Newgate Carpets, Newgate, Beccles, Suffolk: Continuous Archaeological Recording Watching Brief

Pre-Construct Archaeology (PCA) was engaged by K Garnham Design to conduct the Monitoring of Works Under Archaeological Supervision and Control at the former premises of Newgate Carpets, located in Newgate, Beccles, Suffolk. The development encompassed the demolition of existing structures on the site, along with archaeological monitoring during the removal of foundations, fuel storage tanks, a lorry inspection pit, six geotechnical test pits, excavation of services, and an attenuation tank. Additionally, the excavation of pillars, foundations, and service trenches related to the new development were subject to monitoring, as stipulated by Planning Reference DC/20/0117. This was This archaeological report presents the findings of a programme of continuous archaeological recording watching brief conducted during groundworks for house development at Newgate Carpets, Beccles. The project was commissioned by K Garnham Design on behalf of their client. The project was undertaken between the 22th February 2022 and 19th June 2023 on an intermittent basis when sub-surface works were being undertaken. Initial site visits in 2022 documented the removal of concrete surfaces, foundations, an inspection pit, geotechnical test pits, and the excavation of service trenches. Here layers of re-deposited silty sand were likely to mark the presence of large postmedieval quarry to modern pitting at the western side of the site. However, in this part of the site no definitive archaeological features predating the post-medieval period were positively identified. The plot appeared to have been marginal in nature in the post-medieval period ahead of the construction of several Grade II listed buildings around the Old Market, to the west. Further monitoring in 2023 revealed a series of early medieval quarry pits, whose full extents remained elusive within the excavated footings. These had later been used as waste pits with quantities of medieval pottery present suggestive of nearby medieval settlement. This ties in with the position of the site on the edge of the historic medieval town of Beccles (BCC 018), the site being only 100m to the east of the recorded position of the medieval chapel of St Peter (BCC 031), on a back street of the early town (SCCAS 2020). Although only a small proportion of this area of medieval pitting was observed within the footings, it is likely that large numbers of intercutting medieval pits shall survive beyond the footings. Additionally, the excavation for a new attenuation tank led to the discovery of a brick well dating to the 18th/ 19th century, found to truncate an early post-medieval refuse pit. The backfill of the well contained several sherds of pottery and other items suggesting it had gone out of use in the first half of the 19th century.not collected in OASIS IV when this record was originally created