Monument record BSE 200 - The Maltings, Westgate Street

2002: The construction of flats along Westgate Street involved the demolition of an extensive malting complex and led to a small excavation on a small strip of land with a College Street frontage. The earliest evidence from the site was probably a series of postholes suggesting a post built building to the north of the plot, however, the dating evidence was inconclusive. The main site was scattered with cess pits during the Medieval and Late Medieval periods and there was a series of ovens suggesting some industrial activity. Medieval concrete, recovered from a cess pit, is a rare find, which suggests there was a high status building close by. Later activity on the site, including the excavation of a rectangular flint and mortar lined pit, which was backfilled in the C19, probably relate to the maltings which has stood on part of the site since the 18th century. A small bone disc was recovered from a late medieval posthole, it was 28mm in diameter and 3mm thick with a central hole 3mm in diameter. This was probably a counter or playing piece of post-medieval date. It was lathe-turned and decorated on both sides with concentric circles (S1).

Included in the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History annual round up of individual finds and discoveries for 2002 (S2)