21 Nethergate Street, Clare, Suffolk

The archaeological monitoring and recording comprised the continuous observation by a competent archaeologist of all intrusive groundworks associated with the proposed development. These works comprised the hand-excavation and machineexcavation of underpinning foundations within the existing building, excavating new foundations and other associated interventions such as services and landscaping. Archaeological features/deposits were investigated, planned and recorded. Deposits were assessed for their palaeoenvironmental potential and samples were taken. During July and August 2024, Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out a programme of archaeological monitoring and recording during all groundworks associated with the replacement of an existing extension at 21 Nethergate Street, Clare, Suffolk. The limited works revealed extensive post-medieval/modern disturbance and late medieval cess like deposit which was recorded in multiple monitored interventions. Finds were limited to a small assemblage of late medieval pottery, oyster shell, post-medieval glass, worked timber and a single fragment of animal bone. The majority of the deposits recorded are likely to represent evidence for activity associated with alterations and additions to the 17th century building, although the earliest pit-like features seen at the bottom of the stratigraphic sequence may relate to an earlier, presumably medieval building. While the function of these pits is unclear, they did appear to contain cess-like deposits which suggests that at least their secondary use involved the disposal of this material.