ARCHAEOLOGICAL MONITORING REPORT
LAND BETWEEN BURKITTS LANE AND WEAVERS LANE, SUDBURY
(SUY 058)
A REPORT ON THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL MONITORING OF GROUNDWORK ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION
OF A TERRACE OF HOUSING FACING BURKITTS LANE (Application No. B/03/01629/Fid)
Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service Report No. 2004/89
(Oasis ref. suffolkc1-6073)
Summary: Following from the results of an archaeological evaluation, archaeological monitoring of foundations excavated for a terrace of houses facing Burkitts Lane, Sudbury, was undertaken during May 2004. No significant archaeological deposits were recorded during the monitoring although a brick lined well, c.8.2m deep, was identified. This site is recorded on the Sites and Monuments Record under the reference SUY 058. The archaeological monitoring was undertaken by the Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service, Field Projects Team, with funding from T.J. Everss Ltd.
Introduction
Archaeological monitoring of the excavation of footings for a row of terraced houses facing onto Burkitts Lane, Sudbury, was undertaken during May 2004. The site is situated across the former town ditch which originally formed a defensive work that encircled the Late Saxon centre of the town. The presence and precise location of this ditch was recorded during an archaeological evaluation undertaken during May 2002. Its alignment was later confirmed during archaeological monitoring of footings excavated for a terrace of houses facing onto Weavers Lane (SCCAS Report No. 2003/65). The results indicated that the ditch ran close to Weavers Lane, which appeared to run parallel, and approximately occupied the Weavers Lane half of the site.
No significant archaeological deposits or features were recorded during the evaluation in
the area proposed for the Burkitts Lane terrace but it was still deemed worthy of further work due to its location adjacent the ditch. A Brief and Specification detailing the monitoring work required was produced by the Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service, Conservation Team (Appendix 2 of SCCAS Report No. 2003/65).
The National Grid Reference for the approximate centre of the site is TL 8726 4132; for a location plan see figure 1 overleaf. The archaeological monitoring was undertaken by the Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service, Field Projects Team, with funding from Asprey Estates Ltd.
Methodology
The new construction was to be on strip foundations. The monitoring was undertaken through observation of a small sample of the footing trenches once they had been excavated to observe for cut features and deposits. The spoil was initially retained on-site and this was examined for artefacts.
Figure 1: Location Plan
(c) Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. Suffolk County Council. Licence No. 100023395 2004
Results
The site was visited on three separate occasions during May (10th, 13th and 18th) in order to examine any open footing trenches. The footings were excavated using a 360� tracked excavator fitted with a 600mm wide, toothed bucket. Only a small proportion of the entire footings excavated for the terrace were observed. Within these a similar soil profile to that recorded in the evaluation was seen. It comprised c.0.3 to 0.5m of topsoil over a natural subsoil of yellow sands and gravel.
In one area, a large deep pit, c.2.5m deep, was identified. The fill comprised dark sandy loam with occasional post medieval brick and tile and lenses of clean yellow sand. It was not possible to get too close to excavated edge of this feature due to the unstable nature of the ground. No finds were recovered.
Elsewhere on the site a red brick lined shaft, interpreted as a well, was noted. It was neatly built with dry laid red bricks. The top 2m or so appeared to be standard type bricks whilst below this they were of a slightly curved type. Although appearing to be neatly built, upon closer examination it was found not to be precisely vertical but in fact was a gentle spiral c.8.2m deep. The well was actually situated outside the line of the buildings but was considered to be too close to the new build and was consequently filled with concrete.
Conclusion
No significant archaeological deposits appear to have been damaged or destroyed by the construction of this terrace.
Mark Sommers 9th June 2004
Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service Field Projects Team