Site Event/Activity record ESF29024 - Monitoring/rescue excavation - The Hold, Fore Street, Ipswich

2018: A programme of archaeological monitoring and excavation was conducted at Fore Street, Ipswich, ahead of the construction of a new heritage centre and Records Office (‘The Hold’). During the course of the monitoring, the southern half of the site was found to contain significant archaeological deposits. A rescue excavation was carried out, simultaneous with the principle contractor’s stripping of the site, under severe time pressure and spatial constraints. These limiting factors did not allow for the full excavation of all archaeological features, and resulted in the removal by machine of the upper archaeological deposits with only limited recording, especially the 19th century remains. In response to this situation, an excavation strategy was devised by Suffolk Archaeology CIC and Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service, which targeted the medieval and early post-medieval archaeological remains, as these were otherwise unattested in written or archaeological records, and were deemed to have more significance in understanding the origins and development of the site. The site occupied a roughly 0.4ha rectangular area. (S1)