Monument record LWT 176 - Land off Clifton Road, Lowestoft; St Matthews Church

The evaluation was undertaken in support of a planning application for the development of a medical facility and residential dwellings. The site lies to the west of Economy Road and north of Clifton Road and is located on the south side of Lake Lothing, recorded as the remnants of a possible medieval turbary (HER No: LWT 154). The evaluation revealed three early modern ditches and one undated ditch associated with site drainage and boundaries. The north-west corner of the site was truncated likely resulting in the removal of a layer of desiccated peat. Several large modern pits were also present in this area. The layer of desiccated peat and 'iron panning' podsolisation in the eastern half of the site suggests an area of prolonged groundwater saturation which was likely drained with digging of the early modern ditches (S1).
The southern part of the site was formerly occupied by a significant Mission church built in 1899. It was attempted to save it and if not Robert Carr recommeded appropriate recording of the structure. It is not clear that this took place (see notes and photos in parish file).
Note: several buildings and a windmill were also mapped within the site on the 1880s map - not mentioned(?) in (S1) and presumably not found!

Included in the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History annual round up of individual finds and discoveries for 2011 (S2)