Monument record BSE 361 - Medieval occupation with possible cellared building at 17 Whiting Street Bury St Edmunds

An evaluation and subsequent excavation at 17 Whiting Street, Bury St Edmunds produced evidence of occupation from the early medieval period. The most significant evidence from this period was for a large pit that had a sloping channel cut through the natural chalk as an access from the north side; it was up to 1m deep and there was a drop off into an irregular shaped pit, which was at least 4m wide, 2m long and 2.2m deep. Despite the unusual shape this is interpreted as a cellar, which was connected to the property on the corner of Churchgate Street. It was backfilled in a single episode in the 13th to 14th centuries. A second pit located on the south side of the property was larger but shallower and was backfilled with occupation and building debris in the 16th -17th centuries. It projected c. 1.5m into the site from the southern boundary but was at least 6m wide and 1.2m deep. It seems likely that the greater part of this feature lies beneath the property to the south. From the general shape and size it's primary use was probably as a quarry pit for snad or chalk. Various postholes were identified in the middle of the site that suggest an insubstantial building phase, probably in the 18th to 19th centuries, there was also a well, lined with limestone and 19th century bricks, close to the street frontage and several pits that also date from the 19th century (S1).

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