Monument record BSE 137 - Town ditch evidence

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Summary

Three trial trenches in area of proposed development S of Tayfen Road and crossed the line of the Saxon-post medieval town defences.

Location

Grid reference Centred TL 8535 6494 (36m by 42m) Centred on
Map sheet TL86SE
Civil Parish BURY ST EDMUNDS, ST EDMUNDSBURY, SUFFOLK

Map

Type and Period (4)

Full Description

April 1996: Three trial trenches in area of proposed development S of Tayfen Road and crossing line of Sax(?), Med & PMed town defences (S5). Trenches avoided line of bank (& wall?) but did sample part of the water course shown on Downing's & Warren's maps of 1740 & 1747 (S1)(S2), which may also form the town ditch at this point (compare with West's excavations of defences circa 500m to the NE - see BSE 016).
Layers including LMed & PMed tile, brick, occasional pottery and animal bones overlay layers of clayey loam, with animal bone and one sherd EMed ware and peat. A large piece of tapered revetment post was also brought up (from the peat?) by the JCB. For details see (S3).
For details of defences see BSE 136 and for Tayfen Road ditch/water course see BSE 138.

1997: Excavation by trench, prior to development exposed sections of the Med town defences in the form of remains of a bank up to 11m wide and 0.8m high and parts of a flint and mortar wall (pushed?) into the backfill of the Tayfen Water. Details in (S4).

Sources/Archives (9)

  • <M1> Unpublished document: Suffolk Archaeological Service. Parish Files. Parish file: copy (S1)(S2)(S3)(S4).
  • <S1> (No record type): Downing A, A new and accurate plan of the Ancient Borough of Bury St Edmunds, 1740.
  • <S2> (No record type): Warren T, map, A Survey of the Ancient Borough of Bury St Edmunds, 1747.
  • <S2> (No record type): Warren T, map, A Survey of the Ancient Borough of Bury St Edmunds, 1747.
  • <M2> Unpublished document: Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service. Library (BSE). (S4).
  • <S3> (No record type): SAU, Anderson S, Town Ditch, Bury St Edmunds (BSE 137) - Trial Trenches at Tayfen Road, SCCAS Report.
  • <S4> Unpublished document: Tester, A.. 1997. Archaeological Excavation Report: Tayfen Road, Bury St Edmunds.
  • <S5> Unpublished document: Tester, A.. Town Ditch, Trial Trenches at Tayfen Road Bury St edmunds,.
  • <S6> Article in serial: Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History. Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History. PSIAH 39 (1), p.90.

Finds (7)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (2)

Record last edited

Jun 21 2017 2:29PM

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