Site Event/Activity record ESF21971 - Monitoring and Excavation - Moat Survey at The Vicarage, Hoxne

PROJECT DETAILS An archaeological excavation and monitoring were carried out at The Vicarage, Hoxne. The Vicarage stands within a moated enclosure alongside the church and is purported to be the site of the Bishop of Norwich's palace. The excavations demonstrated that well-preserved archaeological features and deposits exist both on the moat platform and outside the area enclosed by the moat. The pottery recovered from excavation was dated consistently to the late Saxon-early medieval period, pre-dating the creation of the moat, and providing some evidence which is contemporary with the Saxon bishopric. The features include evidence of a possible early medieval timber-buildings based on earth fast posts and trenches which dated by pottery to the 12th century. The sample excavation was too small for any analysis but the building form and size suggests a simple structure secondary to the high-status buildings of the palace complex and pits containing the domestic detritus and evidence of demolished ovens support this. The moat survey revealed the profile of the channel, which appeared to have been re-excavated relatively recently. It also appeared to have been modified in the north-west corner of the site in order to build a revetment and foot bridge marked on a late 19th century Ordnance Survey map Project status: Complete Yes, Validated Yes Previous/Future Work: Previous Not known, Future Not known Associated Identifiers: Sitecode HXN 041 HER event no. HXN 041 Planning Application No. Mid Suffolk 1017/07 SM No. 30603 Related HER No. HXN 006 NMR No. 1571769 Project Type: Recording project Investigation Type: '''Watching Brief''', '''Part Survey''', '''Open-area excavation''' Reason for Investigation: Scheduled Monument Consent Site status: Scheduled Monument (SM) Current Land use: Open Fresh Water 2 - Standing water, Other 5 - Garden Monument Type(s)/Period(s): POSTHOLE Medieval , PITS Medieval , BUILDING Medieval , DITCH Medieval , SURFACE Post Medieval Artefact Type(s)/Period(s): POTTERY Medieval , POTTERY Early Medieval , CBM Post Medieval PROJECT LOCATION Area 20.00 Square metres Grid Reference: TM18077755 Point Height 36.00 - 36.50 metres PROJECT CREATOR(S) Brief originator: Local Authority Archaeologist and/or Planning Authority/advisory body Design originator: Jess Tipper Director/Manager: David Gill Supervisor: Rob Brooks DIGITAL ARCHIVE Recipient: Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service Contents: 'Animal Bones', 'Ceramics', 'Survey' Media: 'Database', 'Images raster / digital photography', 'Text' PAPER ARCHIVE Recipient: Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service Contents: 'Animal Bones', 'Ceramics', 'Survey' Media: 'Context sheet', 'Plan', 'Report', 'Section' PHYSICAL ARCHIVE Recipient: Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service Contents: 'Animal Bones', 'Ceramics' BIBLIOGRAPHY Publication Type: Grey literature (unpublished document/manuscript) Title: Moat Survey at The Vicarage, Hoxne, HXN 041 Archaeological monitoring and excavation report Author(s)/Editor(s): 'Brooks,R.' and 'Gill, D.J.,' Other Bibliographic Details: SCCAS report no 2011/139 Date: 2011 Issuer/Publisher: Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service Place of Issue or Publication: Bury St Edmunds Description: SCCAS client report. Soft bound, A4, colour