Monument record IPS 329 - 22-4 St Helen's Street, Ipswich, (IAS 3601).

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Summary

A mid Saxon rubbish pit, late Saxon pottery kilns and evidence for a Medieval tanning or a cloth processing industry were recorded during excavations in the area of St Helens Street. One of the kilns, excavated at 22-24 St Helens Street, was a Musty type 1a and comprised a single flue, a sub rectangular oven pit which measured 1.60 metres by 1.70 metres and kiln walls surviving to a height of 0.80 metres. There was no evidence for any internal structures within the combustion chamber. Fragments of the kiln wall and roof debris had collapsed onto the final load of the kiln. The final load comprised about 30 Thetford-type ware cooking pots and pitchers in a hard, sandy wheel-thrown fabric. A fragment of the other pottery kiln was identified during excavations in 9-11 St Helens Street.

Location

Grid reference Centred TM 16777 44547 (14m by 28m)
Map sheet TM14SE
Civil Parish IPSWICH, IPSWICH, SUFFOLK

Map

Type and Period (5)

Full Description

1975: Thetford ware kiln and wasters found (S1-S3).

(TM 16784456) A sub rectangular oven pit, of a Saxo-Norman pottery kiln producing Thetford ware, was found in
Contractors footing's in St Helens Street, Ipswich. Further excavation revealed kiln debris of Thetford and some Ipswich ware overlying a layer of complete pots which included a pitcher and 20-30 cooking pots. The oven pit was cut through a Mid Saxon
rubbish pit. (S5)

(TM 1680 4458) Excavation of a 100 square metre area immediately north of the 1975 work revealed a small fragment of an Anglo-Saxon kiln. (S4)

Intensive medieval occupation provided evidence for tanning or cloth processing. (S10)

Sources/Archives (10)

  • <S1> Index: Suffolk Archaeology Unit. 1974. SAU index card and Archive. IAS 3601.
  • <S2> Index: Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service. 1974. Ipswich Archaeological Survey Card Index (digital version).. IAS 3601.
  • <S3> Unpublished document: Wade, K. 2013. Ipswich Archive Site Summaries: 24 St. Helen’s Street.
  • <S4> Article in serial: Martin, E.A., Plouviez, J. & Ross, H.. 1984. Archaeology in Suffolk 1983. XXXV (4).
  • <S5> Bibliographic reference: Suffolk County Council Archaeologcial Service. 1976. East Anglian Archaeological Report. Number 3.
  • <S6> Index: IPSMG. 2009. Ipswich Museum renumbered Ipswich archive. R.2009.39.
  • <S7> Article in serial: Owles, E. J.. 1977. Archaeology in Suffolk, 1976.
  • <S8> Digital archive: Historic England. National Record Of the Historic Environment.
  • <S9> Bibliographic reference: McCarthy, M.R; Brooks, C. M.. 1988. Medieval pottery in Britain AD 900-1600.
  • <S10> Newsletter: Ipswich Archaeological Trust. 1983. Ipswich Archaeological Trust nwes 3.

Finds (8)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Related Events/Activities (2)

Record last edited

May 27 2021 10:10AM

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