Monument record HAD 089 - Land between Lady Lane and Tower Mill Lane, Hadleigh,

2008: Various phases of archaeological work on land between Lady Lane and Tower Mill Lane, Hadleigh, were required to investigate the archaeological potential of the site. 85 evaluation trenches revealed scattered features of prehistoric, Roman and post-medieval date over much of the site in the form of pits and boundary ditches, whilst an area of concentrated features was recorded in the south west corner of the site which may relate to Roman activity. Two deep, infilled valleys were present within the evaluation area, both following the natural slope down towards the south west. Generally, the valley fills comprised sterile, colluvial deposits, the result of progressive movement of sediments down hill. At the base of the slope in the south west corner of the site, accumulated peat deposits appear to fill a shallow channel which environmental evidence suggests began to fill during the Mesolithic period (S1).

2011: The excavation located an area of early Iron Age occupation, with several post-structures and a probable small trackway, with hearth debris pits and domestic artefacts such as loom weights and spindle whorls suggesting that the larger post-structures could well have been dwellings, as well a single pit positively identified as being of Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age date, with a small amount of disassociated ‘stray’ finds identified in the hill wash deposit to the south of the site. In addition, elements of late post-medieval/modern field boundaries were found across the site.
It is suggested that the Iron Age occupation is evidence of dispersed/ widely scattered activity along the hill crest north and north-west of the town of Hadleigh, which may extend from this site to a previous excavation carried out in 2001 at Red Hill Road (HAD 061) (S2).

Included in the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History annual round up of individual finds and discoveries for 2011 (S3)