`The Mere', W of Framlingham Castle (FML 001). Probably deliberately created as joint quarry for material for castle earthwork defences and as fishpond and added security on western side of castle, in C12? (S1). Original extent of natural and artificial meres unknown.
Silt removal phases 1 & 11 monitored 1998/1999. Minimal damage to known archaeology, five timbers were retrieved from the silt, and lines of in situ posts/stumps were recorded (partially recorded previously by RCHME), as was a relatively large fragment of pierced wooden board. Core samples contradicted the traditional interpretation that the mere was a manually excavated medieval feature, indicating that it was natural feature dating to the Bronze Age or earlier. The medieval earthworks were the result of management of an existing natural resource (S2).
For similar artificial mere, see EYE 029.
January-February 2002: Geophysical, cartographic and earthworks survey (mainly of castle - FML 001) by English Heritage (S3).