Monument record LCS 327 - OUTLINE RECORD: Broom Walk areas 20, 21 and 22 , Sizewell MDS, (CAS) EXC

Three large excavation areas were located to the N of the Sizewell Belts. Area 20 was the largest excavation area (2.2ha) located to the W of the three excavations. It contained two substantial structures with ditched enclosures and field boundaries and an intense area of quarry pitting, of medieval date. Area 21 was the smaller central area (1.3ha) containing an Early Bronze Age cremation deposit. Area 22 was the smallest excavation area (0.6ha) and was located to the E. Two Early Neolithic pits, a medieval oven and field boundaries were revealed here. The pair of Early Neolithic pits in Area 22 were located towards the E end of the site and were quite substantial features (both were c.1.5m across and up to c.0.5m deep). In Area 21 an Early Bronze Age cremation deposit associated with collared urn fragments (from a highly truncated urn) was found centrally within a circular area of discoloured natural variation c.19m in diameter which may have corresponded to a natural feature that influenced the position of the cremation deposit. Two adjacent four-post structures were found in the SW part of the site; these did not produce any finds and no later Bronze Age or Iron Age pottery was discovered from these areas, but these features might be of later prehistoric date. The greatest concentration of medieval features was across Area 20 to the W. The central rectangular building comprised a sequence of buried layers and a series of post-holes (covering an area c.20m by 12m). The finds reflect industrial and domestic items of 11th–14th-century date. Of particular note was the presence of iron wool-comb nails. The eastern building was 15m by 13m and consisted of two distinct phases of post-holes and a beam-slot. Internal pits produced a near complete Hollesley-type ware large jar with lug handles and applied thumbed strip decoration, of late 13th–14th-century date. All three areas revealed evidence for medieval field systems, with a series of ditched enclosures evident in Area 20 (the central building was within its own enclosure). Nearby a small rectangular enclosure had been almost completely excavated away with quarry pits during the medieval period. These pits targeted a deposit of natural clay and it is likely that the clay extraction occurring here supplied material for nearby structures. In Area 22 to the E two medieval ovens were identified. The central oven was built within a rectangular sunken construction cut 3.5m long, 3m wide and 0.4m deep. The second oven in the N part of the area was 5m long and 4m wide and appeared to cut a droveway ditch.