Monument record SKT 051 - Land off Station Road East, Stowmarket

A trial trenching evaluation and palaeoenvironmental survey was undertaken at a site adjacent to the river Gipping in the medieval core of Stowmarket. This revealed that the site had been water meadow until the construction of the Navigation channel in the late 18th century. The area then became a focus for mercantile activity, notably maltings; some of the buildings of which survived until demolition just before the evaluation (S1).

Desk Based Assessment includes an examination of the Suffolk Sites and Monuments Record (SMR), a geotechnical report provided by the client, a site walkover and a documentary search. The proposed development area (PDA) is situated on low lying ground on the eastern bank of the River Gipping. Due to the location of the PDA at the historic crossing point of the River Gipping between Stowmarket and Stowupland, it is thought that there is a moderate to high potential for archaeological material dating from the medieval and post medieval periods to be encountered. The low lying position of the site, its close proximity to the river and the evidence of peat deposits identified in the geotechnical survey, indicate there is potential for waterlogged material to be present within the PDA (S2).

Included in the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History annual round up of individual finds and discoveries for 2009 (S3).