Monument record SUE 075 - Shellfish production pits of probable Post Medieval date on the eastern side of the River Alde sea wall, Sudbourne

Numerous shellfish pits are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs from 1940 onwards, located on the eastern, seaward side of the sea wall running along the river Alde, centred on circa TM45845367 (S1). The bulk of the pits are not marked on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of circa 1884, but are marked on the second edition Ordnance Survey map of circa 1904 (S2-3). Whilst it is likely that some of the pits do post-date 1884, the schematic nature of the earlier map means that the possibility that some pits were present but not mapped cannot be discounted. The pits can also be clearly seen on photographs from 1941 and 1952 but appear to be considerably eroded by 1972 (S4-6)