Site Event/Activity record ESF20276 - Evaluation - Former Smoke House Inn, Beck Row, Mildenhall

Archaeological trial trench evaluation in advance of housing development at Beck Row, Mildenhall has identified substantial and well preserved evidence of Roman occupation across an area of up to 3ha, an extension to deposits previously identified at a series of adjacent excavations. Occupation appears to have largely developed from the 2nd century and continued through to the end of the Roman period. The density of deposits and presence of a preserved Roman soil horizon through many of the trenches indicates a focus for domestic activity, supported by a sizeable finds assemblage which includes Roman roof tile and two complete copper alloy objects, a statuette and bowl. Remaining trenches contained a widespread scatter of ditches and pits indicating broader agricultural or domestic activity around this focus. Scattered evidence was also identified of a low intensity phase of prehistoric activity, most likely early Iron Age in date, of which part was associated with the natural infilling of one of the hollows that are known to have formed a typical feature of the prehistoric landscape. Recommendations have been made for the full excavation of areas to be affected by development, c.3ha in total, to preserve by record all archaeological and palaeo-environmental evidence upon the site, and it is suggested that the results could be published as part of an overall synthesis including the adjacent excavations. Project status: Complete Yes, Validated Yes Previous/Future Work: Previous No, Future Yes Associated Identifiers: HER event no. MNL 618 Sitecode MNL 618 HER event no. MNL 619 Sitecode MNL 619 Related HER No. MNL 598 Related HER No. MNL 608 Related HER No. MNL 502 Planning Application No. F/2006/0254/OUT Planning Application No. F/2007/0492/RMA NMR No. 1522410 Project Type: Field evaluation Development Type: Rural residential Methods and Techniques: Sample Trenches Position in the Planning Process: After outline determination (eg. As a reserved matter) Reason for Investigation: Direction from Local Planning Authority - PPG16 Current Land use: Other 13 - Waste ground Monument Type(s)/Period(s): DITCH Roman, OCCUPATION LAYER Roman, PIT Roman Artefact Type(s)/Period(s): FIGURINE Roman, BOWL Roman, COIN Roman, CBM Roman, POTTERY Roman PROJECT LOCATION Area 4.46 Hectares Grid Reference: TL68947787 Point Height 4.00 - 5.00 metres PROJECT CREATOR(S) Brief originator: Local Authority Archaeologist and/or Planning Authority/advisory body Design originator: Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service, Field Team Director/Manager: John Craven Supervisor: John Craven DIGITAL ARCHIVE Recipient: Suffolk County SMR Contents: Animal Bones, Ceramics, Environmental, Metal, Worked bone, Worked stone/lithics Media: Database, GIS, Images raster / digital photography, Text PAPER ARCHIVE Recipient: Suffolk County SMR Contents: Animal Bones, Ceramics, Environmental, Metal, Worked bone, Worked stone/lithics Media: Context sheet, Drawing, Plan, Report, Section PHYSICAL ARCHIVE Recipient: Suffolk County SMR Contents: Animal Bones, Ceramics, Environmental, Metal, Worked bone, Worked stone/lithics BIBLIOGRAPHY Publication Type: Grey literature (unpublished document/manuscript) Title: MNL 618 Former Smoke House Inn and MNL 619 Land adjacent The Street and Holmsey Green Road, Beck Row, Mildenhall Author(s)/Editor(s): Craven, J. A. Other Bibliographic Details: SCCAS Report No. 2009/240 Date: 2009 Issuer/Publisher: SCCAS Place of Issue or Publication: Bury St Edmunds Description: SCCAS Evaluation report