Monument record BSE 052 - Cathedral Centre and North Transcept (Med)

Excavations identified an early road and its abandonment at the time of the Abbey precinct enclosure (1120) and a succession of timber buildings to stone-built conventual buildings, see (S1-S4) for details. Following from this earlier period (See MSF6754 for Saxon activity), A group of small postholes and pits were seen in the North Trancept site cut into the accumulated Saxon topsoil layer, possibly associated with an ancillary building within the yard, dating after the 12th century. A Hearth was identified which was an extensive spread of buring in the north east corner of the site. This was overlain by a chalk surface associated with postholes, therefore possibly vestiges of a floor. Extending from the south edge of excavation and continuing below St James' was a rectangular consolidated pad of bonded flint which was covered by a 15th century path and loose flint rubble layer. A stone butress was seen at the western end of the site, made of flints bonded with lime mortar, it was not part of the 15th century St James' church, however it matched a buttress on the opposing wall, but may have been a replacement for a predecessor occupying the same site. The rubble layers were through to be associated with the construction of the buttressed building.

In the Cathedral Centre site, a large pit was seen which was the robbed and infilled undercroft of a large stone building. A yard surface was seen to the north. Part of an aisled building, consisting of six central post holes and the western outer wall was constructed over the yard surface. A second alignment of posts were seen, post dating the west wall. Evidence of other buildings were also seen. Some of the buildings were demolished and the material robbed, the holes were infilled with general rubbish layers. New buildings were constructed and the church of St Denis replaced by St James at the start of the 16th century. During or sometime after the 16th century, the structure was demolished and rubble spread within the yard; some rubbish pitting also occurred. The whole of the precint yard was landscaped and general ground levels within the yard were raised to the present levels by the imported soil during the 16th and 17th centuries (S1)

See also MSF6755 Preh and MSF6754 Sax

Included in the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History annual round up of individual finds and discoveries for 1999 (S5).