Monument record FRT 030 - Freston Tower

Freston Tower.
Square red brick tower of six storeys with small corner turrets and on the NE side an octagonal stair turret of seven storeys giving access to the parapetted flat roof. In good condition, though some of the windows have been blocked up (S1).
Red brick with blue drapering, 6 storeys with arched parapet. Ground area of 10 x 12ft. Built by the Latymer family (S2) as a `pleasant retreat' (S4). In parkland (see FRT 033), 200 yards from the Orwell estuary. Said in 1561, to have been `built within these 12 years'. Perhaps built by Thomas Gooding, an Ipswich merchant who acquired the property from the Latimer family in 1553 (S3).
A substantial bank of unknown date and function is visible to the south-west of Freston Tower at TM 17773965 on aerial photographs from 1944. The bank is 36m in length. (S6)
2001: geophysical survey, prior to refurbishment works, by GSB Prospection. Details in (R1).
Feb 2002: trial trenched evaluation, also prior to refurbishment, details in (S7).
Monitoring was undertaken during the insertion of a vehicular access route and compound for portacabins early in 2003. A variable depth of overburden was recorded, comprising a dark brown turf horizon overlying mid brown silty sand with numerous brick and tile fragments. It was not sure whether this layer represents part of a deliberately constructed platform on which the tower was constructed, or a natural hillwash deposit that was moulded to form the extant landscape structure (S8).