Monument record IPS 178 - Old Foundry Road, Ipswich, (IAS 1501).

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Summary

Trench confirmed presence of the Medieval town ditch (1204), between Old Foundry Road and St Margaret's Plain. With Post Medieval features and finds.

Location

Grid reference Centred TM 1666 4465 (6m by 7m)
Map sheet TM14SE
Civil Parish IPSWICH, IPSWICH, SUFFOLK

Map

Type and Period (8)

Full Description

1974: Trench confirmed presence of the Medieval town ditch (1204), between Old Foundry Road and St Margaret's Plain. The bank had been entirely removed, large post hole may represent a timber revetment. (IAS 1501) (S1, S2).

Stratigraphic sequence (by period)
Although the excavation cut across the inner edge of the medieval town ditch, the only features recorded related to its later development and no medieval deposits were encountered.

Late Medieval Transitional: c.1450-1600 (LMT)
Layers which filled the inner edge of the town ditch werefound in the northern end of the trench, associated with 16th century pottery.

There were three roughly circular 0.9m diameter pits It is likely that all three are postholes for very large posts and represent a palisade on the inner edge of the ditch.

Post Medieval: c.1600-1900 (PMED)
Phase 1(17th century)
On the basis of the pottery associated the slighting of the LMT palisade occurred in the 17th century

Phase 2 (18th/19th century)
A series of brick walls were the foundations of houses and a small square outbuilding built along the Old Foundry Road street frontage in the late 18th or 19th century. A robber trench presumably indicates a robbed-out wall of the same date and a levelling of the site is probable in the 20th century.

The post medieval pottery from all Ipswich sites (1974-1990) has not been studied. The dating in this summary is based on spot dating alone (S4).

See also (S5), clay pipe report.

Sources/Archives (5)

  • <S1> Article in serial: Owles, E. J.. 1974. Archaeology in Suffolk, 1974. XXXIII.2, pp. 212–224.. XXXIII.2, pp. 212–224..
  • <S2> Unpublished document: Wade, K. Wade K, EAA, Ipswich Excavations (forthcoming). Wade K, EAA, Ipswich Excavations (forthcoming).
  • <S3> Index: Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service. 1974. Ipswich Archaeological Survey Card Index (digital version).. IAS 1501.
  • <S4> Unpublished document: Wade, K.. 2013. Ipswich Archive Site Summaries: Old Foundry Road.
  • <S5> Finds Report: SAU. 1974. Clay Pipe Notes –transferred to archive sheets.

Finds (6)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (2)

Record last edited

Jul 21 2017 12:43PM

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