Monument record GFD 044 - Land North of Lion Road, Glemsford

2011: An archaeological evaluation revealed a Roman pit, a small undated gully, and a post medieval to modern pit. A significant quantity of unstratified Roman pottery was identified in most of the trenches and some Late Bronze Age to Early Iron age pottery was recovered from one trench (S1).

2013: An archaeological excavation revealed a structured settlement of the site during the Roman period with a layout of small spaces bounded by narrow ditches, with occasional post holes and an alignment of pits. A linear open space appears through the site that may indicate the line of a trackway. The large Roman finds assemblage included pottery, brooch and building materials. The building material yielded flue tiles and tufa stone, which almost certainly indicate the presence of a high status, villa-type building in the vicinity. The site also produced imported and regional fine wares which further support the sites high status. It appears that this site represents what may be a small part of a much larger settlement with a high status element at its heart. A cluster of small pits containing Early Iron Age pottery and residual and unstratified pottery of this date suggests some earlier occupation of the site. Several post medieval boundary ditches and a pair of tenter-frames used for stretching out of drying cloth were also identified. This is the first feature of its type excavated in Suffolk (S2).

Included in the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History annual round up of individual finds and discoveries for 2013 (S3)