Monument record CHL 106 - Later prehistoric, medieval and post medieval features at Land adjacent to Woodlands, Main Road, Chelmondiston

2019: An archaeological evaluation revealed evidence of later prehistoric, medieval, and post medieval activity. In the northern sector of the site the trial trench evaluation recorded single finds of residual struck flint in Pit F1004 (Trench 2) and Ditch F1129 (Trench 4). In the centre of the site Ditch F1038 (Trench 10) contained ten sherds derived from an early Bronze Age Beaker vessel. Close to Trench 10 discrete feature Post Hole F1101 (Trench 9) contained three sherds of Late Bronze Age / Early Iron Age pottery; and adjacent to Trenches 9 and 10, Ditch F1064 (Trench 7) contained a sherd of Late Bronze Age / Early Iron Age pottery. Ditch F1034 (Trench 10) contained two sherds of medieval (mid 12th – 15th century) pottery which may date the feature. In the northern sector of the site, Ditch F1006 (Trench 2) contained late medieval transitional ware of mid 16th – early 17th century date. The same trench and adjacent trenches contained features of possibly slightly later (late 17th – 18th
century) and later (18th – 19th century) date: Pit F1004 and Ditch F1012 (Trench 2); Ditch F1126 (Trench 5); and Ditch F1113 (Trench 3). The majority of features were ditches. The discrete features were not always co-incident with the areas of dated features, for example Trenches 8 and 15, but the density of features was co-incident with the areas of dated features i.e. Trenches 7, 9 and 10 (prehistoric and medieval features) and Trenches 2, 3 and 5 (late medieval transitional and post-medieval). (S1)

An area of 1.15 hectares was excavated with three main phases of activity recorded. A small but significant assemblage of Early Iron Age pottery was recovered from within a scatter of small to medium-sized pits across the lower, northern part of the site. A number of four-post structures were also recorded.
The main phase of activity saw a group of Middle Anglo-Saxon structures set within curvilinear enclosure ditches occupying the higher, southern half of the area, clearly part of a much larger settlement extending to the west and south. The principal structure was a hall building (Fig. 9), 12m long by 6.50m wide with an eastern extension or annex of around 5.50m square. The building was aligned east-southeast to west-northwest and had been constructed with one of the enclosure ditches along its northern side. Further postholes to the east and south of the building represent lesser, perhaps open-fronted, structures such as barns and fence lines.
To the east of the structures, still within the enclosure ditch, were several large pits, some of which held significant finds assemblages. The ceramic finds at this phase were predominantly Ipswich Wares, dating to the 8th and/or earlier 9th centuries. Handmade pottery makes up perhaps a quarter of the assemblage and is most likely to represent slightly earlier material, perhaps pushing the construction of the building and/or enclosure back into the late 7th century. There were at least two phases of enclosure and the area’s occupation would have lasted perhaps 200 years at most. This phase may well mark the beginning of Chelmondiston as a nucleated village.
There was an area of small-scale medieval roadside activity dating to the 12th to 14th centuries in the western part of the site, along the frontage of Richardson’s Lane. At the back of this area was a large and well-preserved 14th century pottery kiln (Fig. 10). The kiln and surrounding area contained very large quantities of material produced in the kiln – approximately 130kg of pottery sherds were recovered alongside five complete, or nearly complete, vessels. Sue Anderson suggests that much of the pot assemblage was under- or mis-fired material. This would be the first evidence for pottery production in Chelmondiston and will add greatly to knowledge of medieval pottery production, use and supply within this part of the region.
Included in the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History annual round up of individual finds and discoveries for 2022 (S2)

An archaeological evaluation recorded low quantities of residual struck flint and sparse prehistoric, medieval and post-medieval features, predominantly ditches. In the centre of the site, a ditch contained ten sherds of an Early Bronze Age Beaker vessel. A post hole and ditch contained low quantities of Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age pottery, while a further ditch contained two sherds of medieval (mid-12th–15th century) pottery. In the northern part of the site, a ditch contained late medieval transitional ware of mid-16th to early 17th century date. The same trench and adjacent trenches contained features of later post-medieval date (late 17th–18th century and 18th–19th century).
Included in the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History annual round up of individual finds and discoveries for 2019 (S3).