Monument record BRH 054 - Cemetery associated with the local pesthouse

Evaluation identified at least 76 graves were identified. Five of these burials were excavated to reveal either human remains and/or coffin stains and these examples indicated that the burials were located at least 1m below the present ground surface and that bone preservation was extremely good. Part of a red brick wall footing was identified and is thougt to be part of the workhouse chapel and appeared to define the northern extent of the cemetery (S1).

An area of 2.9 hectares was evaluated because early Ordnance Survey maps indicate that this was the site of the burial ground of the Bosmere and Claydon Union Workhouse (built in 1766).
Trenching revealed that the majority of the site had been severely disturbed and truncated during the 20th century and this was probably due to this area being used as a compound for works being undertaken on the adjacent A45 trunk road. The area of the 18th and 19th century cemetery had been left mainly undisturbed however and the locations of the burials were probably either marked or known about and were avoided during the modern earthmoving works. Part of a red-brick wall footing, believed to belong to the workhouse chapel, appeared to define the northern edge of the cemetery. Within the six trenches excavated to the S of the chapel the outlines of at least 76 graves were identified. Five of these burials were excavated to reveal either human remains and/or coffin stains and these examples indicated that the burials were located at least 1m below the present ground surface and that bone preservation was extremely good. No archaeological remains of earlier periods were identified. Included in the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History annual round up of individual finds and discoveries for 2012 (S2).