Site Event/Activity record ESF22607 - Watching Brief - 40 Gracechurch Street, Debenham

The ground disturbance consisted of a small (4.60m. long) footing trench for a house extension. The trench was around 0.60m. wide and 1.20m. deep and had been recently dug using a tracked mini-digger fitted with a toothless 0.50m. bucket. Soil profiles were recorded at two positions, but both were almost identical. The upper deposit was of modern concrete over shingle and sand (0.30m.depth). Below this was heavy loamy clay (0.30m. depth) which probably represents an earlier topsoil layer. Below this was a layer of orange-brown clay (possibly iron deposits) (0.20m.depth). Finally, the natural grey-pale brown chalky clay began at 0.80m. below the present garden surface and continued beyond the trench depth limit. Some domestic effluent, probably from a damaged septic tank had seeped into the deposits within the south end of the trench, staining them dark grey. No archaeology or finds observed. (No spoil available)