Monument record FRT 030 - Freston Tower

Freston Tower.
Square red brick tower of six storeys with small corner turrets and on the NE side an octagonal stair turret of seven storeys giving access to the parapetted flat roof. In good condition, though some of the windows have been blocked up (S1).
Red brick with blue drapering, 6 storeys with arched parapet. Ground area of 10 x 12ft. Built by the Latymer family (S2) as a `pleasant retreat' (S4). In parkland (see FRT 033), 200 yards from the Orwell estuary. Said in 1561, to have been `built within these 12 years'. Perhaps built by Thomas Gooding, an Ipswich merchant who acquired the property from the Latimer family in 1553 (S3).
A substantial bank of unknown date and function is visible to the south-west of Freston Tower at TM 17773965 on aerial photographs from 1944. The bank is 36m in length. (S6)

2001: geophysical survey, prior to refurbishment works, by GSB Prospection. The magnetic data were severely disturbed throughout all the survey areas, and little archaeological information can be drawn from the results. The resistance data revealed several areas of high resistance, which may be archaeologically significant. Of particular interest is a rectangular area of high resitance immediately to the south of the tower which could represent a platform or cobbled surface. However, it is thought that the majority of the other responses are the result of more modern changes in the landscape, rather than any significant archaeological features. No clear evidence of structural remains were identified with either technique. (R1) (S10).

Feb 2002: A trial trenched evaluation was undertaken prior to refurbishment. Evidence recorded in the trenches suggested that the tower was constructed on a contemporary platform which may have had a retaining wall on its northern side. All other features related to later activity including a possible retaining wall on the western side of the platform, a set of steps to the north towe, brick and gravel surfaces and a major episode of underpinning. (S7).

2003: Monitoring was undertaken during the insertion of a vehicular access route and compound for portacabins early in 2003. A variable depth of overburden was recorded, comprising a dark brown turf horizon overlying mid brown silty sand with numerous brick and tile fragments. It was not sure whether this layer represents part of a deliberately constructed platform on which the tower was constructed, or a natural hillwash deposit that was moulded to form the extant landscape structure (S8).

This rare six-storey brick tower was thought to have been built around AD 1550 and displays a mixture of classical pediments and medieval angle turrets, coupled with an odd brick parapet balustrade. The ceilings of the lower floors have oak joists running east-west and laid flat, whilst those in the fifth-floor run north-south and are laid on-edge. The fifth-floor joists could not be dated. Joists from the lower ceilings were constructed from trees cut in winter AD 1578/9 or spring AD 1579 suggesting a construction date for the tower of AD 1579 or very soon thereafter. The tower thus provides a late example of the use of flat-laid joists (S9).

Included in the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History annual round up of individual finds and discoveries for 2001 (S11).