Former Long's Dairy, St. Margaret's Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk. LWT 326
Former Long’s Dairy, St. Margaret’s Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk. LWT 326
Archaeological Evaluation Report SCCAS Report No. 2014/122
Client: OWL Architects Author: Linzi Everett January 2015
© SCCAS
HER Information Report Number:
2014/122
Site Name:
Former Long’s Dairy
Planning Application No:
DC/13/3638/FUL
Date of Fieldwork:
10th - 13th November 2014
Grid Reference:
TM 5437 9412
Commissioned by:
OWL Architects
Curatorial Officer:
Richard Hoggett
Project Officer:
Linzi Everett
Oasis Reference:
suffolkc1- 187997
Site Code:
LWT 326
Digital report submitted to Archaeological Data Service: http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/library/greylit
Disclaimer Any opinions expressed in this report about the need for further archaeological work are those of the Field Projects Team alone. Ultimately the need for further work will be determined by the Local Planning Authority and its Archaeological Advisors when a planning application is registered. Suffolk County Council’s archaeological contracting services cannot accept responsibility for inconvenience caused to the clients should the Planning Authority take a different view to that expressed in the report.
Prepared By:
Linzi Everett
Date:
January 2015
Approved By:
Dave Gill
Position:
Senior Project Officer
Date: Signed:
Contents Summary
1.
Introduction
1
2.
Geology and topography
1
3.
Archaeology and historical background
1
4.
Methodology
4
6.
Finds and environmental evidence
11
7.
Discussion
18
8.
Archive deposition
20
List of Figures Figure 1. Site location, showing Historic Environment Record entries
2
Figure 2. Location of trenches
3
Figure 3. Trenches 1 and 2
8
Figure 4. Trenches 3 and 4
10
Figure 5. Extract from the 3rd edition Ordnance Survey map
20
List of Plates Plate 1. Trench 1, looking east
9
Plate 2. Trench 1 soil profile and ditches 0003 and 0006
9
Plate 3. Soil collapse in Trench 3
11
Plate 4. Trench 4 soil profile and post hole 0032
11
List of Tables Table 1. Trench dimensions
4
Table 2. Finds quantities
11
Table 3. Medieval pottery by trench and context
12
Table 4. Flint type by context
14
Table 5. Plant macrofossils and other remains
17
List of Appendices Appendix I.
Context list
23
Appendix II.
WSI
25
Appendix III.
Pottery catalogXH
Appendix IV.
OASIS summa
Summary Four trenches were excavated at the former Long’s Dairy, Lowestoft, prior to development of the site. A number of ditches, pits and post holes were recorded, all of which were sealed by a thick layer of subsoil, possibly a water-lain deposit. Finds from archaeological features included a low density of prehistoric struck flints and early medieval pottery. A fragment of a Palaeolithic handaxe, possibly exhibiting signs of reuse during the Neolithic period, was a notable unstratified find.
1.
Introduction
A trial trench evaluation was carried within the area of former Long’s Dairy, Lowestoft (LWT 326; TM 5437 9412). The proposed development area (hereafter referred to as ‘the site’) consisted of an area of c.1.6 hectares. The evaluation was carried out as a condition of planning consent to develop the site, according to a Brief issued by Richard Hoggett, which outlined the manner of the fieldwork, and a Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) detailing the archaeological methodology and risk assessment (Appendix II). The trial trenching was conducted by the Field Team of the Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service (SCCAS) on the 10th-11th November 2014. The site has been recorded with the County Historic Environment Record (HER) code LWT 326.
2.
Geology and topography
The site is located on chalky clay tills and sandy drift deposits at a height of 20m-25m where the land slopes down to the south west. The south eastern boundary of the site is the cut of the former Norfolk & Suffolk Joint Railway line and elsewhere, the site is surrounded by housing.
3.
Archaeology and historical background
The sites potential was based on its location within an area of archaeological interest recorded in the Suffolk HER. It lies close to find spots of Neolithic and Bronze Age date (LWT 009), within 200m of St Margaret’s church (LWT 029) which has 13th century origins, and immediately south of the site of a former post-medieval corn mill (LWT 162). Evaluation at Harris Middle School directly east of the site (LWT 182) produced a single late medieval or post medieval ditch and a layer of peaty, humic soil containing 18th-19th century finds. 1
Norfolk
SUFFOLK
Essex
0
0.5
1km
25km
0
654400
654200
N
LWT 029 294200
LWT 162
Site LWT 182
294000
LWT 161 LWT 009 0
50
100m
Crown Copyright. All Rights Reserved. Suffolk County Council Licence No. 100023395 2014
Figure 1. Site location, showing Historic Environment Record entries
2
N
199 Tr 4 Tr 1
Tr 3 Tr 2
41 31
38 28 t rea
G
r
ste
Ea
ear
in nL
rk
Pa
ard W
Church Road
0 © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. Suffolk County Council Licence No. 100023395 2014
WATER
Figure . 7UHQFKORFDWLRQV
25m
Plan Scale 1:500
Bd
4.
Methodology
Trenching was conducted using a mechanical digger equipped with a 1.8m wide toothless ditching bucket. All machining was observed by an archaeologist standing adjacent to the trench. Tarmac and overburden layers were removed by machine to reveal undisturbed natural subsoil and/or archaeological deposits. The base of each trench was examined for features or finds of archaeological interest. The upcast soil was examined visually for any archaeological finds. Records were made of the position and length of trenches and the depths of deposit encountered. The site has been given the Suffolk HER code LWT 326. All elements of the site archive are identified with this code. An OASIS record (for the Archaeological Data Service) has been initiated and the reference code suffolkc1- 187997 has been used for this project.
5.
Results
Four trenches were excavated across the site (Fig. 2), the dimensions of which are recorded in Table 1. A total area of 198 square metres was excavated. Trench
Length
Area
Average depth
Features
1
25.5m
45.9m²
1.1m
0003, 0006, 0009, 0011, 0013
2
27.5m
49.5m²
1m
0016, 0018, 0022, 0024
3
29m
52.2m²
1.25m
0030, 0036, 0038, 0040, 0042, 0044, 0047, 0049
4
28m
50.4m²
1.25m
0026, 0028, 0032
Table 1. Trench dimensions
In all four trenches, a significant depth of hardstanding, rubble and subsoil layers sealed the cut features and the natural subsoil. Two distinct layers of subsoil were identified uniformly across the whole site: •
0001 Very dark greyish brown loamy silty sand between 104mm and 300mm thick. Occasional finds of late post-medieval date, including blue and white china, glass etc. (not retained). Could represent a buried topsoil.
4
•
0002 Mid brown humic silty sand, homogenous, quite damp and fairly sterile. Between 300mm and 500mm thick, seals all excavated features recorded during the evaluation. Occasional finds recovered include clay pipe and blue and white china.
The natural subsoil exposed in the trench bases comprised coarse orange gravelly sand with pale grey brown silty sand patches.
Trench 1 (Fig. 3) 0003 and 0006 were adjacent, parallel ditches in the eastern end of the trench, aligned N-S (Plate 2). Each was deep and steep sided with a v-shaped profile and were filled by a fairly sterile and homogenous dark greyish brown silty sand with a paler, mid grey brown fill at the base of the cut. 0009 was a N-S aligned ditch with a fairly steep western edge, a more gently sloped eastern side and a rounded base. Its fill, 0010, as a very dark brown silty sand in which some animal/root disturbance was noted. 0011 was a narrow, ENE-WSW aligned ditch with steep sides, almost vertical on the northern edge, and a generally rounded base. Its fill was a dark-mid greyish brown silty sand mottled with mid yellowish brown silty sand in which occasional large flints were noted and pottery of 11th-12th century date was recovered. It cut pit 0013, a shallow, oval feature with a rounded profile and a very mixed fill of mid brown silty sand with patches of mid-pale yellowy brown sand. It is possible that this may be a natural feature or tree throw. A single sherd of medieval pottery recovered could be intrusive. Trench 2 (Fig. 3) 0016 was a N-S aligned ditch in the eastern end of the trench, similar in location, orientation and profile to 0003/0006 seen in Trench 1. It showed fairly steep sides and a rounded base and was filled by a mid brown silty sand from which two struck flints were recovered. Pit 0018 was irregularly shaped in plan, with almost vertical sides breaking to a generally flat base. Three distinct fills were recorded in the pit section. The upper fill, 0019, was a mid greyish brown silty sand with occasional patches of mid yellow sand. This sealed 0020, a mid greyish brown silty sand with frequent patches of mid yellow
5
N
Tr 1
0003
0011
0009
0006
0013
0018 0022
Tr 2
0016
0024
0 Plan Scale 1:250
Figure 3. Trenches 1 and 2 6
10m
sand. 0021 was the basal fill of dark brownish grey silty sand with occasional charcoal flecks. 0022 was a shallow, circular post hole with a rounded profile located immediately west of pit 0018. No finds were recovered from its mid brown silty sand fill. Ditch 0024 was narrow and aligned approximately NNE-SSW but slightly curving to the NE. Its fill, 0025, was a very dark blackish brown silty sand with regular charcoal flecks.
Trench 3 (Fig. 4) 0030 was a narrow, shallow, NNE-SSW aligned ditch in the north end of the trench. No finds were recovered from its dark grey brown sandy silt fill. At the southern end of this ditch, the presence of a modern cable resulted in an area of c.2m being left unexcavated. 0036 was a narrow E-W aligned ditch with steep sides and a rounded base. Its fill was a dark brown silty sand flecked with charcoal at the top, gradually getting paler towards the base. No finds were recovered. Immediately south of ditch 0036 were three sub circular post holes 0044, 0047 and 0049. No finds were recovered from these features but an environmental sample from 0050, the fill of post hole 0049, contained fragments of burnt flint. 0038 was a pit or possible ditch terminus partially exposed in the south end of the trench. It was shallow with a rounded profile, and filled by 0039, a mid brown silty sand from which a single sherd of late12th-14th century pottery was recovered. Immediately north of this was 0040, a small, shallow, circular post hole, adjacent to which was 0042, a probable pit partially exposed in the east side of the trench from which 1 sherd of 11th-12th century pottery was found. In the southern end of the trench, approximately 3m of the trench side collapsed in (Plate 3). As the sides were unstable at this point, the base of the trench was left uncleaned and unexcavated.
Trench 4 (Fig. 4) The first 9m from the NW end of the trench were largely disturbed by footings associated with a structure first shown on the 3rd edition Ordnance Survey map produced in 1927.
7
N
Tr 4 footing
footing
0029 0027 0026
0034 0033 0035 0032
0028
Tr 3 0031 0030
0037 0036
0047 0048 0045
0044 0049
0042
0040 0038
0 Plan Scale 1:250
Figure 4. Trenches 3 and 4 8
10m
Ditch 0026 was aligned approximately N-S with a gently sloping west side and steeper east side, breaking to a flattish base. Its fill was a dark grey brown silty sand mottled with pale grey brown sand patches from which no finds were recovered. 0028 was a small, sub-circular post hole with steep sides and a rounded base. It was filled by 0029, a dark grey brown silty sand with mid grey brown sand patches from which fragments of medieval or late medieval fired clay were recovered. 0032 was a deep post hole partially exposed in the northern edge of the trench (Plate 4). It appeared to be circular in plan with sloping sides breaking to almost vertical, gradually breaking to a rounded base. Three distinct silty sand fills were observed within the feature, a sample from the middle fill of which, 0034, yielded small fired clay fragments similar to those recovered from post hole 0028.
Plate 1. Trench 1, looking east
Plate 2. Trench 1 soil profile and ditches 0003 and 0006. Looking south
9
24.35m OD
Ditch 0011 and pit 0013
Trench 1
E
W
Ditch 0009
NNW
SSE 22.43m OD
E
23.23m OD
0014
W
0012
0013
0010 0011
0009
0001 0002 0006
0007
Pit 0018
natural
0008
NW
22.17m OD 0006
0005
Posthole 0022
SE 0019
S
N
22.30m OD
0023 0022
0020
0003
0018
0021
Ditch 0024 Ditch 0016 23.39m OD
E
W
21.98m OD
Pit 0042
23.30m OD
ESE
WNW 0025 0024
concrete
0001 0002
NW
SE
22.05m OD
0002
natural
0017
Posthole 0040
0001
0041 0043
0016 natural
0040
natural 0042
Pit 0038 23.65m OD
N
S 22.35m OD
concrete
S
N
22.09m OD
0050
E
N
0039
0049
mortar
0002 W S
0038
0001 0002 22.32m OD
0037 0036
NNW
SSE 0045
0048 0047
0046
WSW
ENE 0002 0031
22.66m OD
0044
0030
SE
NW 24.40m OD
23.32m OD
rubble
E
W 0027
0001
23.25m OD
S
N 0029
0026
0028
0002 0033 0034 0035
0032
0 Section Scale 1:50
Figure . 6HFWLRQV 1
2P
Plate 3. Soil collapse in Trench 3
6.
Plate 4. Trench 4 soil profile and post hole 0032
Finds and environmental evidence
Richenda Goffin
Introduction Small quantities of prehistoric, medieval and post-medieval finds were recovered from the evaluation. These are listed below (Table 2). Context 0002 0012 0014 0015 0017 0029 0034
Pottery No. 3 3 1
Wt/g 15 8 6
Clay tobacco pipe No. Wt/g 2 15
Fired clay No.
Wt/g
9
0039 0043 0050
1 1
18 25
Total
9
72
2
Struck flint
5
15
10
No.
Wt/g
1 2
163 145
3
Table 2. Finds quantities
11
Miscellaneous
Spotdate
1 metal find
1800-1900 11th-12th C Medieval U/s
2 frags charcoal 2 frags burnt flint; all finds from Sample 3
Frags burnt flint, all from Sample 4
L12th-14th C 11th-12th C
The pottery Introduction A total of nine sherds of pottery was recovered from five contexts, weighing 72g. The pottery was quantified using the recording methods recommended in the MPRG Occasional Paper No 2, Minimum standards for the processing, recording, analysis and publication of Post-Roman ceramics (Slowikowski et al 2001). The number of sherds present in each context by fabric, the estimated number of vessels represented and the weight of each fabric were noted. Other characteristics such as form, decoration and condition were recorded, and an overall date range for the pottery in each context was established. The pottery was inputted using standard codes as on the database (Appendix III). The codes used are based mainly on broad fabric and form types identified in Eighteen centuries of pottery from Norwich (Jennings 1981), and additional fabric types established by the Suffolk Unit (S Anderson, unpublished fabric list).
Pottery by period Medieval All but one sherd from the evaluation dates to the medieval period. The pottery was recovered from Trenches 1 and 3 and is listed below. Trench
Context
Feature
Fabric
Form
No of sherds
Weight (g)
Overall date
layer
0002
layer
EMW*
BODY
2
10
11th-12th C * with postmed sherd
1
0012
Ditch fill
EMW
BODY
3
8
11th-12th C
1
0014
Pit fill
EMW
BODY
1
6
11th-12th C
3
0039
Pit fill
MCW
BODY
1
18
L12th-14th C
3
0043
Pit fill
EMWC
BODY
1
25
11th-12th C
8
67
Total
Table 3. Medieval pottery by trench and context
The majority of the sherds are hand-made Early medieval wares which have finemedium sandy fabrics which vary in colour from a reddish-brown to a dark grey. No rims are present, but several sherds are sooted, indicating that they are likely to have come from jars or cooking vessels. A single small body sherd in the fill 0012 of ditch 0011 is sandy and more uniformly reduced, and its appearance suggests that it may be slightly
12
earlier, as it is reminiscent of Thetford-type wares. A sagging base from another sooted vessel which was found in the fill 0039 of pit 0038 is made of a lighter finer fabric which contains moderate medium to coarse quartz inclusions as well as sparse buff clay pellets and occasional burnt out voids. It is slightly later in date (L12th-14th century). Post-medieval A single rim from a transfer-printed Ironstone china dish or plate dating to the nineteenth century or later was present in 0002, a layer which covered the site. Fragments of clay pipe and earlier pottery were also found in this layer.
13
The fired clay A small quantity of fired clay was collected from fill 0029 of posthole 0028. It is made of a fine mid orange fabric with paler, silty bands and occasional red clay pellets, and dates to the medieval to late medieval period. Similar fragmentary remains were present in the finds from Sample 3 (fill 0034 of posthole 0032).
The clay tobacco pipe Two fragments of clay tobacco pipe were recovered from layer 0002. The remains of the base of the bowl survives on one fragment. It has a shallow foot of a type which indicates that it dates to the seventeenth or eighteenth century.
The struck flint Sarah Bates
Introduction Three struck flints were recovered from the evaluation (Table 4). Context
Type
Quantity
0015
axe
1
0017
blade
1
0017
flake
1
Table 4. Flint type by context
Description One end of a probable handaxe of Lower or Middle Palaeolithic date was found in 0015, a number assigned to spoil from Trench 1, although it might have been from a fill of ditch 0006. The flint is patinated a pinkish grey colour with some slightly orangey brown areas and some smaller whitish patches. It appears to be slightly burnt but the orangey colour is distinctive of patinated Palaeolithic flintwork. One face is gently convex, the other more steeply so. Both faces are flaked and scars from shallow thinning flakes are particularly notable on the flatter face with more abrupt edge retouch of both sides on the other face. The scar from a fairly broad shallow transverse removal from across the end on the more pronounced convex face resembles a tranchet type sharpening flake although the extreme edge of what, in that case, would have been the cutting edge has
14
been heavily damaged. It appears to have been repeatedly struck, or used to repeatedly strike something. Percussion cones visible on the battered edge suggest that it struck something hard. The surfaces of the fractured flint on this percussed edge are abraded suggesting that the damage is not recent but may relate to the use of the tool. If this is the case it suggests that the original tool has a broad cleaver-like cutting edge. Cleavers are known from the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic periods, and sometimes sharpened by the removal of a tranchet flake, although are often of slightly larger size (Butler 2005, 63, fig.22, H and 70-71, fig. 26,1). Another possibility is that the fragment may be from a bout coupé type handaxe of Middle Palaeolithic date although in that case it would probably be the butt end which is represented here and it is lacking the parallel finishing flakes on the edge which are characteristic of that type (Bishop, 2002, Butler 2005, 72). There is a very small area of apparent retouch at one side of the broken edge. This extends very slightly onto the broken edge and is a brighter less patinated pink colour. It clearly post-dates the breakage of the axe and might be accidental. An alternative (or additional) suggestion is that part of a Palaeolithic axe was re-used during the Neolithic period. There is a very small area of apparent polish (glossy and with very small striations) in the centre of the shallower face of the axe, and towards the cutting edge and another very tiny area of similar surface on an arris close to the edge near one corner. This might be a natural gloss but it is possible (although difficult) to discern a slightly lesser patina on the main flake scars from that surface/edge. If this were the case, the fragment may have been partially polished and re-flaked, the battered edge could relate to later prehistoric use of the tool and the small area of retouch at the broken edge may represent bluntening of a sharp point there. A large thick flake, part of a pebble has been struck by hard hammer from fill 0017 of ditch 0016 in Trench 2. It has a small flattish surface with a slightly smoother area which, possibly, could represent use but too small an area survives to be certain, it is probably a natural surface. A small sharp blade from the same context has its proximal end missing but may be from a prepared core of Mesolithic or earlier Neolithic date. Both these flints are a slightly yellowish orangey grey in colour but both are sharp and neither have the patinated darker orange colour of the axe fragment.
15
Some of the earliest struck flint flakes known in Britain have, in the last few years, been found in situ in pre-Anglian deposits (700,000 years old) at Pakefield just south of Lowestoft and numbers of handaxes also known either from, or possibly from, those deposits have been found along the coast of Norfolk and Suffolk (Robins et al. 2008). Other handaxes from Suffolk have been found in gravel, or derived from gravel deposits which formed following the Anglian glaciation (Wymer 1989). Handaxe finds recorded on the Suffolk HER as closest to the present site are a possible example which was recorded in 1908 from near the main Lowestoft to Oulton Broad road (Suffolk HER), a large handaxe from Mutford to the south-west of Lowestoft and a group found recently (?2007) on the beach near Benacre and currently subject to further study (Suffolk HER). The discovery of the fragment from the present site is of interest; it adds to the number known from the area and might be an example of a piece found and utilised during a later prehistoric period. It is, however, of limited significance due its unstratified context.
Metal objects A single sub-rectangular fragment of modern metal measuring 65mm in length was retained from the layer 0002 which overlay all the archaeological features. It was not assigned a small find number.
Plant macrofossils and other remains Anna West
Introduction and methods Four bulk samples were taken during the evaluation, in order to assess the quality of preservation of plant remains and their potential to provide useful data as part of further archaeological investigations. The samples were processed using manual water flotation/washover and the flots were collected in a 300 micron mesh sieve. The dried flots were scanned using a binocular microscope at x16 magnification and the presence of any plant remains or artefacts are
16
noted on Table 5. Identification of plant remains is with reference to New Flora of the British Isles, (Stace). The non-floating residues were collected in a 1mm mesh and sorted when dry. All artefacts/ecofacts were retained for inclusion in the finds total. All the residues were scanned with a magnet to check for ferrous material such as hammer scale and ferrous spheroids. Quantification For the purpose of this initial assessment, items such as seeds, cereal grains and small animal bones have been scanned and recorded qualitatively according to the following categories # = 1-10, ## = 11-50, ### = 51+ specimens Items that cannot be easily quantified such as charcoal, magnetic residues and fragmented bone have been scored for abundance + = rare, ++ = moderate, +++ = abundant. SS No
Context No
1
0005
2
0008
3
0034
4
0050
Flot contents
Charcoal ++, Coal +, Vitrified material +, Charred seeds #, Insect remains #, Rootlets ++ Charcoal ++, Coal +, Vitrified organic material +, Charred seeds #, Un-charred seeds #, Spheroids #, Rootlets ++ Charcoal ++, Coal +, Vitrified organic material +, Charred seeds ##, Insect remains #, Fired Clay ++ Charcoal ++, Vitrified material +, Charred seeds #, Spheroids #
Table 5. Plant macrofossils and other remains
All the flots were fairly small, around 40ml in volume and were made up mainly of wood charcoal fragments and a vitrified material, some of which appears to by organic material which has been exposed to combustion at high temperatures as well as other material which has a more slag like or cokey appearance. Small rootlet fragments were present within Samples 1 and 2 and can be considered modern contaminants. All the samples contained a vitrified material some of which resembled organic material that has being exposed to combustion at high temperatures. Within this material in 17
Sample 1, fill (0005) from ditch [0003], Sample 2, fill (0008) from ditch [0006] and Sample 3, fill (0034) from pit [0032] are very occasional fragments of what appear to be charred cereal grains and weed seeds. Other than a single Barley (Hordeum sp.) caryopsis in Sample 3 the few cereal grains, grass type seeds and weed seeds observed were all too puffed and fragmented to identify to species at this stage. Samples 2, 3 and 4 all contained a second type of vitrified material which appeared to be more coke like and some had a slag like appearance. Within these three samples a small number of ferrous spheroids were observed. Ferrous spheroids are produced during hot welding as molten metal is expelled and their presence within the samples suggest that metal working may have been taking place within the vicinity All four samples contained small fragments of coal which are probably intrusive within the archaeological deposits and were possibly present as a result of steam powered machinery being used in the area. Sample 2 contained a single Clover/Medick (Trifolium/Medicago sp.) seed which is probably intrusive within the archaeological deposit.
Conclusions and recommendations for further work In general the samples were poor in terms of identifiable material. The cereal grains and weed plant remains present were poorly preserved making identification difficult. Wood charcoal was present in all the flots but was highly fragmented resulting in it being of little use for species identification or radiocarbon dating. However cereal remains are clearly present, in small quantities, as are ferrous spheroids. Therefore if further archaeological interventions are planned on this site it is suggested that samples should be taken from well-sealed and well dated contexts in order to further investigate the nature of these cereal remains and the possible industrial waste.
7.
Discussion
Trenching revealed a significant depth of made-up ground, sealing various archaeological features. Ditches recorded are likely to represent property or field boundaries, but lacked dating evidence in the excavated sections. Clusters of pits and post holes were observed in Trenches 3 and 4 which may provide evidence for
18
structures. Generally, finds were sparse, but where present, comprised prehistoric and medieval material. A background scatter of prehistoric finds is not surprising given the known prehistoric evidence nearby, but the handaxe fragment from Trench 1 is a particular interest. The most significant group of finds are medieval and mainly homogenous in date. The sandy hand-made pottery dates to the early medieval period, but there is a single sandy sherd which could possibly be a Thetford-type ware fabric. A recent assemblage from Pakefield School Lowestoft to the south of the site (Anderson 2011) contained a much greater quantity of Late Saxon and Early medieval wares, some of which were difficult to assign with certainty to particular fabrics, especially when only body sherds were present. The group included some Thetford-type rims of a nonstandard fabric which would normally be assigned to the early or high medieval period. It is possible that some of the pottery from the evaluation could also belong in this category, and may reflect some local, rural production centre. The medieval pottery assemblage is likely to be associated with occupation close to the site, if not on the site itself. Humic subsoil layer 0002 appeared to be a consolidated, in situ deposit, likely to have been water-lain. A very similar subsoil layer was recorded c.150m east at St Margaret’s Primary School (LWT 182) where it sealed a likely medieval ditch. A peaty layer was also recorded at the same site. There is no obvious topographical explanation for the presence of waterlogged or alluvial deposits in this area of Lowestoft, however, there are known to be springs in the vicinity, including Basket Wells which are shown south east of the site on the 3rd edition Ordnance Survey map (Figure 5; also shown as LWT 161, Figure 1). The road immediately south of the site off Church Road is called ‘Water Lane’ whilst anecdotal evidence suggests that allotments in the area are damp and muddy.
A thin strip of land along the eastern boundary of the site is said to have been a former track between St Margaret’s Road and Church Road, possibly connecting with Water Lane (local resident, pers comm). If this was indeed a former track, there is a possibility that the ditches in the eastern ends of Trenches 1 and 2 are roadside boundary ditches.
19
Tr 4
Tr 1
Tr 2
Tr 3
Figure 5. Extract from the 3rd edition Ordnance Survey Map, c.1924 showing the Basket Wells south east of the site
A moderate density of features were recorded within the evaluation. The planning archaeologist may request further work if the groundworks for the proposed development will impact on the archaeological levels demonstrated by the evaluation.
8.
Archive deposition
The archive is lodged with the SCCAS at its Bury office under the HER reference LWT 326. A summary of this project has also been entered onto OASIS, the online archaeological database, under the reference suffolkc1-187997. Digital archive: R:\Environmental Protection\Conservation\Archaeology\Archive\ Lowestoft\LWT 326 Former Long’s Dairy
20
Bibliography Anderson, S, 2011, ‘The pottery’ in Cass, S., Excavations at Pakefield High School, Lowestoft, Archaeological Excavation Assessment, SCC Report 2011/072 Bishop, B., 2002, ‘A bout coupé handaxe from Enfield in the Lower Lea Valley’ Lithics, The Newsletter of the Lithics Studies Society No. 23 Butler, C., 2005, Prehistoric flintwork, Tempus Jennings, S., 1981, Eighteen centuries of pottery from Norwich. EAA 13, Norwich Survey/NMS. Robins, P., Wymer, J., and Parfitt, S., 2008, ‘Handaxe finds on the Norfolk Beaches’, Norfolk Archaeology, XLV, 412-415 Slowikowski, A., Nenk, B., and Pearce, J., 2001, Minimum standards for the processing, recording, analysis and publication of post-Roman ceramics, MPRG Occasional Paper No 2. Stace, C., 2010, New Flora of the British Isles, 2nd edn., Cambridge University Press Wymer, J., 1989, ‘The Palaeolithic’ in Dymond, D., and Martin, E., An Historical Atlas of Suffolk, revised and enlarged edition, Suffolk County Council Environment and Transport, Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History 32-33
21
22
Appendix I Context No Feature No Feature Type
Description
Finds
0001
0001
Layer
Very dark greyish brown loamy silty sand present over whole site between 104mm and 300mm thick. Occasional finds of late post-medieval date- blue and white china, glass etc.
No
0002
0002
Layer
mid brown humic silty sand, homogenous, quite damp and fairly sterile. Present over whole site between 300mm and 500mm thick, seals all excavated features. Occasional finds recovered include clay pipe and blue and white china.
Yes
0003
0003
Ditch Cut
N-S aligned ditch, deep and steep sided with a v-shaped profile
No
0004
0003
Ditch Fill
Upper ditch fill of very dark greyish brown silty sand, homogenous, quite sterile.
No
0005
0003
Ditch Fill
Basal ditch fill of mid-dark greyish brown silty sand
No
0006
0006
Ditch Cut
N-S aligned ditch, steep sides breaking quite sharply to a flattish base
No
0007
0006
Ditch Fill
Upper ditch fill of dark greyish brown silty sand, homogenous, quite sterile.
No
0008
0006
Ditch Fill
Basal fill of pale grey silty sand, quite sterile
No
0009
0009
Ditch Cut
N-S aligned ditch, fairly steep western edge, more gently sloped eastern side, rounded base. Some animal/root disturbance noted.
No
0010
0009
Ditch Fill
Very dark brown silty sand, fairly sterile
No
0011
0011
Ditch Cut
ENE-WSW aligned ditch. Narrow, steep sided, almost vertical on the northern edge, with a generally rounded base
No
0012
0011
Ditch Fill
Mixed fill of dark-mid greyish brown silty sand mottled with mid yellowish brown silty sand. Occasional large flints noted
Yes
0013
0013
Pit Cut
Shallow, oval pit cut by ditch 0011. Rounded profile. May be a natural feature or tree throw
No
0014
0013
Pit Fill
Very mixed fill of mid brown silty sand with patches of mid-pale yellowy brown sand.
Yes
23
Overall
1800-1900
11th-12th
Med
Context No Feature No
Feature Type Finds
Description
Finds
0015
0015
Worked flint recovered from the spoil of Trench 1. Technically unstratified but may be from 0006 or 0007
0016
0016
Ditch Cut
N-S aligned ditch in the eastern end of trench 2 with fairly steep sides and a rounded base. Possibly same as 0006
No
0017
0016
Ditch Fill
Mid brown silty sand , fairly sterile
No
0018
0018
Pit Cut
Irregularly shaped pit, almost vertical sides breaking to a generally flat base.
No
0019
0018
Pit Fill
Upper fill, mid greyish brown silty sand with occasional patches of mid yellow sand
No
0020
0018
Pit Fill
mid greyish brown silty sand with frequent patches of mid yellow sand
No
0021
0018
Pit Fill
Basal fill of dark brownish grey silty sand with occasional charcoal flecks
No
0022
0022
Posthole Cut
Shallow, circular post hole with a rounded profile
No
0023
0022
Posthole Fill
Mid brown silty sand
No
0024
0024
Ditch Cut
Narrow ditch, approximately NNE-SSW aligned but slightly curving
No
0025
0024
Ditch Fill
Very dark blackish brown silty sand with regular charcoal flecks
No
0026
0026
Ditch Cut
Approximately N-S aligned ditch with gently sloping west side and steeper east side, breaking to a flattish base.
No
0027
0026
Ditch Fill
Dark grey brown silty sand mottled with pale grey brown sand patches
No
0028
0028
Posthole Cut
Small, sub-circular post hole with steep sides and a rounded base
No
24
No
Overall
Context No Feature No Feature Type
Description
Finds Yes
0029
0028
Posthole Fill
Dark grey brown silty sand with mid grey brown sand patches
0030
0030
Ditch Cut
narrow, NNE-SSW aligned ditch in the north end of trench 3. Continues S under area left high because of modern cable
No
0031
0030
Ditch Fill
dark grey brown sandy silt mixed with pale brown sand natural at the base. No definition between fill and subsoil
No
0032
0032
Posthole Cut
Deep post hole partially exposed in the northern edge of the trench. Appears to be circular with sloping sides which break to almost vertical, graduating to a rounded base
No
0033
0032
Posthole Fill
upper fill. Mid grey brown silty sand
No
0034
0032
Posthole Fill
middle fill. Pale grey silty sand
Yes
0035
0032
Posthole Fill
Basal fill. Dark grey brown silty sand with regular charcoal flecks
No
0036
0036
Ditch Cut
Narrow E-W aligned ditch with steep sides and a rounded base
No
0037
0036
Ditch Fill
Dark brown silty sand flecked with charcoal at the top, gradually getting paler towards the base where it is a pale grey mottled silty sand
No
0038
0038
Pit Cut
Pit or possible ditch terminus partially exposed in the south end of Trench 3. Shallow with a rounded profile
No
0039
0038
Pit Fill
Mid brown silty sand
0040
0040
Posthole Cut
Small, circular post hole adjacent to pits 0038 and 0042 in the south end of Trench 3. Fairly steep sides with a rounded base and profile
No
0041
0040
Posthole Fill
Dark greyish brown silty sand
No
0042
0042
Pit Cut
Pit partially exposed in the eastern edge of Trench 3, appears oval in plan with fairly steep sides and a rounded profile.
No
0043
0042
Pit Fill
Mid grey silty sand which gets gradually paler towards the base. Fairly sterile.
Yes
Yes
25
Overall
L12th-14thC
11th-13thC
0044
0044
Posthole Cut
Circular post hole with steep sides and a slightly irregular base
No
0045
0044
Posthole Fill
Dark brown silty sand
No
0046
0044
Posthole Fill
Mid brown silty sand mottled with pale yellow sand
No
0047
0047
Posthole Cut
Small circular post hole cutting the northern edge of post hole 0044. Generally steep sides, though with a shallow 'shelf' on its northern edge, and a rounded vshaped profile
No
0048
0047
Posthole Fill
Mid brown silty sand
No
0049
0049
Posthole Cut
Small, shallow, circular post hole adjacent to post hole 0044. Steep, concave sides break gradually to a flattish base
No
0050
0049
Posthole Fill
Mid brown silty sand
No
26
Written Scheme of Investigation
Former Long’s Dairy, St Margaret’s Rd, Lowestoft Site code LWT 326
Archaeological Evaluation Written scheme of Investigation and Safety Statement
Client: OWL Architects Author: David Gill August /2014 © Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service
1
Project details Former Long’s Dairy, St Margaret’s Road, Lowestoft TM 5437 9412 St Margaret’s Road DC/13/3638/FUL LWT 326 suffolkc1-187997 LOWELON 001 Evaluation 0.42ha 4 x 30m trenches August 2014 2 days (estimate) Project officer + site assistant 5%
Site Name Site Location/Parish Grid Reference Access Planning Application No HER code OASIS Ref SCCAS Job Code Type Area Project start date Fieldwork duration Staff Percentage coverage
Personnel and contact numbers Curatorial Officer Project Manager Project Officer Finds Dept Sub-contractors
Dr. R Hogget Andrew Tester Linzi Everett Richenda Goffin /
Client contact Site landowner
Mr. Peter Woods/ OWL Architects TBC
01284 741 226 01284 741 248 07753 788 606 01284 352 447
Emergency contacts Local Police Location of nearest A&E
Qualified First Aiders
Old Nelson Street NR32 1PE Lowestoft James Paget, Lowestoft Road, Gorleston, Great Yarmouth, NR31 6LA SCC Project Officer attending
01473 613500 01493 452452
Other Contacts Suffolk Fleet Maintenance
01359 270777
Suffolk Press Office SCC EMS (Jezz Meredith ) SCC H&S (Stuart Boulter)
01473 264395 01473 583288 01473 583290
1. Background Planning permission has been granted for the redevelopment of the former Long’s Dairy site to provide sheltered accommodation which will consist of 16 bungalows and a warden’s house. The development sites lies within an area of archaeological importance and the consent is conditional on a programme of archaeological work being completed; the initial stage of this work is to evaluate the site by trial trench.
A brief and specification for the evaluation has been prepared by Dr R Hogget of Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service Conservation Team (dated 30th April 2014) and the Field Team has been asked to provide a Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) which details how the requirements of the brief will be fulfilled. The WSI has been produced on behalf of the applicant OWL architects and adequate provision has been made to cover the costs of this work (quote QB14/056 prepared by Andrew Tester, SCCAS Field Team).
The development site is thought to have a high potential for encountering further archaeological deposits as it lies within 200m of the church St Margaret’s (LWT 029), which has its origins in the 13th century, and immediately south of the site of a former windmill (LWT 162) which had fallen out of existence existed by 1900.
2. Project aims The immediate aims of the evaluation are: To determine if archaeological deposits exist on the site, characterise their date, extent and preservation To evaluate the likely impact of past land uses, and the possible presence of masking colluvial/alluvial deposits. To establish the potential for the survival of environmental evidence. To provide sufficient information to construct an archaeological conservation strategy, dealing with preservation, the recording of archaeological deposits. To produce a permanent record the archive of which will be deposited with Suffolk HER.
3. Evaluation method statement 3.1 Pre Excavation SCC Conservation Team Officer will be notified 5 days before of the commencement of the fieldwork to enable the works to be monitored effectively.
Fig. 1 Trench and site location plans
An HER site code will be obtained for the site and an OASIS form initiated
A site specific Risk Assessment will be prepared.
3.2 Fieldwork The archaeological fieldwork will be carried out by members of the SCCAS field team led by an experienced Project Officer.
Fieldwork standards will be guided by ‘Standards for Field Archaeology in the East of England” EAA Occasional Papers 14 and the SCCAS/CT ‘Requirements for a Trenched Archaeological Evaluation (2011)’.
The site will be evaluated with four 30m x 1.8m trenches which equates to 5% of the development area. The trenches will be set out to sample all available area of the site (see fig 1 for proposed trench plan) and will be excavated by a machine equipped with a toothless ditching bucket under the supervision of an archaeologist.
The machine will remove soil to the uppermost archaeological level or, in the absence of deposits, the subsoil surface. Those trenches requiring access by staff for hand excavation and recording will not exceed a depth of 1.2m. Any trench in which this depth is not sufficient to meet the archaeological requirements of the Brief will be brought to the attention of the client and the Archaeological Advisor so that further actions can be discussed and (if necessary) recosted; deeper excavation will be undertaken provided suitable trench support is used or, where practicable, the trench sides are stepped or battered
Archaeological deposits and features will be sampled by hand excavation and trench bases and sections cleaned as necessary in order to satisfy the project aims.
A site plan, which will show all trench locations, will be located against the OS grid and datum using an RTK GPS or a total station theodolite. Trenches will be planned at 1:20 or 1:50 as appropriate and the sections of individual features drawn at 1:10 or 1:20. Normal Field Team conventions, compatible with the County HER, will be used during the site recording. A digital photographic record will be made throughout the excavations; photographs will include a metric scale.
All pre-modern finds will be kept and no discard policy will be considered until all the finds have been processed and assessed. Metal detector searches will take place throughout the evaluation, of both trenches and spoilheaps, by an experienced SCCAS metal-detectorist.
Bulk environmental (40 litre) soil samples will be taken from a range of feature types and across the archaeological sequences to ensure that the site palaeo-environmental history can be characterised adequately. These will be retained until an appropriate specialist has assessed their potential for palaeo-environmental remains. Decisions will be made on the need for further analysis following these assessments. If necessary advice will be sought from the English Heritage Regional Advisor in Archaeological Science, on the need for specialist environmental sampling.
In the event of human remains being encountered (this is though unlikely on this particular site on the site) guidelines from the Ministry of Justice will be followed. The evaluation objective would be only to establish the extent, depth and date of burials any remains would be left in situ.
4. Post-excavation and reporting The post-excavation work will be managed by Richenda Goffin. Specialist finds staff will be experienced in local and regional types and periods for their field. Members of the project team will be responsible for taking the project to archive and assessment levels.
All site data will be entered on a computerised database compatible with the County Historic Environment Record. Ordnance Datum levels will be recorded on the section sheets. The photographic archive will be fully catalogued within the County HER photographic index.
All finds will be processed, marked and bagged/boxed to County HER requirements. Where appropriate finds will be marked with a site code and a context number. All finds will be stored according to their material requirements, as specified by the Museums and Galleries Commission (MGC), in the secure stores of the Archaeological Service at Bury St. Edmunds or Ipswich.
Bulk finds will be fully quantified on a computerised database compatible with the County HER. Quantification will fully cover weights and numbers of finds by OP and context with a clear statement for specialists on the degree of apparent residuality observed.
Metal finds on site will be stored in accordance with Institute of Conservation (ICON) guidelines and assessed for significance. Sensitive finds will be conserved if necessary and deposited in bags/boxes suitable for long term storage to ICON standards. All coins will be identified to a standard acceptable to normal numismatic research.
Specialist reports will be done in-house or commissioned as necessary to meet the following requirements at assessment level:
The pottery will be recorded and archived to a standard comparable with: Slowikowski, A., Nenk, B., and Pearce, J., 2001, Minimum standards for the processing, recording, analysis and publication of post-Roman ceramics, Medieval Pottery Research Group Occasional Paper No 2. Environmental samples will be processed and assessed to standards set by the Regional Environmental Archaeologist with a clear statement of potential for further analysis.
Animal and human bone will be quantified and assessed to a standard acceptable to national and regional English Heritage specialists.
An industrial waste assessment will cover all relevant material (i.e. fired clay finds as well as ‘slag’).
The evaluation report will be produced in house and be completed with 4-6weeks of leaving site. The report will contain a stand-alone summary and a description of the excavation methodology. It will also contain a clear separation of the objective account of the archaeological evidence from its archaeological interpretation and recommendations to assist the Planning Officer. It will contain sufficient information to stand as an archive report, should further work not be required.
5. Project archive The site archive will be consistent with ‘Management of Archaeological Projects’ (English Heritage, 1991), Appendix 3 and will meet the requirements detailed in ‘Deposition of Archaeological Archives in Suffolk’ (SCCAS Conservation Team 2008).
At the completion of the project, all material related to it will be archived in the SCCAS stores at Bury St. Edmunds. Store conditions adhere to Institute for Conservation guidelines.
At completion of the project the client and/or landowner may agree to deposit all finds from the fieldwork with SCCAS, who can provide permanent storage of bulk finds. A form transferring ownership of the archive to SCCAS will be completed and included in the project archive.
Exceptions from the above include material covered by the Treasure Act which will be reported and submitted to the appropriate authorities, and human skeletal remains which will be stored within the archive until a decision is reached upon their long term future, i.e. reburial or permanent storage.
The client and/or landowner will be made aware that if they choose not to use the SCCAS storage facilities they will be expected to make alternative arrangements for the long term storage of the archive that meet the requirements of SCCAS/CT.
Bulk finds will be stored in labelled boxes of a standard size and quality; acid free brown card, brass wire stitched measuring 460mm x 255mm x 180mm. The packaging materials within boxes will conform to ICON and MGC standards. Finds in the sensitive store will be packed individually in re-sealable polythene boxes or in crystal boxes labelled with the site code and context/small find number. Packaging methods will follow ICON guidelines, or conservation advice will be sought before deposition.
6. Health and safety/ Staff welfare/ Environmental controls The project will be carried out in accordance with the Suffolk County Council statement on Health and Safety at all times. All SCCAS staff are experienced in working on a variety of archaeological sites and are aware of SCCAS H&S policies. A site specific risk assessment will be prepared prior to the start of work staff will be issued with a copy of the projects risk assessment and will receive a safety induction from the Project Officer.
Site staff will wear protective clothing at all times on site (hard hat, high visibility vest, steel-toe cap boots).
Vehicles will be parked in a safe location
A fully charged mobile phone will be on site at all times.
Site staff will be made aware of the location of the nearest A&E unit and a vehicle will be on site at all times.
Suffolk County Council holds full insurance policies for field work (details on request).
Environmental controls Suffolk County Council is firmly dedicated to following an EMS policy. All our preferred providers and subcontractors have been issued with environmental guidelines.
On site the SCCAS Project Officer will police environmental concerns. In the event of spillage or contamination EMS reporting and procedures will be carried out in consultation with Jezz Meredith (SCCAS EMS Officer). All rubbish will be bagged and removed either to areas designated by the client or returned to SCC property for disposal.
Archaeological services Field Projects Team Delivering a full range of archaeological services
Desk-based assessments and advice
Site investigation
Outreach and educational resources
Historic Building Recording
Environmental processing
Finds analysis and photography
Graphics design and illustration
Contact:
Rhodri Gardner Tel: 01473 265879 [email protected] www.suffolk.gov.uk/Environment/Archaeology/
Appendix 3
Context No
Ceramic Period
Fabric Form Dec
0002 0002 0002 0012 0012 0014 0039
PM MED MED MED MED MED MED
IRST EMW MCW EMW EMW? EMW MCW
0043
MED
EMWC BODY
DISH BW BODY BODY BODY BODY BODY BODY
Estimated No Weight Vessels (g) (ENV)
Sherd No
State Illus Comments
1 1 1 2 1 1 1
1 1 1 1 1 1 1
5 1 9 7 2 6A 18 S
1
1
25 S
No No No No No No No
Transfer printed ware Internal/external sooting. Sandy fabric Very sandy fabric, poss Thet?
Sagging base, fine matrix w med/coarse quartz No Handmade glob. sherd with sparse chalk
Fabric date range
Context date
1800-1900 11th-12th C L12th-13th C 11th-12th C 11th-12th c 11th-12th C L12th-14th c
1800-1900
11th-12th C
11th-12th C
11th-12th C 11th-12th C L12th-14th C
Appendix IV OASIS ID: suffolkc1-187997 Project details Project name
LWT 326 Long's Dairy, Lowestoft
Short description of the Four trench evaluation at Long's Dairy, Lowestoft revealed a moderate project density of features. Medieval pottery and a background of prehistoric flint Project dates
Start: 10-11-2014 End: 22-01-2015
Previous/future work
No / Not known
Any associated project reference codes
DC/13/3638/FUL - Planning Application No.
Any associated project reference codes
LWT 326 - HER event no.
Type of project
Field evaluation
Site status
None
Current Land use
Industry and Commerce 1 - Industrial
Monument type
DITCH Uncertain
Monument type
POST HOLE Uncertain
Monument type
PIT Medieval
Significant Finds
CERAMIC Medieval
Significant Finds
FLINT Palaeolithic
Methods & techniques
''Sample Trenches''
Development type
Urban residential (e.g. flats, houses, etc.)
Prompt
Direction from Local Planning Authority - PPS
Position in the planning After full determination (eg. As a condition) process Project location Country
England
Site location
SUFFOLK WAVENEY LOWESTOFT LWT 326 Long's Dairy
Study area
1.60 Hectares
Site coordinates
TM 5437 9412 52.484976514 1.74697631095 52 29 05 N 001 44 49 E Point
Project creators Name of Organisation
Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service
Project brief originator
Local Planning Authority (with advice from County Archaeologist)
Project design originator
Richard Hoggett
Project director/manager
David Gill
Project supervisor
Linzi Everett
Type of sponsor/funding body
Architect
Name of sponsor/funding body
OWL Architects
Project archives Physical Archive recipient
Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service
Physical Archive ID
LWT 326
Physical Contents
''Ceramics'',''Worked stone/lithics''
Digital Archive recipient AHDS Digital Archive ID
LWT 326
Digital Contents
''Ceramics'',''Worked stone/lithics''
Digital Media available
''Images raster / digital photography'',''Text''
Paper Archive recipient Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service Paper Archive ID
LWT 326
Paper Contents
''Ceramics'',''Worked stone/lithics''
Paper Media available
''Correspondence'',''Photograph'',''Unpublished Text''
Project bibliography 1 Grey literature (unpublished document/manuscript) Publication type Title
2014/122 LWT 326 Former Long's Dairy, Lowestoft
Author(s)/Editor(s)
Everett, L.
Other bibliographic details
2014/122
Date
2015
Issuer or publisher
SCCAS
Place of issue or publication
SCCAS
Archaeological Evaluation Report SCCAS Report No. 2014/122
Client: OWL Architects Author: Linzi Everett January 2015
© SCCAS
HER Information Report Number:
2014/122
Site Name:
Former Long’s Dairy
Planning Application No:
DC/13/3638/FUL
Date of Fieldwork:
10th - 13th November 2014
Grid Reference:
TM 5437 9412
Commissioned by:
OWL Architects
Curatorial Officer:
Richard Hoggett
Project Officer:
Linzi Everett
Oasis Reference:
suffolkc1- 187997
Site Code:
LWT 326
Digital report submitted to Archaeological Data Service: http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/library/greylit
Disclaimer Any opinions expressed in this report about the need for further archaeological work are those of the Field Projects Team alone. Ultimately the need for further work will be determined by the Local Planning Authority and its Archaeological Advisors when a planning application is registered. Suffolk County Council’s archaeological contracting services cannot accept responsibility for inconvenience caused to the clients should the Planning Authority take a different view to that expressed in the report.
Prepared By:
Linzi Everett
Date:
January 2015
Approved By:
Dave Gill
Position:
Senior Project Officer
Date: Signed:
Contents Summary
1.
Introduction
1
2.
Geology and topography
1
3.
Archaeology and historical background
1
4.
Methodology
4
6.
Finds and environmental evidence
11
7.
Discussion
18
8.
Archive deposition
20
List of Figures Figure 1. Site location, showing Historic Environment Record entries
2
Figure 2. Location of trenches
3
Figure 3. Trenches 1 and 2
8
Figure 4. Trenches 3 and 4
10
Figure 5. Extract from the 3rd edition Ordnance Survey map
20
List of Plates Plate 1. Trench 1, looking east
9
Plate 2. Trench 1 soil profile and ditches 0003 and 0006
9
Plate 3. Soil collapse in Trench 3
11
Plate 4. Trench 4 soil profile and post hole 0032
11
List of Tables Table 1. Trench dimensions
4
Table 2. Finds quantities
11
Table 3. Medieval pottery by trench and context
12
Table 4. Flint type by context
14
Table 5. Plant macrofossils and other remains
17
List of Appendices Appendix I.
Context list
23
Appendix II.
WSI
25
Appendix III.
Pottery catalogXH
Appendix IV.
OASIS summa
Summary Four trenches were excavated at the former Long’s Dairy, Lowestoft, prior to development of the site. A number of ditches, pits and post holes were recorded, all of which were sealed by a thick layer of subsoil, possibly a water-lain deposit. Finds from archaeological features included a low density of prehistoric struck flints and early medieval pottery. A fragment of a Palaeolithic handaxe, possibly exhibiting signs of reuse during the Neolithic period, was a notable unstratified find.
1.
Introduction
A trial trench evaluation was carried within the area of former Long’s Dairy, Lowestoft (LWT 326; TM 5437 9412). The proposed development area (hereafter referred to as ‘the site’) consisted of an area of c.1.6 hectares. The evaluation was carried out as a condition of planning consent to develop the site, according to a Brief issued by Richard Hoggett, which outlined the manner of the fieldwork, and a Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) detailing the archaeological methodology and risk assessment (Appendix II). The trial trenching was conducted by the Field Team of the Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service (SCCAS) on the 10th-11th November 2014. The site has been recorded with the County Historic Environment Record (HER) code LWT 326.
2.
Geology and topography
The site is located on chalky clay tills and sandy drift deposits at a height of 20m-25m where the land slopes down to the south west. The south eastern boundary of the site is the cut of the former Norfolk & Suffolk Joint Railway line and elsewhere, the site is surrounded by housing.
3.
Archaeology and historical background
The sites potential was based on its location within an area of archaeological interest recorded in the Suffolk HER. It lies close to find spots of Neolithic and Bronze Age date (LWT 009), within 200m of St Margaret’s church (LWT 029) which has 13th century origins, and immediately south of the site of a former post-medieval corn mill (LWT 162). Evaluation at Harris Middle School directly east of the site (LWT 182) produced a single late medieval or post medieval ditch and a layer of peaty, humic soil containing 18th-19th century finds. 1
Norfolk
SUFFOLK
Essex
0
0.5
1km
25km
0
654400
654200
N
LWT 029 294200
LWT 162
Site LWT 182
294000
LWT 161 LWT 009 0
50
100m
Crown Copyright. All Rights Reserved. Suffolk County Council Licence No. 100023395 2014
Figure 1. Site location, showing Historic Environment Record entries
2
N
199 Tr 4 Tr 1
Tr 3 Tr 2
41 31
38 28 t rea
G
r
ste
Ea
ear
in nL
rk
Pa
ard W
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0 © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. Suffolk County Council Licence No. 100023395 2014
WATER
Figure . 7UHQFKORFDWLRQV
25m
Plan Scale 1:500
Bd
4.
Methodology
Trenching was conducted using a mechanical digger equipped with a 1.8m wide toothless ditching bucket. All machining was observed by an archaeologist standing adjacent to the trench. Tarmac and overburden layers were removed by machine to reveal undisturbed natural subsoil and/or archaeological deposits. The base of each trench was examined for features or finds of archaeological interest. The upcast soil was examined visually for any archaeological finds. Records were made of the position and length of trenches and the depths of deposit encountered. The site has been given the Suffolk HER code LWT 326. All elements of the site archive are identified with this code. An OASIS record (for the Archaeological Data Service) has been initiated and the reference code suffolkc1- 187997 has been used for this project.
5.
Results
Four trenches were excavated across the site (Fig. 2), the dimensions of which are recorded in Table 1. A total area of 198 square metres was excavated. Trench
Length
Area
Average depth
Features
1
25.5m
45.9m²
1.1m
0003, 0006, 0009, 0011, 0013
2
27.5m
49.5m²
1m
0016, 0018, 0022, 0024
3
29m
52.2m²
1.25m
0030, 0036, 0038, 0040, 0042, 0044, 0047, 0049
4
28m
50.4m²
1.25m
0026, 0028, 0032
Table 1. Trench dimensions
In all four trenches, a significant depth of hardstanding, rubble and subsoil layers sealed the cut features and the natural subsoil. Two distinct layers of subsoil were identified uniformly across the whole site: •
0001 Very dark greyish brown loamy silty sand between 104mm and 300mm thick. Occasional finds of late post-medieval date, including blue and white china, glass etc. (not retained). Could represent a buried topsoil.
4
•
0002 Mid brown humic silty sand, homogenous, quite damp and fairly sterile. Between 300mm and 500mm thick, seals all excavated features recorded during the evaluation. Occasional finds recovered include clay pipe and blue and white china.
The natural subsoil exposed in the trench bases comprised coarse orange gravelly sand with pale grey brown silty sand patches.
Trench 1 (Fig. 3) 0003 and 0006 were adjacent, parallel ditches in the eastern end of the trench, aligned N-S (Plate 2). Each was deep and steep sided with a v-shaped profile and were filled by a fairly sterile and homogenous dark greyish brown silty sand with a paler, mid grey brown fill at the base of the cut. 0009 was a N-S aligned ditch with a fairly steep western edge, a more gently sloped eastern side and a rounded base. Its fill, 0010, as a very dark brown silty sand in which some animal/root disturbance was noted. 0011 was a narrow, ENE-WSW aligned ditch with steep sides, almost vertical on the northern edge, and a generally rounded base. Its fill was a dark-mid greyish brown silty sand mottled with mid yellowish brown silty sand in which occasional large flints were noted and pottery of 11th-12th century date was recovered. It cut pit 0013, a shallow, oval feature with a rounded profile and a very mixed fill of mid brown silty sand with patches of mid-pale yellowy brown sand. It is possible that this may be a natural feature or tree throw. A single sherd of medieval pottery recovered could be intrusive. Trench 2 (Fig. 3) 0016 was a N-S aligned ditch in the eastern end of the trench, similar in location, orientation and profile to 0003/0006 seen in Trench 1. It showed fairly steep sides and a rounded base and was filled by a mid brown silty sand from which two struck flints were recovered. Pit 0018 was irregularly shaped in plan, with almost vertical sides breaking to a generally flat base. Three distinct fills were recorded in the pit section. The upper fill, 0019, was a mid greyish brown silty sand with occasional patches of mid yellow sand. This sealed 0020, a mid greyish brown silty sand with frequent patches of mid yellow
5
N
Tr 1
0003
0011
0009
0006
0013
0018 0022
Tr 2
0016
0024
0 Plan Scale 1:250
Figure 3. Trenches 1 and 2 6
10m
sand. 0021 was the basal fill of dark brownish grey silty sand with occasional charcoal flecks. 0022 was a shallow, circular post hole with a rounded profile located immediately west of pit 0018. No finds were recovered from its mid brown silty sand fill. Ditch 0024 was narrow and aligned approximately NNE-SSW but slightly curving to the NE. Its fill, 0025, was a very dark blackish brown silty sand with regular charcoal flecks.
Trench 3 (Fig. 4) 0030 was a narrow, shallow, NNE-SSW aligned ditch in the north end of the trench. No finds were recovered from its dark grey brown sandy silt fill. At the southern end of this ditch, the presence of a modern cable resulted in an area of c.2m being left unexcavated. 0036 was a narrow E-W aligned ditch with steep sides and a rounded base. Its fill was a dark brown silty sand flecked with charcoal at the top, gradually getting paler towards the base. No finds were recovered. Immediately south of ditch 0036 were three sub circular post holes 0044, 0047 and 0049. No finds were recovered from these features but an environmental sample from 0050, the fill of post hole 0049, contained fragments of burnt flint. 0038 was a pit or possible ditch terminus partially exposed in the south end of the trench. It was shallow with a rounded profile, and filled by 0039, a mid brown silty sand from which a single sherd of late12th-14th century pottery was recovered. Immediately north of this was 0040, a small, shallow, circular post hole, adjacent to which was 0042, a probable pit partially exposed in the east side of the trench from which 1 sherd of 11th-12th century pottery was found. In the southern end of the trench, approximately 3m of the trench side collapsed in (Plate 3). As the sides were unstable at this point, the base of the trench was left uncleaned and unexcavated.
Trench 4 (Fig. 4) The first 9m from the NW end of the trench were largely disturbed by footings associated with a structure first shown on the 3rd edition Ordnance Survey map produced in 1927.
7
N
Tr 4 footing
footing
0029 0027 0026
0034 0033 0035 0032
0028
Tr 3 0031 0030
0037 0036
0047 0048 0045
0044 0049
0042
0040 0038
0 Plan Scale 1:250
Figure 4. Trenches 3 and 4 8
10m
Ditch 0026 was aligned approximately N-S with a gently sloping west side and steeper east side, breaking to a flattish base. Its fill was a dark grey brown silty sand mottled with pale grey brown sand patches from which no finds were recovered. 0028 was a small, sub-circular post hole with steep sides and a rounded base. It was filled by 0029, a dark grey brown silty sand with mid grey brown sand patches from which fragments of medieval or late medieval fired clay were recovered. 0032 was a deep post hole partially exposed in the northern edge of the trench (Plate 4). It appeared to be circular in plan with sloping sides breaking to almost vertical, gradually breaking to a rounded base. Three distinct silty sand fills were observed within the feature, a sample from the middle fill of which, 0034, yielded small fired clay fragments similar to those recovered from post hole 0028.
Plate 1. Trench 1, looking east
Plate 2. Trench 1 soil profile and ditches 0003 and 0006. Looking south
9
24.35m OD
Ditch 0011 and pit 0013
Trench 1
E
W
Ditch 0009
NNW
SSE 22.43m OD
E
23.23m OD
0014
W
0012
0013
0010 0011
0009
0001 0002 0006
0007
Pit 0018
natural
0008
NW
22.17m OD 0006
0005
Posthole 0022
SE 0019
S
N
22.30m OD
0023 0022
0020
0003
0018
0021
Ditch 0024 Ditch 0016 23.39m OD
E
W
21.98m OD
Pit 0042
23.30m OD
ESE
WNW 0025 0024
concrete
0001 0002
NW
SE
22.05m OD
0002
natural
0017
Posthole 0040
0001
0041 0043
0016 natural
0040
natural 0042
Pit 0038 23.65m OD
N
S 22.35m OD
concrete
S
N
22.09m OD
0050
E
N
0039
0049
mortar
0002 W S
0038
0001 0002 22.32m OD
0037 0036
NNW
SSE 0045
0048 0047
0046
WSW
ENE 0002 0031
22.66m OD
0044
0030
SE
NW 24.40m OD
23.32m OD
rubble
E
W 0027
0001
23.25m OD
S
N 0029
0026
0028
0002 0033 0034 0035
0032
0 Section Scale 1:50
Figure . 6HFWLRQV 1
2P
Plate 3. Soil collapse in Trench 3
6.
Plate 4. Trench 4 soil profile and post hole 0032
Finds and environmental evidence
Richenda Goffin
Introduction Small quantities of prehistoric, medieval and post-medieval finds were recovered from the evaluation. These are listed below (Table 2). Context 0002 0012 0014 0015 0017 0029 0034
Pottery No. 3 3 1
Wt/g 15 8 6
Clay tobacco pipe No. Wt/g 2 15
Fired clay No.
Wt/g
9
0039 0043 0050
1 1
18 25
Total
9
72
2
Struck flint
5
15
10
No.
Wt/g
1 2
163 145
3
Table 2. Finds quantities
11
Miscellaneous
Spotdate
1 metal find
1800-1900 11th-12th C Medieval U/s
2 frags charcoal 2 frags burnt flint; all finds from Sample 3
Frags burnt flint, all from Sample 4
L12th-14th C 11th-12th C
The pottery Introduction A total of nine sherds of pottery was recovered from five contexts, weighing 72g. The pottery was quantified using the recording methods recommended in the MPRG Occasional Paper No 2, Minimum standards for the processing, recording, analysis and publication of Post-Roman ceramics (Slowikowski et al 2001). The number of sherds present in each context by fabric, the estimated number of vessels represented and the weight of each fabric were noted. Other characteristics such as form, decoration and condition were recorded, and an overall date range for the pottery in each context was established. The pottery was inputted using standard codes as on the database (Appendix III). The codes used are based mainly on broad fabric and form types identified in Eighteen centuries of pottery from Norwich (Jennings 1981), and additional fabric types established by the Suffolk Unit (S Anderson, unpublished fabric list).
Pottery by period Medieval All but one sherd from the evaluation dates to the medieval period. The pottery was recovered from Trenches 1 and 3 and is listed below. Trench
Context
Feature
Fabric
Form
No of sherds
Weight (g)
Overall date
layer
0002
layer
EMW*
BODY
2
10
11th-12th C * with postmed sherd
1
0012
Ditch fill
EMW
BODY
3
8
11th-12th C
1
0014
Pit fill
EMW
BODY
1
6
11th-12th C
3
0039
Pit fill
MCW
BODY
1
18
L12th-14th C
3
0043
Pit fill
EMWC
BODY
1
25
11th-12th C
8
67
Total
Table 3. Medieval pottery by trench and context
The majority of the sherds are hand-made Early medieval wares which have finemedium sandy fabrics which vary in colour from a reddish-brown to a dark grey. No rims are present, but several sherds are sooted, indicating that they are likely to have come from jars or cooking vessels. A single small body sherd in the fill 0012 of ditch 0011 is sandy and more uniformly reduced, and its appearance suggests that it may be slightly
12
earlier, as it is reminiscent of Thetford-type wares. A sagging base from another sooted vessel which was found in the fill 0039 of pit 0038 is made of a lighter finer fabric which contains moderate medium to coarse quartz inclusions as well as sparse buff clay pellets and occasional burnt out voids. It is slightly later in date (L12th-14th century). Post-medieval A single rim from a transfer-printed Ironstone china dish or plate dating to the nineteenth century or later was present in 0002, a layer which covered the site. Fragments of clay pipe and earlier pottery were also found in this layer.
13
The fired clay A small quantity of fired clay was collected from fill 0029 of posthole 0028. It is made of a fine mid orange fabric with paler, silty bands and occasional red clay pellets, and dates to the medieval to late medieval period. Similar fragmentary remains were present in the finds from Sample 3 (fill 0034 of posthole 0032).
The clay tobacco pipe Two fragments of clay tobacco pipe were recovered from layer 0002. The remains of the base of the bowl survives on one fragment. It has a shallow foot of a type which indicates that it dates to the seventeenth or eighteenth century.
The struck flint Sarah Bates
Introduction Three struck flints were recovered from the evaluation (Table 4). Context
Type
Quantity
0015
axe
1
0017
blade
1
0017
flake
1
Table 4. Flint type by context
Description One end of a probable handaxe of Lower or Middle Palaeolithic date was found in 0015, a number assigned to spoil from Trench 1, although it might have been from a fill of ditch 0006. The flint is patinated a pinkish grey colour with some slightly orangey brown areas and some smaller whitish patches. It appears to be slightly burnt but the orangey colour is distinctive of patinated Palaeolithic flintwork. One face is gently convex, the other more steeply so. Both faces are flaked and scars from shallow thinning flakes are particularly notable on the flatter face with more abrupt edge retouch of both sides on the other face. The scar from a fairly broad shallow transverse removal from across the end on the more pronounced convex face resembles a tranchet type sharpening flake although the extreme edge of what, in that case, would have been the cutting edge has
14
been heavily damaged. It appears to have been repeatedly struck, or used to repeatedly strike something. Percussion cones visible on the battered edge suggest that it struck something hard. The surfaces of the fractured flint on this percussed edge are abraded suggesting that the damage is not recent but may relate to the use of the tool. If this is the case it suggests that the original tool has a broad cleaver-like cutting edge. Cleavers are known from the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic periods, and sometimes sharpened by the removal of a tranchet flake, although are often of slightly larger size (Butler 2005, 63, fig.22, H and 70-71, fig. 26,1). Another possibility is that the fragment may be from a bout coupé type handaxe of Middle Palaeolithic date although in that case it would probably be the butt end which is represented here and it is lacking the parallel finishing flakes on the edge which are characteristic of that type (Bishop, 2002, Butler 2005, 72). There is a very small area of apparent retouch at one side of the broken edge. This extends very slightly onto the broken edge and is a brighter less patinated pink colour. It clearly post-dates the breakage of the axe and might be accidental. An alternative (or additional) suggestion is that part of a Palaeolithic axe was re-used during the Neolithic period. There is a very small area of apparent polish (glossy and with very small striations) in the centre of the shallower face of the axe, and towards the cutting edge and another very tiny area of similar surface on an arris close to the edge near one corner. This might be a natural gloss but it is possible (although difficult) to discern a slightly lesser patina on the main flake scars from that surface/edge. If this were the case, the fragment may have been partially polished and re-flaked, the battered edge could relate to later prehistoric use of the tool and the small area of retouch at the broken edge may represent bluntening of a sharp point there. A large thick flake, part of a pebble has been struck by hard hammer from fill 0017 of ditch 0016 in Trench 2. It has a small flattish surface with a slightly smoother area which, possibly, could represent use but too small an area survives to be certain, it is probably a natural surface. A small sharp blade from the same context has its proximal end missing but may be from a prepared core of Mesolithic or earlier Neolithic date. Both these flints are a slightly yellowish orangey grey in colour but both are sharp and neither have the patinated darker orange colour of the axe fragment.
15
Some of the earliest struck flint flakes known in Britain have, in the last few years, been found in situ in pre-Anglian deposits (700,000 years old) at Pakefield just south of Lowestoft and numbers of handaxes also known either from, or possibly from, those deposits have been found along the coast of Norfolk and Suffolk (Robins et al. 2008). Other handaxes from Suffolk have been found in gravel, or derived from gravel deposits which formed following the Anglian glaciation (Wymer 1989). Handaxe finds recorded on the Suffolk HER as closest to the present site are a possible example which was recorded in 1908 from near the main Lowestoft to Oulton Broad road (Suffolk HER), a large handaxe from Mutford to the south-west of Lowestoft and a group found recently (?2007) on the beach near Benacre and currently subject to further study (Suffolk HER). The discovery of the fragment from the present site is of interest; it adds to the number known from the area and might be an example of a piece found and utilised during a later prehistoric period. It is, however, of limited significance due its unstratified context.
Metal objects A single sub-rectangular fragment of modern metal measuring 65mm in length was retained from the layer 0002 which overlay all the archaeological features. It was not assigned a small find number.
Plant macrofossils and other remains Anna West
Introduction and methods Four bulk samples were taken during the evaluation, in order to assess the quality of preservation of plant remains and their potential to provide useful data as part of further archaeological investigations. The samples were processed using manual water flotation/washover and the flots were collected in a 300 micron mesh sieve. The dried flots were scanned using a binocular microscope at x16 magnification and the presence of any plant remains or artefacts are
16
noted on Table 5. Identification of plant remains is with reference to New Flora of the British Isles, (Stace). The non-floating residues were collected in a 1mm mesh and sorted when dry. All artefacts/ecofacts were retained for inclusion in the finds total. All the residues were scanned with a magnet to check for ferrous material such as hammer scale and ferrous spheroids. Quantification For the purpose of this initial assessment, items such as seeds, cereal grains and small animal bones have been scanned and recorded qualitatively according to the following categories # = 1-10, ## = 11-50, ### = 51+ specimens Items that cannot be easily quantified such as charcoal, magnetic residues and fragmented bone have been scored for abundance + = rare, ++ = moderate, +++ = abundant. SS No
Context No
1
0005
2
0008
3
0034
4
0050
Flot contents
Charcoal ++, Coal +, Vitrified material +, Charred seeds #, Insect remains #, Rootlets ++ Charcoal ++, Coal +, Vitrified organic material +, Charred seeds #, Un-charred seeds #, Spheroids #, Rootlets ++ Charcoal ++, Coal +, Vitrified organic material +, Charred seeds ##, Insect remains #, Fired Clay ++ Charcoal ++, Vitrified material +, Charred seeds #, Spheroids #
Table 5. Plant macrofossils and other remains
All the flots were fairly small, around 40ml in volume and were made up mainly of wood charcoal fragments and a vitrified material, some of which appears to by organic material which has been exposed to combustion at high temperatures as well as other material which has a more slag like or cokey appearance. Small rootlet fragments were present within Samples 1 and 2 and can be considered modern contaminants. All the samples contained a vitrified material some of which resembled organic material that has being exposed to combustion at high temperatures. Within this material in 17
Sample 1, fill (0005) from ditch [0003], Sample 2, fill (0008) from ditch [0006] and Sample 3, fill (0034) from pit [0032] are very occasional fragments of what appear to be charred cereal grains and weed seeds. Other than a single Barley (Hordeum sp.) caryopsis in Sample 3 the few cereal grains, grass type seeds and weed seeds observed were all too puffed and fragmented to identify to species at this stage. Samples 2, 3 and 4 all contained a second type of vitrified material which appeared to be more coke like and some had a slag like appearance. Within these three samples a small number of ferrous spheroids were observed. Ferrous spheroids are produced during hot welding as molten metal is expelled and their presence within the samples suggest that metal working may have been taking place within the vicinity All four samples contained small fragments of coal which are probably intrusive within the archaeological deposits and were possibly present as a result of steam powered machinery being used in the area. Sample 2 contained a single Clover/Medick (Trifolium/Medicago sp.) seed which is probably intrusive within the archaeological deposit.
Conclusions and recommendations for further work In general the samples were poor in terms of identifiable material. The cereal grains and weed plant remains present were poorly preserved making identification difficult. Wood charcoal was present in all the flots but was highly fragmented resulting in it being of little use for species identification or radiocarbon dating. However cereal remains are clearly present, in small quantities, as are ferrous spheroids. Therefore if further archaeological interventions are planned on this site it is suggested that samples should be taken from well-sealed and well dated contexts in order to further investigate the nature of these cereal remains and the possible industrial waste.
7.
Discussion
Trenching revealed a significant depth of made-up ground, sealing various archaeological features. Ditches recorded are likely to represent property or field boundaries, but lacked dating evidence in the excavated sections. Clusters of pits and post holes were observed in Trenches 3 and 4 which may provide evidence for
18
structures. Generally, finds were sparse, but where present, comprised prehistoric and medieval material. A background scatter of prehistoric finds is not surprising given the known prehistoric evidence nearby, but the handaxe fragment from Trench 1 is a particular interest. The most significant group of finds are medieval and mainly homogenous in date. The sandy hand-made pottery dates to the early medieval period, but there is a single sandy sherd which could possibly be a Thetford-type ware fabric. A recent assemblage from Pakefield School Lowestoft to the south of the site (Anderson 2011) contained a much greater quantity of Late Saxon and Early medieval wares, some of which were difficult to assign with certainty to particular fabrics, especially when only body sherds were present. The group included some Thetford-type rims of a nonstandard fabric which would normally be assigned to the early or high medieval period. It is possible that some of the pottery from the evaluation could also belong in this category, and may reflect some local, rural production centre. The medieval pottery assemblage is likely to be associated with occupation close to the site, if not on the site itself. Humic subsoil layer 0002 appeared to be a consolidated, in situ deposit, likely to have been water-lain. A very similar subsoil layer was recorded c.150m east at St Margaret’s Primary School (LWT 182) where it sealed a likely medieval ditch. A peaty layer was also recorded at the same site. There is no obvious topographical explanation for the presence of waterlogged or alluvial deposits in this area of Lowestoft, however, there are known to be springs in the vicinity, including Basket Wells which are shown south east of the site on the 3rd edition Ordnance Survey map (Figure 5; also shown as LWT 161, Figure 1). The road immediately south of the site off Church Road is called ‘Water Lane’ whilst anecdotal evidence suggests that allotments in the area are damp and muddy.
A thin strip of land along the eastern boundary of the site is said to have been a former track between St Margaret’s Road and Church Road, possibly connecting with Water Lane (local resident, pers comm). If this was indeed a former track, there is a possibility that the ditches in the eastern ends of Trenches 1 and 2 are roadside boundary ditches.
19
Tr 4
Tr 1
Tr 2
Tr 3
Figure 5. Extract from the 3rd edition Ordnance Survey Map, c.1924 showing the Basket Wells south east of the site
A moderate density of features were recorded within the evaluation. The planning archaeologist may request further work if the groundworks for the proposed development will impact on the archaeological levels demonstrated by the evaluation.
8.
Archive deposition
The archive is lodged with the SCCAS at its Bury office under the HER reference LWT 326. A summary of this project has also been entered onto OASIS, the online archaeological database, under the reference suffolkc1-187997. Digital archive: R:\Environmental Protection\Conservation\Archaeology\Archive\ Lowestoft\LWT 326 Former Long’s Dairy
20
Bibliography Anderson, S, 2011, ‘The pottery’ in Cass, S., Excavations at Pakefield High School, Lowestoft, Archaeological Excavation Assessment, SCC Report 2011/072 Bishop, B., 2002, ‘A bout coupé handaxe from Enfield in the Lower Lea Valley’ Lithics, The Newsletter of the Lithics Studies Society No. 23 Butler, C., 2005, Prehistoric flintwork, Tempus Jennings, S., 1981, Eighteen centuries of pottery from Norwich. EAA 13, Norwich Survey/NMS. Robins, P., Wymer, J., and Parfitt, S., 2008, ‘Handaxe finds on the Norfolk Beaches’, Norfolk Archaeology, XLV, 412-415 Slowikowski, A., Nenk, B., and Pearce, J., 2001, Minimum standards for the processing, recording, analysis and publication of post-Roman ceramics, MPRG Occasional Paper No 2. Stace, C., 2010, New Flora of the British Isles, 2nd edn., Cambridge University Press Wymer, J., 1989, ‘The Palaeolithic’ in Dymond, D., and Martin, E., An Historical Atlas of Suffolk, revised and enlarged edition, Suffolk County Council Environment and Transport, Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History 32-33
21
22
Appendix I Context No Feature No Feature Type
Description
Finds
0001
0001
Layer
Very dark greyish brown loamy silty sand present over whole site between 104mm and 300mm thick. Occasional finds of late post-medieval date- blue and white china, glass etc.
No
0002
0002
Layer
mid brown humic silty sand, homogenous, quite damp and fairly sterile. Present over whole site between 300mm and 500mm thick, seals all excavated features. Occasional finds recovered include clay pipe and blue and white china.
Yes
0003
0003
Ditch Cut
N-S aligned ditch, deep and steep sided with a v-shaped profile
No
0004
0003
Ditch Fill
Upper ditch fill of very dark greyish brown silty sand, homogenous, quite sterile.
No
0005
0003
Ditch Fill
Basal ditch fill of mid-dark greyish brown silty sand
No
0006
0006
Ditch Cut
N-S aligned ditch, steep sides breaking quite sharply to a flattish base
No
0007
0006
Ditch Fill
Upper ditch fill of dark greyish brown silty sand, homogenous, quite sterile.
No
0008
0006
Ditch Fill
Basal fill of pale grey silty sand, quite sterile
No
0009
0009
Ditch Cut
N-S aligned ditch, fairly steep western edge, more gently sloped eastern side, rounded base. Some animal/root disturbance noted.
No
0010
0009
Ditch Fill
Very dark brown silty sand, fairly sterile
No
0011
0011
Ditch Cut
ENE-WSW aligned ditch. Narrow, steep sided, almost vertical on the northern edge, with a generally rounded base
No
0012
0011
Ditch Fill
Mixed fill of dark-mid greyish brown silty sand mottled with mid yellowish brown silty sand. Occasional large flints noted
Yes
0013
0013
Pit Cut
Shallow, oval pit cut by ditch 0011. Rounded profile. May be a natural feature or tree throw
No
0014
0013
Pit Fill
Very mixed fill of mid brown silty sand with patches of mid-pale yellowy brown sand.
Yes
23
Overall
1800-1900
11th-12th
Med
Context No Feature No
Feature Type Finds
Description
Finds
0015
0015
Worked flint recovered from the spoil of Trench 1. Technically unstratified but may be from 0006 or 0007
0016
0016
Ditch Cut
N-S aligned ditch in the eastern end of trench 2 with fairly steep sides and a rounded base. Possibly same as 0006
No
0017
0016
Ditch Fill
Mid brown silty sand , fairly sterile
No
0018
0018
Pit Cut
Irregularly shaped pit, almost vertical sides breaking to a generally flat base.
No
0019
0018
Pit Fill
Upper fill, mid greyish brown silty sand with occasional patches of mid yellow sand
No
0020
0018
Pit Fill
mid greyish brown silty sand with frequent patches of mid yellow sand
No
0021
0018
Pit Fill
Basal fill of dark brownish grey silty sand with occasional charcoal flecks
No
0022
0022
Posthole Cut
Shallow, circular post hole with a rounded profile
No
0023
0022
Posthole Fill
Mid brown silty sand
No
0024
0024
Ditch Cut
Narrow ditch, approximately NNE-SSW aligned but slightly curving
No
0025
0024
Ditch Fill
Very dark blackish brown silty sand with regular charcoal flecks
No
0026
0026
Ditch Cut
Approximately N-S aligned ditch with gently sloping west side and steeper east side, breaking to a flattish base.
No
0027
0026
Ditch Fill
Dark grey brown silty sand mottled with pale grey brown sand patches
No
0028
0028
Posthole Cut
Small, sub-circular post hole with steep sides and a rounded base
No
24
No
Overall
Context No Feature No Feature Type
Description
Finds Yes
0029
0028
Posthole Fill
Dark grey brown silty sand with mid grey brown sand patches
0030
0030
Ditch Cut
narrow, NNE-SSW aligned ditch in the north end of trench 3. Continues S under area left high because of modern cable
No
0031
0030
Ditch Fill
dark grey brown sandy silt mixed with pale brown sand natural at the base. No definition between fill and subsoil
No
0032
0032
Posthole Cut
Deep post hole partially exposed in the northern edge of the trench. Appears to be circular with sloping sides which break to almost vertical, graduating to a rounded base
No
0033
0032
Posthole Fill
upper fill. Mid grey brown silty sand
No
0034
0032
Posthole Fill
middle fill. Pale grey silty sand
Yes
0035
0032
Posthole Fill
Basal fill. Dark grey brown silty sand with regular charcoal flecks
No
0036
0036
Ditch Cut
Narrow E-W aligned ditch with steep sides and a rounded base
No
0037
0036
Ditch Fill
Dark brown silty sand flecked with charcoal at the top, gradually getting paler towards the base where it is a pale grey mottled silty sand
No
0038
0038
Pit Cut
Pit or possible ditch terminus partially exposed in the south end of Trench 3. Shallow with a rounded profile
No
0039
0038
Pit Fill
Mid brown silty sand
0040
0040
Posthole Cut
Small, circular post hole adjacent to pits 0038 and 0042 in the south end of Trench 3. Fairly steep sides with a rounded base and profile
No
0041
0040
Posthole Fill
Dark greyish brown silty sand
No
0042
0042
Pit Cut
Pit partially exposed in the eastern edge of Trench 3, appears oval in plan with fairly steep sides and a rounded profile.
No
0043
0042
Pit Fill
Mid grey silty sand which gets gradually paler towards the base. Fairly sterile.
Yes
Yes
25
Overall
L12th-14thC
11th-13thC
0044
0044
Posthole Cut
Circular post hole with steep sides and a slightly irregular base
No
0045
0044
Posthole Fill
Dark brown silty sand
No
0046
0044
Posthole Fill
Mid brown silty sand mottled with pale yellow sand
No
0047
0047
Posthole Cut
Small circular post hole cutting the northern edge of post hole 0044. Generally steep sides, though with a shallow 'shelf' on its northern edge, and a rounded vshaped profile
No
0048
0047
Posthole Fill
Mid brown silty sand
No
0049
0049
Posthole Cut
Small, shallow, circular post hole adjacent to post hole 0044. Steep, concave sides break gradually to a flattish base
No
0050
0049
Posthole Fill
Mid brown silty sand
No
26
Written Scheme of Investigation
Former Long’s Dairy, St Margaret’s Rd, Lowestoft Site code LWT 326
Archaeological Evaluation Written scheme of Investigation and Safety Statement
Client: OWL Architects Author: David Gill August /2014 © Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service
1
Project details Former Long’s Dairy, St Margaret’s Road, Lowestoft TM 5437 9412 St Margaret’s Road DC/13/3638/FUL LWT 326 suffolkc1-187997 LOWELON 001 Evaluation 0.42ha 4 x 30m trenches August 2014 2 days (estimate) Project officer + site assistant 5%
Site Name Site Location/Parish Grid Reference Access Planning Application No HER code OASIS Ref SCCAS Job Code Type Area Project start date Fieldwork duration Staff Percentage coverage
Personnel and contact numbers Curatorial Officer Project Manager Project Officer Finds Dept Sub-contractors
Dr. R Hogget Andrew Tester Linzi Everett Richenda Goffin /
Client contact Site landowner
Mr. Peter Woods/ OWL Architects TBC
01284 741 226 01284 741 248 07753 788 606 01284 352 447
Emergency contacts Local Police Location of nearest A&E
Qualified First Aiders
Old Nelson Street NR32 1PE Lowestoft James Paget, Lowestoft Road, Gorleston, Great Yarmouth, NR31 6LA SCC Project Officer attending
01473 613500 01493 452452
Other Contacts Suffolk Fleet Maintenance
01359 270777
Suffolk Press Office SCC EMS (Jezz Meredith ) SCC H&S (Stuart Boulter)
01473 264395 01473 583288 01473 583290
1. Background Planning permission has been granted for the redevelopment of the former Long’s Dairy site to provide sheltered accommodation which will consist of 16 bungalows and a warden’s house. The development sites lies within an area of archaeological importance and the consent is conditional on a programme of archaeological work being completed; the initial stage of this work is to evaluate the site by trial trench.
A brief and specification for the evaluation has been prepared by Dr R Hogget of Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service Conservation Team (dated 30th April 2014) and the Field Team has been asked to provide a Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) which details how the requirements of the brief will be fulfilled. The WSI has been produced on behalf of the applicant OWL architects and adequate provision has been made to cover the costs of this work (quote QB14/056 prepared by Andrew Tester, SCCAS Field Team).
The development site is thought to have a high potential for encountering further archaeological deposits as it lies within 200m of the church St Margaret’s (LWT 029), which has its origins in the 13th century, and immediately south of the site of a former windmill (LWT 162) which had fallen out of existence existed by 1900.
2. Project aims The immediate aims of the evaluation are: To determine if archaeological deposits exist on the site, characterise their date, extent and preservation To evaluate the likely impact of past land uses, and the possible presence of masking colluvial/alluvial deposits. To establish the potential for the survival of environmental evidence. To provide sufficient information to construct an archaeological conservation strategy, dealing with preservation, the recording of archaeological deposits. To produce a permanent record the archive of which will be deposited with Suffolk HER.
3. Evaluation method statement 3.1 Pre Excavation SCC Conservation Team Officer will be notified 5 days before of the commencement of the fieldwork to enable the works to be monitored effectively.
Fig. 1 Trench and site location plans
An HER site code will be obtained for the site and an OASIS form initiated
A site specific Risk Assessment will be prepared.
3.2 Fieldwork The archaeological fieldwork will be carried out by members of the SCCAS field team led by an experienced Project Officer.
Fieldwork standards will be guided by ‘Standards for Field Archaeology in the East of England” EAA Occasional Papers 14 and the SCCAS/CT ‘Requirements for a Trenched Archaeological Evaluation (2011)’.
The site will be evaluated with four 30m x 1.8m trenches which equates to 5% of the development area. The trenches will be set out to sample all available area of the site (see fig 1 for proposed trench plan) and will be excavated by a machine equipped with a toothless ditching bucket under the supervision of an archaeologist.
The machine will remove soil to the uppermost archaeological level or, in the absence of deposits, the subsoil surface. Those trenches requiring access by staff for hand excavation and recording will not exceed a depth of 1.2m. Any trench in which this depth is not sufficient to meet the archaeological requirements of the Brief will be brought to the attention of the client and the Archaeological Advisor so that further actions can be discussed and (if necessary) recosted; deeper excavation will be undertaken provided suitable trench support is used or, where practicable, the trench sides are stepped or battered
Archaeological deposits and features will be sampled by hand excavation and trench bases and sections cleaned as necessary in order to satisfy the project aims.
A site plan, which will show all trench locations, will be located against the OS grid and datum using an RTK GPS or a total station theodolite. Trenches will be planned at 1:20 or 1:50 as appropriate and the sections of individual features drawn at 1:10 or 1:20. Normal Field Team conventions, compatible with the County HER, will be used during the site recording. A digital photographic record will be made throughout the excavations; photographs will include a metric scale.
All pre-modern finds will be kept and no discard policy will be considered until all the finds have been processed and assessed. Metal detector searches will take place throughout the evaluation, of both trenches and spoilheaps, by an experienced SCCAS metal-detectorist.
Bulk environmental (40 litre) soil samples will be taken from a range of feature types and across the archaeological sequences to ensure that the site palaeo-environmental history can be characterised adequately. These will be retained until an appropriate specialist has assessed their potential for palaeo-environmental remains. Decisions will be made on the need for further analysis following these assessments. If necessary advice will be sought from the English Heritage Regional Advisor in Archaeological Science, on the need for specialist environmental sampling.
In the event of human remains being encountered (this is though unlikely on this particular site on the site) guidelines from the Ministry of Justice will be followed. The evaluation objective would be only to establish the extent, depth and date of burials any remains would be left in situ.
4. Post-excavation and reporting The post-excavation work will be managed by Richenda Goffin. Specialist finds staff will be experienced in local and regional types and periods for their field. Members of the project team will be responsible for taking the project to archive and assessment levels.
All site data will be entered on a computerised database compatible with the County Historic Environment Record. Ordnance Datum levels will be recorded on the section sheets. The photographic archive will be fully catalogued within the County HER photographic index.
All finds will be processed, marked and bagged/boxed to County HER requirements. Where appropriate finds will be marked with a site code and a context number. All finds will be stored according to their material requirements, as specified by the Museums and Galleries Commission (MGC), in the secure stores of the Archaeological Service at Bury St. Edmunds or Ipswich.
Bulk finds will be fully quantified on a computerised database compatible with the County HER. Quantification will fully cover weights and numbers of finds by OP and context with a clear statement for specialists on the degree of apparent residuality observed.
Metal finds on site will be stored in accordance with Institute of Conservation (ICON) guidelines and assessed for significance. Sensitive finds will be conserved if necessary and deposited in bags/boxes suitable for long term storage to ICON standards. All coins will be identified to a standard acceptable to normal numismatic research.
Specialist reports will be done in-house or commissioned as necessary to meet the following requirements at assessment level:
The pottery will be recorded and archived to a standard comparable with: Slowikowski, A., Nenk, B., and Pearce, J., 2001, Minimum standards for the processing, recording, analysis and publication of post-Roman ceramics, Medieval Pottery Research Group Occasional Paper No 2. Environmental samples will be processed and assessed to standards set by the Regional Environmental Archaeologist with a clear statement of potential for further analysis.
Animal and human bone will be quantified and assessed to a standard acceptable to national and regional English Heritage specialists.
An industrial waste assessment will cover all relevant material (i.e. fired clay finds as well as ‘slag’).
The evaluation report will be produced in house and be completed with 4-6weeks of leaving site. The report will contain a stand-alone summary and a description of the excavation methodology. It will also contain a clear separation of the objective account of the archaeological evidence from its archaeological interpretation and recommendations to assist the Planning Officer. It will contain sufficient information to stand as an archive report, should further work not be required.
5. Project archive The site archive will be consistent with ‘Management of Archaeological Projects’ (English Heritage, 1991), Appendix 3 and will meet the requirements detailed in ‘Deposition of Archaeological Archives in Suffolk’ (SCCAS Conservation Team 2008).
At the completion of the project, all material related to it will be archived in the SCCAS stores at Bury St. Edmunds. Store conditions adhere to Institute for Conservation guidelines.
At completion of the project the client and/or landowner may agree to deposit all finds from the fieldwork with SCCAS, who can provide permanent storage of bulk finds. A form transferring ownership of the archive to SCCAS will be completed and included in the project archive.
Exceptions from the above include material covered by the Treasure Act which will be reported and submitted to the appropriate authorities, and human skeletal remains which will be stored within the archive until a decision is reached upon their long term future, i.e. reburial or permanent storage.
The client and/or landowner will be made aware that if they choose not to use the SCCAS storage facilities they will be expected to make alternative arrangements for the long term storage of the archive that meet the requirements of SCCAS/CT.
Bulk finds will be stored in labelled boxes of a standard size and quality; acid free brown card, brass wire stitched measuring 460mm x 255mm x 180mm. The packaging materials within boxes will conform to ICON and MGC standards. Finds in the sensitive store will be packed individually in re-sealable polythene boxes or in crystal boxes labelled with the site code and context/small find number. Packaging methods will follow ICON guidelines, or conservation advice will be sought before deposition.
6. Health and safety/ Staff welfare/ Environmental controls The project will be carried out in accordance with the Suffolk County Council statement on Health and Safety at all times. All SCCAS staff are experienced in working on a variety of archaeological sites and are aware of SCCAS H&S policies. A site specific risk assessment will be prepared prior to the start of work staff will be issued with a copy of the projects risk assessment and will receive a safety induction from the Project Officer.
Site staff will wear protective clothing at all times on site (hard hat, high visibility vest, steel-toe cap boots).
Vehicles will be parked in a safe location
A fully charged mobile phone will be on site at all times.
Site staff will be made aware of the location of the nearest A&E unit and a vehicle will be on site at all times.
Suffolk County Council holds full insurance policies for field work (details on request).
Environmental controls Suffolk County Council is firmly dedicated to following an EMS policy. All our preferred providers and subcontractors have been issued with environmental guidelines.
On site the SCCAS Project Officer will police environmental concerns. In the event of spillage or contamination EMS reporting and procedures will be carried out in consultation with Jezz Meredith (SCCAS EMS Officer). All rubbish will be bagged and removed either to areas designated by the client or returned to SCC property for disposal.
Archaeological services Field Projects Team Delivering a full range of archaeological services
Desk-based assessments and advice
Site investigation
Outreach and educational resources
Historic Building Recording
Environmental processing
Finds analysis and photography
Graphics design and illustration
Contact:
Rhodri Gardner Tel: 01473 265879 [email protected] www.suffolk.gov.uk/Environment/Archaeology/
Appendix 3
Context No
Ceramic Period
Fabric Form Dec
0002 0002 0002 0012 0012 0014 0039
PM MED MED MED MED MED MED
IRST EMW MCW EMW EMW? EMW MCW
0043
MED
EMWC BODY
DISH BW BODY BODY BODY BODY BODY BODY
Estimated No Weight Vessels (g) (ENV)
Sherd No
State Illus Comments
1 1 1 2 1 1 1
1 1 1 1 1 1 1
5 1 9 7 2 6A 18 S
1
1
25 S
No No No No No No No
Transfer printed ware Internal/external sooting. Sandy fabric Very sandy fabric, poss Thet?
Sagging base, fine matrix w med/coarse quartz No Handmade glob. sherd with sparse chalk
Fabric date range
Context date
1800-1900 11th-12th C L12th-13th C 11th-12th C 11th-12th c 11th-12th C L12th-14th c
1800-1900
11th-12th C
11th-12th C
11th-12th C 11th-12th C L12th-14th C
Appendix IV OASIS ID: suffolkc1-187997 Project details Project name
LWT 326 Long's Dairy, Lowestoft
Short description of the Four trench evaluation at Long's Dairy, Lowestoft revealed a moderate project density of features. Medieval pottery and a background of prehistoric flint Project dates
Start: 10-11-2014 End: 22-01-2015
Previous/future work
No / Not known
Any associated project reference codes
DC/13/3638/FUL - Planning Application No.
Any associated project reference codes
LWT 326 - HER event no.
Type of project
Field evaluation
Site status
None
Current Land use
Industry and Commerce 1 - Industrial
Monument type
DITCH Uncertain
Monument type
POST HOLE Uncertain
Monument type
PIT Medieval
Significant Finds
CERAMIC Medieval
Significant Finds
FLINT Palaeolithic
Methods & techniques
''Sample Trenches''
Development type
Urban residential (e.g. flats, houses, etc.)
Prompt
Direction from Local Planning Authority - PPS
Position in the planning After full determination (eg. As a condition) process Project location Country
England
Site location
SUFFOLK WAVENEY LOWESTOFT LWT 326 Long's Dairy
Study area
1.60 Hectares
Site coordinates
TM 5437 9412 52.484976514 1.74697631095 52 29 05 N 001 44 49 E Point
Project creators Name of Organisation
Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service
Project brief originator
Local Planning Authority (with advice from County Archaeologist)
Project design originator
Richard Hoggett
Project director/manager
David Gill
Project supervisor
Linzi Everett
Type of sponsor/funding body
Architect
Name of sponsor/funding body
OWL Architects
Project archives Physical Archive recipient
Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service
Physical Archive ID
LWT 326
Physical Contents
''Ceramics'',''Worked stone/lithics''
Digital Archive recipient AHDS Digital Archive ID
LWT 326
Digital Contents
''Ceramics'',''Worked stone/lithics''
Digital Media available
''Images raster / digital photography'',''Text''
Paper Archive recipient Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service Paper Archive ID
LWT 326
Paper Contents
''Ceramics'',''Worked stone/lithics''
Paper Media available
''Correspondence'',''Photograph'',''Unpublished Text''
Project bibliography 1 Grey literature (unpublished document/manuscript) Publication type Title
2014/122 LWT 326 Former Long's Dairy, Lowestoft
Author(s)/Editor(s)
Everett, L.
Other bibliographic details
2014/122
Date
2015
Issuer or publisher
SCCAS
Place of issue or publication
SCCAS
