Monument record BSE 229 - Medieval and post-medieval structures, Eastgate Barns, Bury St Edmunds

2004: Evaluation on the site of one of the monastic granges owned by the Abbey of St Edmund revealed a ditch dating to 13th-14th century, containing pottery. A second post-medieval ditch was revealed which contained a base sherd of 17/18th century pottery (S1).

2004: Excavation. The site lay outside of the limits of the main medieval town and to the north of the roadside occupation along Eastgate Street. The site has been known as Eastgate Barns, Holderness Barns and Grange Farm. It is believed to be the site of one of the three medieval abbey grange sites in Bury St Edmunds and was occupied by the cellarer. The archaeological work identified the remains of several structures from the medieval and post-medieval periods. These included the trenches for two possible medieval timber buildings, a post-medieval oven, dovecote and two phases of post-medieval domestic buildings. Also identified was the western boundary of the site formed by two phases of ditches in the medieval period followed by two phases of post-medieval walls. The excavation uncovered activity throughout the medieval and post-medieval periods and identified areas of well preserved archaeological deposits. However it did not identify any substantial medieval structures likely to be the main grange house which was thought to lie further to the east under the existing industrial units. The ditches identified by the evaluationformed the western boundary of the the site, the earliest being replaced by the later ditch slightly further to the west. This boundary continued in use throughout the post-medieval period with the construction of a wall which later went out of use with the construction of the chalk bedded roadway (S2).