Site Event/Activity record ESF19682 - Evaluation, Walberswick Church

Provision of a new disabled toilet at the Church of St. Andrew, Walberswick included considerable ground disturbance within the body of the nave of the medieval church (now ruined). Three trenches were manually excavated as an evaluation on the line of the proposed sewer within the body of the church, and subsequently the sewer trench itself was excavated by archaeologists. No medieval floor surfaces were encountered, although pamments had been re-used and lain as a semi-formal surface immediately south of the doorway. Generally, the soil profile comprised c.0.20-0.30 metres of sandy loam topsoil over a further c.0.20-0.30 of brown stony sand, with localised sandy layers and inclusions of tile, brick and lime mortar, with the naturally occurring podsolised sand subsoil encountered at a depth of c.0.6 metres. A linear feature crossing the evaluation trench was not subsequently identified in the sewer trench itself. However, the cuts for three presumed burials were recorded continuing on down into the subsoil beyond the excavated depth of the trench. These remained undisturbed. One other feature, with evidence for in-situ burning, was recorded towards the northern end of the sewer trench and was interpreted as a hearth used to melt lead during the partial demolition of the nave and north aisle. The flint rubble and lime mortar footing for the north wall of the nave was found to continue uninterrupted across the north doorway, the vestiges of a sandstone threshold was recorded during the evaluation stage of the project. Project status: Complete Yes, Validated Yes Previous/Future Work: Previous No, Future Not known Associated Identifiers: Sitecode WLB014 NMR No. 1480169 Project Type: Field evaluation Development Type: Public building (e.g. school, church, hospital, medical centre, law courts etc.) Methods and Techniques: Test Pits, Sample Trenches Position in the Planning Process: After full determination (eg. As a condition) Reason for Investigation: Faculty jurisdiction Site status: Local Authority Designated Archaeological Area Current Land use: Community Service 1 - Community Buildings Monument Type(s)/Period(s): ANGLICAN CHURCH Medieval PROJECT LOCATION Area 10.00 Square metres Grid Reference: TM48977473 Point Height 10.00 - 11.00 metres PROJECT CREATOR(S) Brief originator: Diocesan Archaeologist Design originator: R Carr Director/Manager: Stuart Boulter Supervisor: Stuart Boulter DIGITAL ARCHIVE Recipient: Suffolk County SMR ID: WLB 014 Contents: Animal Bones, Glass, Stratigraphic, Worked stone/lithics, other Media: Database, Images raster / digital photography, Spreadsheets, Text PAPER ARCHIVE Recipient: Suffolk County SMR ID: WLB 014 Contents: Animal Bones, Glass, Stratigraphic, Worked stone/lithics, other Media: Context sheet, Correspondence, Drawing, Map, Photograph, Plan, Report, Section, Unpublished Text PHYSICAL ARCHIVE Recipient: Suffolk County SMR ID: WLB 014 Contents: Animal Bones, Glass, Worked stone/lithics, other BIBLIOGRAPHY Publication Type: Grey literature (unpublished document/manuscript) Title: The Church of St. Andrew, Walberswick (WLB 014); Record of an archaeological evaluation and excavation Author(s)/Editor(s): Boulter, S. P. Other Bibliographic Details: SCCAS Rpt. No. 2007/195 Date: 2007 Issuer/Publisher: Suffolk County Council Place of Issue or Publication: Ipswich Description: Unbound A4 document