Land adjacent to Topos, Charsfield (CHA 017)

Planning application no. C02/1356 Archaeological Monitoring Report, 2002/131

Summary Charsfield, Land adjacent to Topos, (TM 25369 56496; CHA 017; Report no. 2002/131) Construction of a new dwelling at Topos, Charsfield, required the archaeological monitoring of strip foundation trenches. A single pit was observed in a trench section from which a substantial quantity of medieval pottery was recovered, most of which was from a single bowl of 13th - 14th century date. (Linzi Everett for Suffolk County Council and Neil Davies Ltd.) Methodology An application (C02/1356) to build a house on land adjacent to Topos, Charsfield, required a programme of archaeological monitoring of groundworks. The site is centred on TM25369 56496, at a height of c.28m OD. Topos is located only 75m to the south west of the parish church and is likely to lie within the core of the medieval village. As such, the potential for medieval or earlier settlement evidence was believed to be high. One visit was made to the site by the Field Projects Team of Suffolk County Council’s Archaeological Service, on 23rd October 2002, in order to inspect the open footings. Where features were revealed in the trenches, they were cleaned manually for definition and each allocated ‘observed phenomena’ numbers within a unique continuous numbering system under the SMR code CHA 017 (Appendix I). Features were then photographed and drawn on site at a scale of 1:20 to form a part of the site archive. The archive will be deposited in the County SMR at Shire Hall, Bury St. Edmunds. All finds recovered during the monitoring were washed and marked before being quantified, identified and dated by the finds management staff of the Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service (see below). The work was funded by Neil Davies Ltd. (commissioned by Abbotts). Results The ground level of the site had been significantly reduced to leave only minimal topsoil. At the time of the visit, this new level had been heavily trampled and it was not possible to discern whether any features had been revealed during stripping. The footing trenches had been excavated to a depth of 1.2m, exposing a layer of mid to dark brown clay sand subsoil (0001), gravelly in places, c.500mm thick sealing clean, yellow sand to the base of the trenches. Both these layers were of natural origin. The only intervention observed in the trench sections was a pit, 0002, which had probably been truncated during the ground level reduction. The pit was filled by 0003, a dark brown clay sand within which was a dense patch of pottery, somewhat damaged during machining.

jI.

~

)<.

19JSuffolk County CouncilEnvironment & Transport

P. J. Thompson, MSc. CEng. FICEDirector of Environment & Transport

St Edmund House , County Hall , Ipswich, Suffolk

NORTHGrid North

© Crown Copyright. All rights reserved.Suffolk County Council Licence No. LA076864 2002

Figure 1: Site locationCHECKED BY

DRAWING No.

DATE

© Crown Copyright. All rights reservedSuffolk County Council. Licence No. LA076864 2002

Scale 1:1000NORTH

Gr id North

Hal

\\\\\\

--0\~\3 \

\

~\

~\"­-,

St Peterls Churc

se

Pit 0002

DDSunny Acre

Brook House

Potsford HOUSO

~_-_---r-DCharsfield Primary

School

I

/I

I

//

/I

I

/\1 / I

\{aC~--- - - - - - - - - - - -J /-~-~- / /

»>:_~-I /

-----::~~~~~~:::::_---------- /I »>: /

IIII

/IIII

III

II

I,fI

IIII

\\II\,,,I

\

\\

\. \,

\\I\

\\

\\1

\

\,

\\\~ GP

'\"

""'-::_-=--cc=-.=--=:_-=-=-.~-=-=- -=_::::.:::.:::...:::.:::.::::. ,=~~~-=_~~~//~---------------~--------------

(, < ; ----....----....

........-....- ----....

liJSuffolk County CouncilEnvironment & Transport

P. J . Thompson, MSc. CEng FICEDirector of Environment & Transport

St. Edmund house , County Hall, Ipswich, Suffolk.

Figure 2: Location of feature withindevelopment area

The FindsBy Sue Anderson, November 2002.

A large quantity of pottery was collected from context 0003, 66 sherds weighing 2449g.Of this, 63 sherds (2409g) were from a large, shallow bowl in a pale grey to black sandygreyware, probably originating from the Hollesley production site. It had a wide flat­topped rim and was decorated with finger-tip impressions at the shoulder. The bowlwas 500mm in diameter and the surviving rim sherds represented 49% of the vessel.Two sherds from a Hollesley-type jar with a square rim and finger-tip impressions werealso found, and there was a small sherd from a brown sand-tempered handmade vessel,perhaps of early medieval or Early Saxon date. The two Hollesley products indicate a13th _14th century date for the feature. Bowls as large as this were used in the dairyingindustry in the post-medieval period, and it is possible that earlier examples were usedfor a similar purpose.

DiscussionAlthough only one feature was observed during the monitoring, ground level reductionmay have destroyed shallower features and trampling ofthe stripped surface could haveobscured any other archaeology which may have been present on the site. However, theevidence which was located is indicative ofmedieval occupation in the vicinity, perhapsrelated to a roadside building. The quantity of pottery removed from the single, smallfeature is unusually large, although the majority of the assemblage consists of theremains of a single bowl of 13th

- 14th century date. The finds are not indicative of anydefinite activity but represent domestic wares and are most suggestive of dairying.

Linzi EverettField Projects Team,Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service.November 2002.

S- -------l--~::...---".--N

• 0....

Section of pit 0002, scale 1:20

Appendix I: Context list

0001

00020003

0001

00020002

Subsoil- mid-dark orangey brown clay sand, gravellyin atchesPit cut- shallow it but ossib1 truncatedPit fill- dark brown clay sand, occasional small stones.Rich in ot, charcoal flecks

0001

0002