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Archaeological Evaluation at The Old School, Grundisburgh
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Suffolk County Council
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P. J. Thompson Msc CEng FICE, County Director of Environment & Transport St Edmund House, County Hall, Ipswich Suffolk IP41LZ Tel. (01473) 583000
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Archaeological Evaluation at The Old School, Grundisburgh GRU037
JohnNewman Field Projects Team Archaeological Service January 1992
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The Old School, Grundisbur h - Archaeological Evaluation (GRU037) Planning Appl1cation : C91 1361
Background
The Old School site lies in the centre of Grundisburgh village, north of The Green and immediately to the west of the Parish Church of St.Mary's. The site is therefore in the area where evidence for the Saxon and Medieval origins of the village might be expected to be found. Previous archaeological fieldwork in the area supports this view as ceramic evidence for Iron Age, Romano-British, Saxon and Medieval activity was found in 1986 on field OS 2523, (GRU026), 50 metres to the north of the Old School site. The presence of Middle Saxon Ipswich ware pottery sherds being especially noteworthy and the potential importance of Grundisburgh village centre as a seventh or eighth century settlement was pointed out at that time, (Newman 1988, 12). An archaeological evaluation was therefore thought necessary in order to gauge the quality and state of preservation of the archaeological deposits immediately to the north of the main Old School building block where a terrace of houses is proposed under the above planning application.
Method
In all 53 metres of trial trench was mechanically excavated down to the plateau level of the underlying natural, boulder clay. The trenches were all 1 metre wide and their positioning was dictated by the present layout of the Old School site. Fortunately it was possible to position the main east-west trench, (0002/0008), in the area proposed for the terrace of housing, (fig.l). The other, smaller, trenches were positioned in the area of the proposed road inbetween the Old School building and the terrace, (0004, 0009), and at the eastern end of the proposed terrace, (0013, 0014). After the trenches had been mechanically excavated they were cleaned up by hand and examined for archaeological features and finds. The trenches were then recorded before being mechanically reinstated.
Results
(For trench locations see figs. 1 and 2). Trench 0002/0008:- At its western end 0.95m of top and subsoil was me~hanically excavated before the natural clay level was reached, the remainder of the trench varied between 0.70m and 0.80m in depth. This east-west trench was 26m in length.
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2
Archaeological features: Type Posthole
O.P. number 0003 0012 0016
11
?
11
Finds 1 handle Medieval coarseware 1 body sherd, flint gritted ?Iron Age
11
0017 0018 0020
? small posthole Pit, modern, not excavated
Unstratified finds 0002 0002
1 flint flake 1 body sherd Medieval coarseware 1 base sherd Ipswich ware (unabraded) 1 body sherd Thetford type ware 1 fragment tile ?Medieval
0008 0008 0008
Trench 0004:- Depth 0.80m onto natural clay, length 6m. Archaeological features: Type Finds O.P. Number Pit, modern, not excavated 0005 Posthole 1 body sherd Ipswich ware, 0006 (unabraded) ?Slot 1 rim sherd, 1 body sherd Ipswich 0007 ware 11 1 body sherd Thetford type ware 0007 11 1 body sherd Medieval coarseware 0007 0019 Tree disturbance Unstratified finds 0004
1 body sherd, flint gritted Early Medieval/?Iron Age
Trench 0009:- Depth 0.80m onto natural clay,
leng~h
9m.
Archaeological features:Type Finds O.P.Number 0010 ?Posthole Slot with two 1 small body sherd, flint gritted, 0011 postholes(0024,0025) Early Medieval/?Iron Age Unstratified finds 0009 Trench 0013:-
1 large base sherd Ipswich ware, (unabraded)
This trench encountered loose concrete fragments and other modern building debris down to a depth of l.Om+. It was therefore abandoned as it appeared to have hit a modern soakaway of unknown size and depth. The trench was 5m in length.
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Trench 0014:-
Depth 0.85m onto natural clay, length 6m.
Archaeological features: Type Finds O.P.Number 0022 ?ditch 0023 scoop/irregular shaped pit Unstratified finds 0014
1 burnt flint
In addition 2 body sherds of Thetford type ware and 4 body sherds of Medieval coarseware were picked up from the existing flower beds (0001}. Conclusion
There is clear evidence for Middle and Late Saxon and Medieval activity on The Old School site. The Iron Age presence on the site being more problematic as the few, possible, Iron Age pottery sherds were small and could be coarse Early Medieval wares. The five sherds of Ipswich ware recovered were all relatively unabraded and quite large in size, indicating that the Middle Saxon phase on the site could be well preserved. In addition four sherds of Late Saxon Thetford type ware were recovered. The density of archaeological features on the site appears to be relatively low. However there is clear evidence that building plans could be recovered as postholes, one possibly of Middle Saxon date, and slots were encountered and excavated. The site in general appears to contain relatively well preserved archaeological deposits under an overburden of top and sub-soil that varies in depth between 0.70m and 0.95m. Only one, short, trial trench being in an area completely disturbed by recent excavations. It is possible that the area investigated represents a backyard zone, lying as it does some SOm from the frontage of the site onto The Green.
Newman J.A. 1988
"East Anglian Kingdom Survey - Interim Report" in M.O.H.Carver (ed) Bulletin of the Sutton Hoo Research Commtt.S.
J.Newman, 27th January 1992 Field Projects Division, Suffolk County Council Archaeological Section
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ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICE (
11
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Archaeological Evaluation at The Old School, Grundisburgh
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GRU037
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Suffolk County Council
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P. J. Thompson Msc CEng FICE, County Director of Environment & Transport St Edmund House, County Hall, Ipswich Suffolk IP41LZ Tel. (01473) 583000
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I ·' I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
Archaeological Evaluation at The Old School, Grundisburgh GRU037
JohnNewman Field Projects Team Archaeological Service January 1992
I~'~~ ,.
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
, •.
I
1
The Old School, Grundisbur h - Archaeological Evaluation (GRU037) Planning Appl1cation : C91 1361
Background
The Old School site lies in the centre of Grundisburgh village, north of The Green and immediately to the west of the Parish Church of St.Mary's. The site is therefore in the area where evidence for the Saxon and Medieval origins of the village might be expected to be found. Previous archaeological fieldwork in the area supports this view as ceramic evidence for Iron Age, Romano-British, Saxon and Medieval activity was found in 1986 on field OS 2523, (GRU026), 50 metres to the north of the Old School site. The presence of Middle Saxon Ipswich ware pottery sherds being especially noteworthy and the potential importance of Grundisburgh village centre as a seventh or eighth century settlement was pointed out at that time, (Newman 1988, 12). An archaeological evaluation was therefore thought necessary in order to gauge the quality and state of preservation of the archaeological deposits immediately to the north of the main Old School building block where a terrace of houses is proposed under the above planning application.
Method
In all 53 metres of trial trench was mechanically excavated down to the plateau level of the underlying natural, boulder clay. The trenches were all 1 metre wide and their positioning was dictated by the present layout of the Old School site. Fortunately it was possible to position the main east-west trench, (0002/0008), in the area proposed for the terrace of housing, (fig.l). The other, smaller, trenches were positioned in the area of the proposed road inbetween the Old School building and the terrace, (0004, 0009), and at the eastern end of the proposed terrace, (0013, 0014). After the trenches had been mechanically excavated they were cleaned up by hand and examined for archaeological features and finds. The trenches were then recorded before being mechanically reinstated.
Results
(For trench locations see figs. 1 and 2). Trench 0002/0008:- At its western end 0.95m of top and subsoil was me~hanically excavated before the natural clay level was reached, the remainder of the trench varied between 0.70m and 0.80m in depth. This east-west trench was 26m in length.
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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
..
2
Archaeological features: Type Posthole
O.P. number 0003 0012 0016
11
?
11
Finds 1 handle Medieval coarseware 1 body sherd, flint gritted ?Iron Age
11
0017 0018 0020
? small posthole Pit, modern, not excavated
Unstratified finds 0002 0002
1 flint flake 1 body sherd Medieval coarseware 1 base sherd Ipswich ware (unabraded) 1 body sherd Thetford type ware 1 fragment tile ?Medieval
0008 0008 0008
Trench 0004:- Depth 0.80m onto natural clay, length 6m. Archaeological features: Type Finds O.P. Number Pit, modern, not excavated 0005 Posthole 1 body sherd Ipswich ware, 0006 (unabraded) ?Slot 1 rim sherd, 1 body sherd Ipswich 0007 ware 11 1 body sherd Thetford type ware 0007 11 1 body sherd Medieval coarseware 0007 0019 Tree disturbance Unstratified finds 0004
1 body sherd, flint gritted Early Medieval/?Iron Age
Trench 0009:- Depth 0.80m onto natural clay,
leng~h
9m.
Archaeological features:Type Finds O.P.Number 0010 ?Posthole Slot with two 1 small body sherd, flint gritted, 0011 postholes(0024,0025) Early Medieval/?Iron Age Unstratified finds 0009 Trench 0013:-
1 large base sherd Ipswich ware, (unabraded)
This trench encountered loose concrete fragments and other modern building debris down to a depth of l.Om+. It was therefore abandoned as it appeared to have hit a modern soakaway of unknown size and depth. The trench was 5m in length.
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Trench 0014:-
Depth 0.85m onto natural clay, length 6m.
Archaeological features: Type Finds O.P.Number 0022 ?ditch 0023 scoop/irregular shaped pit Unstratified finds 0014
1 burnt flint
In addition 2 body sherds of Thetford type ware and 4 body sherds of Medieval coarseware were picked up from the existing flower beds (0001}. Conclusion
There is clear evidence for Middle and Late Saxon and Medieval activity on The Old School site. The Iron Age presence on the site being more problematic as the few, possible, Iron Age pottery sherds were small and could be coarse Early Medieval wares. The five sherds of Ipswich ware recovered were all relatively unabraded and quite large in size, indicating that the Middle Saxon phase on the site could be well preserved. In addition four sherds of Late Saxon Thetford type ware were recovered. The density of archaeological features on the site appears to be relatively low. However there is clear evidence that building plans could be recovered as postholes, one possibly of Middle Saxon date, and slots were encountered and excavated. The site in general appears to contain relatively well preserved archaeological deposits under an overburden of top and sub-soil that varies in depth between 0.70m and 0.95m. Only one, short, trial trench being in an area completely disturbed by recent excavations. It is possible that the area investigated represents a backyard zone, lying as it does some SOm from the frontage of the site onto The Green.
Newman J.A. 1988
"East Anglian Kingdom Survey - Interim Report" in M.O.H.Carver (ed) Bulletin of the Sutton Hoo Research Commtt.S.
J.Newman, 27th January 1992 Field Projects Division, Suffolk County Council Archaeological Section
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