Monument record BSE 497 - Medieval walls, deposit and Post medieval walls, pits and deposits at new water pipe, Abbey Gardens, Bury St Edmunds

Archaeological monitoring revealed medieval and post medieval deposits. The medieval deposits consisted of the remains of walls near the bowling green, with a considerable amount of associated building rubble. These provided evidence for two possible monastic buildings which are close, but not identical to Whittingham's conjectural plan. The ground over the Great Courtyard has been built up, with a gravel layer located 500-700mm below the current ground surface. This is possibly be the medieval courtyard surface. The remaining features were post medieval in origin. Located across the gardens was a layer of black silt containing food waste and finds of 16th to 18th century date. In the northern edge of the precincts, this deposits overly a series of large pts fill with material similar to the rubbish dump layer, with some redeposited medieval finds located within the fills. Chalk surfaces were located under the circular garden layout and are the probable sub-base for the original paths laid out at the construction of the Botanic gardens in the 19th century.

In two areas of the precinct thick deposits of clay, ceramic building material rubble and structural features were found close to the surface, suggesting the location of post medieval structures. One of these, located to thr east of the Cathedral, is thought to relate to a dwelling demolished in C.1770 (S1).