Site Event/Activity record ESF22326 - Excavation and Monitoring - 19-20 Abbeygate Street, Bury St Edmunds

PROJECT DETAILS The site stripping and the excavation of several large stanchions to support a building conversion and the infilling of an open yard at No.20 Abbeygate Street were archaeologically recorded by a combination of excavation and monitoring. The work took place behind the Georgian House which occupies the street frontage. A total of eighteen pits (including at least three ovens) were identified in an area a little over 30 square metres with the majority dating from the 12th to 15th centuries. Many of these run beneath the timber extensions that began to appear from the 16th century and the ovens in the yard may well have been replaced by a kitchen extension (a Victorian range was extant in the middle extension when building work began). The size of the open yard was further reduced when a drain, built of mortar and with a peg tile base, was constructed alongside the neighbouring property to the east where it probably directed water, from an extension towards Abbeygate Street (the drain is likely to have ran either between two street front properties or beneath a covered passageway between the two). The timber extensions were retained when a single Georgian House was built over two medieval properties (No. 19 - 20) although the division has been reinstated in more recent times. Project status: Complete Yes, Validated Yes Previous/Future Work: Previous No, Future No Associated Identifiers: HER event no. BSE 442 Sitecode BSE 442 Planning Application No. SE/13/0414 Contracting Unit No. 2014/062 NMR No. 1592163 Project Type: Recording project Investigation Type: ''''Part Excavation'''', ''''Watching Brief'''' Reason for Investigation: National Planning Policy Framework - NPPF Monument Type(s)/Period(s): SURFACES/FLOORS Medieval , PITS Medieval , OVENS Medieval , WELL Medieval , WALL Medieval , DRAIN Medieval Artefact Type(s)/Period(s): QUERN Medieval , MOUNT Medieval , ANIMAL REMAINS Medieval , FIRED CLAY Medieval , ROOF TILES Post Medieval , ROOF TILES Medieval , BRICK Medieval , SHELL Medieval , CERAMIC Early Medieval , CERAMICS Medieval PROJECT LOCATION Area 120.00 Square metres Grid Reference: TL85416423 Point PROJECT CREATOR(S) Brief originator: Local Authority Archaeologist and/or Planning Authority/advisory body Design originator: Dr Abby Antrobus Director/Manager: Andrew Tester Supervisor: Andrew Tester DIGITAL ARCHIVE Recipient: Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service ID: BSE 442 Contents: 'Animal Bones', 'Ceramics', 'Metal', 'Worked stone/lithics', 'other' Media: 'Images raster / digital photography', 'Survey', 'Text' PAPER ARCHIVE Recipient: Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service ID: BSE 442 Contents: 'Animal Bones', 'Ceramics', 'Metal', 'Worked stone/lithics', 'other' Media: 'Context sheet', 'Plan', 'Report', 'Section', 'Unpublished Text' PHYSICAL ARCHIVE Recipient: Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service ID: BSE 442 Contents: 'Animal Bones', 'Ceramics', 'Metal', 'Worked stone/lithics' BIBLIOGRAPHY Publication Type: Grey literature (unpublished document/manuscript) Title: 19-20 Abbeygate Street, BSE 442, Archaeological Excavation/Monitoring Report Author(s)/Editor(s): Tester, A. Other Bibliographic Details: SCCAS Report no. 2014/062 Date: 2014 Issuer/Publisher: SCCAS Place of Issue or Publication: Bury St Edmunds Description: A4, comb bound, in colour, with white card covers.