Site Event/Activity record ESF21863 - Excavations, Land adjacent to Rose Cottage, Church Lane, Hepworth

PROJECT DETAILS An archaeological excavation covering an area of c.222.00sqm at Church Lane, Hepworth discovered evidence of a Late Saxon building. The part-ground plan was made up of sixteen postholes laid out in two cells; the main building itself and a small lean-to type structure, attached to the west end. The building was 5.14 wide but its length was bisected by the modern plot boundary and only the gable end (c.1.5m of a probable 7-8m length) fell within the limits of the excavations. Theford and St Neots-ware pottery was collected from several of the postholes. The building had undergone repairs which involved several of the posts, including one whole wall, being replaced A sealed horizon of worked soil over the area of the building shows that it had gone out of existence as a 'house site' before the 13th century, but the presence of early medieval pottery within cut features indicate that the plot continued in domestic occupation and probably remained so until about the 15th century; after which date there is a complete absence of material until the construction of Walnut Tree Cottage in the mid 19th century. The plot's current west boundary has been in existence since at least the early medieval period when it was defined by a ditch but this followed a pre-existing post alignment of possible Saxon date suggesting that the line Church lane and some of the land boundaries may be relics of the settlements Saxon past. Project status: Complete Yes, Validated Yes Previous/Future Work: Previous No, Future No Associated Identifiers: Sitecode HEP 025 Planning Application No. SE/08/0232 NMR No. 1569561 Project Type: Recording project Investigation Type: '''Full excavation''' Reason for Investigation: Direction from Local Planning Authority - PPG16 Site status: None Current Land use: Other 5 - Garden Monument Type(s)/Period(s): BUILDING Early Medieval , PIT Early Medieval , DITCH Medieval , PIT Medieval , SURFACE Medieval Artefact Type(s)/Period(s): POTTERY Early Medieval , POTTERY Medieval PROJECT LOCATION Area 220.00 Square metres Grid Reference: TL985748 Point Height 47.00 - 48.50 metres PROJECT CREATOR(S) Brief originator: Local Authority Archaeologist and/or Planning Authority/advisory body Design originator: Jess Tipper Director/Manager: David Gill Supervisor: David Gill DIGITAL ARCHIVE Recipient: Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service Contents: 'Animal Bones', 'Ceramics', 'Stratigraphic' Media: 'Database', 'Images raster / digital photography', 'Images vector', 'Text' PAPER ARCHIVE Recipient: Suffolk County SMR Contents: 'Animal Bones', 'Ceramics', 'Stratigraphic', 'Survey' Media: 'Plan', 'Report' PHYSICAL ARCHIVE Recipient: Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service Contents: 'Animal Bones', 'Ceramics', 'Metal' BIBLIOGRAPHY Publication Type: Grey literature (unpublished document/manuscript) Title: Land adjacent to Rose Cottage, Church Lane, Hepworth Author(s)/Editor(s): 'Gill,D.J.' Other Bibliographic Details: SCCAS report No 2011/212 Date: 2012 Issuer/Publisher: Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service Place of Issue or Publication: Shire hall Bury St Edmunds Description: SCCAS client report, soft bound A4 colour