Monument record BUN 028 - Bungay

Area of Med town of Bungay between loop of River Waveney. Urban by 1158 (S1). Area defined to NW by town ditch, BUN 007, to SE by town ditch (see BUN 018 & 025) to NE & SW mainly by River Waveney. Site of town around motte & bailey castle (BUN 004 & 012) in centre (possibly dominating earlier LSax town - note: Thetford ware from BUN 011 & 023, S of defences). The castle appears to have been imposed on a pre-existing street plan of grid iron nature - the route of St Mary's Street and Chancer Street has been diverted around the motte.
Scarfe (1972, 109-12) suggests that Bungay may have been the headquarters of Ulfcytel (Danish Earl of East Anglia circa 1000 AD) whose name probably survives as a place name evident in the four Ilketshall parishes south of Bungay. Although not a `borough' at Domesday, the presence of 3 churches is highly suggestive of urban status at that time.
For other Med sites within town see BUN 016 (exc); BUN 006 (Nunnery founded 1160) and BUN 020 (church, C11?).
April 1993: Area of archaeological interest/Med town defined for inclusion in Waveney District Plan (S2). Also see (S4).
Town still has a `Town Reeve' rather than a mayor. Most buildings in the present town are Georgian, dating from the rebuilding of the town following a great fire in 1688, which destroyed the whole town apart from one small street and five or six detached houses (S3).
Note: further timber framed buildings along roads to S & SE of town probably represent Late Med/early PMed extramural (?) settlement. Details not checked.