Site Event/Activity record ESF21535 - Evaluation at St Clements Hospital, Foxhall Road, Ipswich

An area of c.4.5ha was evaluated by trial trenching and geophysical survey to the south of St Clements Hospital, Foxhall Road, Ipswich. A central area could not be trenched as it is still in use as a playing field. The site is located on a plateau top on the north bank of the River Orwell. The site is fairly flat, probably a result of landscaping and levelling associated with the playing field and managed grassed areas and lawns. The underlying drift geology is primarily sand with some sand with gravel. Truncation was observed over much of the site with sharp contact between the topsoil and natural geological sand deposits. Several large extraction pits were encountered along the north and north-east areas of the site. These are likely to be of Victorian date and might be associated with the construction of the hospital in the late 19th century. Prehistoric features were encountered near the western edge of the site. A pit containing Early to Middle Bronze Age pottery and a ditch revealing fragments of Late Bronze Age to Early Iron Age pottery were both recorded in this area. Nearby pits containing charcoal-rich fills could also be of prehistoric date. Undated ditches near the south-west corner of the site were on a variety of different alignments and are therefore likely to belong to different periods. An area towards the north-east corner of the site had escaped severe truncation. Here a fuller soil profile was seen with hillwash and subsoil deposits between topsoil and natural geological sands. Two undated ditches were recorded in this area. Project status: Complete Yes, Validated Yes Previous/Future Work: Previous Yes, Future Not known Associated Identifiers: HER event no. IPS 595 NMR No. 1565024 Project Type: Field evaluation Development Type: Amenity area (e.g. public open space) Methods and Techniques: Sample Trenches Position in the Planning Process: Pre-application Reason for Investigation: Direction from Local Planning Authority - PPS Site status: None Current Land use: Other 14 - Recreational usage Monument Type(s)/Period(s): PIT Late Prehistoric, DITCH Uncertain Artefact Type(s)/Period(s): POTTERY Post Medieval , POTTERY Late Prehistoric PROJECT LOCATION Area 5.00 Hectares Grid Reference: TM19044389 Point PROJECT CREATOR(S) Brief originator: Local Authority Archaeologist and/or Planning Authority/advisory body Design originator: Jess Tipper Director/Manager: Rhodri Gardner Supervisor: Jezz Meredith DIGITAL ARCHIVE Recipient: Suffolk County SMR Contents: Ceramics, Stratigraphic Media: Database, Images raster / digital photography, Survey, Text PAPER ARCHIVE Recipient: Suffolk County SMR Contents: Stratigraphic Media: Context sheet, Correspondence, Miscellaneous Material, Plan, Section PHYSICAL ARCHIVE Recipient: Suffolk County SMR Contents: Ceramics, Worked stone/lithics BIBLIOGRAPHY Publication Type: Grey literature (unpublished document/manuscript) Title: St Clements Hospital, Foxhall Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IPS 595, Archaeological Evaluation Report Author(s)/Editor(s): Meredith, J. Other Bibliographic Details: SCCAS Report No. 2012/009 Date: 2012 Issuer/Publisher: SCCAS Place of Issue or Publication: Ipswich Description: A4, comb bound, white cover, in colour, four appendices, (also available as a pdf)