in agricultural use on the periphery of the settlement during the medieval period, despite its proximity to the church. Due to the small scale of the development proposal, the depth of the natural subsoil and the absence of any significant evidence of activity pre-dating the post-medieval period no further work, as part of the archaeological mitigation strategy for the site, is thought necessary. Project status: Complete Yes, Validated Yes Previous/Future Work: Previous No, Future No Associated Identifiers: Planning Application No. F/2009/0533 Sitecode HEP 027 HER event no. HEP 027 NMR No. 1517007 Project Type: Field evaluation Development Type: Rural commercial Methods and Techniques: Sample Trenches Position in the Planning Process: After full determination (eg. As a condition) Reason for Investigation: Direction from Local Planning Authority - PPG16 Current Land use: Cultivated Land 3 - Operations to a depth more than 0.25m Monument Type(s)/Period(s): DITCH Post Medieval Artefact Type(s)/Period(s): FINGER RING Early Medieval PROJECT LOCATION Area 220.00 Square metres Grid Reference: TL98607493 Point Height 49.00 - 50.00 metres PROJECT CREATOR(S) Brief originator: Local Planning Authority (with/without advice from County/District Archaeologist) Design originator: Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service, Field Team Director/Manager: John Craven Supervisor: John Craven DIGITAL ARCHIVE Recipient: Suffolk County SMR Contents: Metal Media: Text PAPER ARCHIVE Recipient: Suffolk County SMR Contents: Metal Media: Plan, Report PHYSICAL ARCHIVE Recipient: Suffolk County SMR Contents: Metal BIBLIOGRAPHY Publication Type: Grey literature (unpublished document/manuscript) Title: Church Farm, hepworth, HEP 027 Author(s)/Editor(s): Craven, J. A. Other Bibliographic Details: SCCAS Report No. 2009/122 Date: 2009 Issuer/Publisher: SCCAS Place of Issue or Publication: Bury St Edmunds Description: SCCAS evaluation report