Site Event/Activity record ESF21816 - Evaluation, Pesthouse Lane, Barnham

An area to the north of Pesthouse Lane of 2.9 hectares was evaluated by trial trenching to investigate the archaeological potential of the site. This was the second phase of archaeological examination as a desk-based assessment had been produced previously (Rolfe 2012). This document had indicated that the site had been the location of the Bosmere and Claydon workhouse from 1766 and that there was likely to be an associated cemetery. Earlier editions of the Ordnance Survey maps clearly showed a burial ground located towards the south-western corner of the present site under consideration. Trenching revealed that the majority of the site had been severely disturbed and truncated during the 20th century and this was probably due to this area being used as a compound for works being undertaken on the A45 trunk road adjacent. The area of the 18th and 19th century cemetery had however been left mainly undisturbed and the location of the burials were probably either marked or known about and were avoided during the modern earthmoving works. Part of a red-brick wall footing, believed to belong to the workhouse chapel, appeared to define the northern edge of the cemetery. Within the six trenches excavated to the south of the chapel the outlines of at least 76 graves were identified. Five of these burials were excavated to reveal either human remains and/or coffin stains and these examples indicated that the burials were located at least 1m below the present ground surface and that bone preservation was extremely good. No archaeological remains of earlier periods were identified. It is likely that the disturbance caused by intensive post-medieval grave digging coupled with the severe truncation caused by 20th century earth-moving beyond the cemetery area would have removed most if not all traces of previous occupation. Project status: Complete Yes, Validated Yes Previous/Future Work: Previous Yes, Future Not known Associated Identifiers: HER event no. BRH 054 NMR No. 1569297 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): GRAVE Post Medieval Artefact Type(s)/Period(s): NONE None PROJECT LOCATION Area 2.00 Hectares Grid Reference: TM12335118 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 Council Archaeological Service Contents: 'other' Media: 'Images raster / digital photography', 'Survey', 'Text' PAPER ARCHIVE Recipient: Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service Contents: 'other' Media: 'Correspondence', 'Miscellaneous Material', 'Report' BIBLIOGRAPHY Publication Type: Grey literature (unpublished document/manuscript) Title: BRH 054 Pesthouse Lane, Barham Archaeological Evalution Author(s)/Editor(s): Meredith, J. Other Bibliographic Details: SCCAS rpt no 2012/142 Date: 2012 Issuer/Publisher: SCCAS Place of Issue or Publication: Ipswich Description: Medium sized evaluation report - with short grave catalogue