Monument record DBN 011 - Priory Field (Med)

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Summary

1819: `A short distance form the town is a field now called priory field, which, within the last few years, has become arable, and a little below the surface of the earth some foundations of an old and extensive building were discovered' (S1).

Location

Grid reference Centred TM 1757 6348 (197m by 245m)
Map sheet TM16SE
Civil Parish DEBENHAM, MID SUFFOLK, SUFFOLK

Map

Type and Period (2)

Full Description

1819: `A short distance form the town is a field now called priory field, which, within the last few years, has become arable, and a little below the surface of the earth some foundations of an old and extensive building were discovered' (S1).
`An old tradition respecting it was that a Church or Religous House formerly stood on a part of it' (S2).
1845: 23 coins (2 Rom, 7 Med, 7+ PMed) were recorded from Priory Field. A bulla of Pope Martin IV may also have come from the site (further details in (S2)).
1920: `Hoskess Lane leads to allotments, upon which tradition says once stood a Church of forgotten dedication, but quite possibly St Andrew's; here are still dug up, at four or five feet below the surface, the base of walls which, though of brick and doubtless later date, at least show the town extended where are not no houses at all' (S3).
1931: `St Andrew's almost certainly stood low, upon the present allotment gardens... I have searched the spot and found exactly what one would expect in a churchyard: human arm and rib-bones, many iron nails doubtless from coffins and some red tiles' (S4).
1973: Brick foundations have been repeatedly ploughed up here but no (other) evidence to support siting of a Priory. Med brick and tile scatter (S5).
1993: Small group of Med pottery mainly C13-C14, including probable Grimston-type jug sherd, found in the area centred on (see 'Not to be published on web' tab for finder/s and/or findspot/s) (S6)(S7). Further group of finds centred at (see 'Not to be published on web' tab for finder/s and/or findspot/s) included a small amount of ?C12 pottery and larger amount of C13-C14 pottery and another similar scatter centred on (see 'Not to be published on web' tab for finder/s and/or findspot/s) (S7).
Additional finds in (see 'Not to be published on web' tab for finder/s and/or findspot/s) area in 1994 included more C12-C14 pottery and 0.77kg of fired chalky clay/daub; and in (see 'Not to be published on web' tab for finder/s and/or findspot/s) area C12- C14 pottery, 0.49kg of fired chalky clay, overfired and underfired brick fragments, and a large quern fragment (S8).
Further finds 1998 (S9).
Also Rom & PMed.

Sources/Archives (11)

  • <S1> (No record type): Cromwell T, Excursions in the County of Suffolk, 1819, vol 2, 50.
  • <M1> Unpublished document: Suffolk Archaeological Service. Parish Files. Parish file: copy (S2) & S9).
  • <S2> (No record type): Knowland, L.. Knowland L (ed), Samuel Dove's Debenham, his C19 notes towards a history of Debenham, 1986, 112, 113.
  • <S3> (No record type): Morley C, The Debenham Churches, E Anglian Miscellany 1920, no 5785, p 56.
  • <S4> (No record type): Morley C, Trover ix Debenham Priory, E Anglian Miscellany 1931, no 8430, p 36.
  • <S5> Index: OS. OS Card. OS, card TM16SE7.
  • <S6> (No record type): Fieldwalking by E Savery and R Potter, 1993.
  • <S7> (No record type): Fieldwalking by E Savery, 1993.
  • <S8> (No record type): Fieldwalking by E Savery, 1994.
  • <S9> Finds Report: Plouviez, J.. 1995. SCCAS Finds Record:. Savery E, per SAU (EM), Finds Report, 1999.
  • <S10> Source Unchecked: RCHME?. Various. Field Investigators Comments. F1 JRL 07-NOV-73.

Finds (7)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (0)

Record last edited

Mar 3 2022 1:10PM

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