St.Mark's Station, High Street, Lincoln - Archaeology Data Service

A Report to Simons Estates Ltd 

May 1998 

St.Mark's Station, High Street, Lincoln 

Archaeological Investigation 

Volume One - The Excavations 

By R Trimble 

with contributions from MJarvis 

CLAU Archaeological 

Report No.: 338 

LINCOLN 

archaeology

\ o (=311 stl n o a z U lOOtx -Mra 

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CLA U Report No. 338: St. Mark's, High Street, Lincoln - Archaeological Investigations 

Volume I 

List of figures Page 

Fig. 1: Location map showing study area 4 

Fig. 2: Plan showing location of previous work in the area 7 

Fig. 3: Plan showing location of Remediation and Evaluation trenches 14 

Fig. 4: Plan showing salient features in Evaluation trench 5 17 

Fig. 5: Plan showing Phase II features in Remediation Trench (Area 2) 20 

Fig. 6: Plan showing location of ST4 in Remediation Trench (Area 2) 21 

Fig. 7: Plan showing Phase III features in Remediation Trench (Area 1) 22 

Fig. 8: Plan showing location of areas of excavation 24 

Fig. 9: Plan showing Phase III features in the Combined Services Trench 28 

Fig. 10: Plan showing Phase III features in Area 2 35 



Fig. 13: Plan showing Phase I features in Area 7 (Trenches 1 & 2) 57 

Fig. 14: Plan showing Phase II features in Area 7 (Trenches 1 & 2) 58 

Fig. 15: Plan showing Phase III features in Area 7 (Trenches 1-3) 61 

Fig. 16: Plan showing Phase III features in Areas 8 and 8a 66 

Fig. 17: Plan showing principal structural elements of the Carmelite Friary 75 

List of plates 

Plate 1: ST5 and ST6 22 

Plate 2: Combined Services Trench 25 

Plate 3: ST19 - stone-lined pit 31 

Plate 4: Area 2 33 

Plate 5: Tile hearth (cg620/cg621) 40 

Plate 6: ST 12 and associated floors 41 

Plate 7: Area 3-ST 18 45 

Plate 8: Area 6 inner cloister wall 48 

Plate 9: Area 6 column base eg 1370 looking north 51 

Plate 10: Area 6 stone coffin cg984 and burial cg985 53 

Plate 11: Grave slabs sealed by waterlain sediments 54 

Plate 12: Area 7-ST1 61 

Plate 13: Area 7 - burial cg248 62 

Plate 14: Areas 8 and 8a 64 

Plate 15: Area 8-ST36 67 

Appendices 

Appendix A - 

Appendix B - 

The Site Archive 

Potential for Further Analysis of the Site Archive and Recommendations 

for Further Work

CLAUReport No. 338: St. Mark's, High Street, Lincoln - Archaeological Investigations 

Volume I 

In advance of the redevelopment of the site of the former St. Mark's Railway Station and Goods Yard 

to the west of the High Street, Lincoln, the City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit (CLAU) was 

commissioned by Simons Estates Ltd, to undertake a programme of archaeological evaluation and 

excavation. This work commenced with an evaluation in July 1995 and ended with the completion of 

the fmal phase, a watching brief, in June 1997. The site is located at NGR SK 9735/7075 and is 

bounded by the High Street to the east, the River Witham to the west, St. Mark's Street to the north and 

Firth Road to the south. 

The evaluation was successful in locating and then characterising the remains of two important 

monuments within the boundaries of the redevelopment area: the church of St. Edward the Martyr in 

the south-east corner of the site, and the Carmelite friary lying between this and the site of St. Mark's 

church to the north. Further information concerning the Carmelite friary was obtained from 

simultaneous excavations along the line of a recovery trench (the Remediation Trench), designed to 

remove leaked diesel oil from ground beneath the bus station. 

No further excavation was required for the site of St. Edward the Martyr because the surviving remains 

of the church were found to lie below the depth of foundation trenches for the proposed new structures. 

The Carmelite friary remains, on the other hand, were subject to a potentially adverse impact from 

several aspects of the development, including an east-west combined services trench immediately to 

the north of the station building, and pile caps and internal drainage for the new structures including 

the Debenham's store to the north. 

Subsequent excavations extended over most of the station yard, beneath the former bus station to the 

north, and into the car park behind the terraced houses on the High Street frontage. Remains of the 

friary were revealed over a wide area but the opportunity to carry out detailed investigation was 

restricted to those locations where actual destruction of deposits was anticipated. 

Although the principal objective of the excavation was to record the remains of the Carmelite friary, 

earlier deposits were also encountered. The earliest evidence took the form of the stone walls of 

Roman 'strip' buildings - traders' houses - on the Ermine Street frontage. Although excavation within 

and around these structures was mainly confined to post-demolition deposits, a stone floor and an oven 

or kiln flue were located in the southernmost structure. Associated pottery suggests that the buildings 

were abandoned during the late or very late 4th century. 

Pottery evidence is also the key to the reoccupation date, in the first quarter of the 10th century. There 

were obvious structural features associated with the earliest phase of activity and postholes, slots for 

timber beams, and successive clay floors in the area adjacent to the High Street attest to continuous 

occupation during the 10th and 11th centuries. The incidence of oats and barley in environmental 

samples, and finds of certain pottery vessels, indicate that brewing may have taken place on the site 

during this period. 

Another concentration of Late Saxon deposits was encountered on more low-lying ground within the 

Remediation Trench. This activity comprised a complex of ditches, deposits, and a clay-lined feature, 

possibly a hearth. This, and the charcoal-rich primary fills within the ditches, may indicate that some 

form of processing was taking place in the immediate locality. 

Evidence for 12th- and 13th-century occupation was less prominent but there is no reason to suppose 

that this reflects a discontinuity in occupation. Instead, it seems likely that the relative absence of this 

period in the stratigraphic record results from the ground disturbance sustained during use of the area 

as a graveyard during the friary period. Pottery evidence suggests reasonably high status occupation of 

the area during the 12th and 13th centuries. 

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Volume I 

The Carmelite friary was probably founded at some time between 1242 (the date of the earliest 

Carmelite foundations in England) and 1260. As a result of the recent excavations, it is now clear that 

the friary buildings eventually came to occupy the entire area bounded by the High Street to the east, 

the river to the west, St. Edward the Martyr's church to the south and St. Mark's church to the north. 

The main friary complex therefore extended over a total area of 75m north-south by 90m east-west. It 

is likely that the area between the friary and the River Witham to the west was exploited in some way, 

possibly for growing crops and/or as pasture. A building located in the Remediation Trench appeared 

to be set apart from the main complex and may have functioned as a barn or perhaps as a warehouse 

connected with use of the river for the transportation of goods to and from the friary. 

Contrary to the more usual monastic practice of siting the church to the north of the site to avoid 

depriving the cloister of light, the church appears to have lain at the southern fringe of the friary. The 

construction date of the cloister is unclear but it continued in use until the Dissolution. The church, on 

the other hand, was probably demolished at some time in the second half the 15th century and then 

rebuilt. The exact position and layout of the early church could not be established but a group of high 

status burials of pre-15th-century date - possibly lay benefactors of the friary - are thought to have 

been contained within the church or in a chapel, or the chapter house, attached to it. To the west of the 

cloister lay a kitchen which may have served the refectory. 

The nave of the later church lies directly beneath the modern station building. The south wall of the 

structure, as revealed by excavations in 1986 (z86), lay immediately to the south of the north platform. 

The recent excavations located a corresponding north wall immediately to the north of the station 

portico. 

At the Dissolution, the majority of the friary structures were demolished, although the inner walls of 

the cloister to the south and west may have been retained as property boundaries for the area which 

now contains the terraced buildings on the High Street frontage. St. Mary's Conduit, further north on 

High Street, was probably constructed out of the remains of a chapel within the friary. There is 

evidence to suggest that the kitchen and immediately adjacent buildings to the north continued in use 

as private accommodation at least into the 17th century. Documentary sources describe that area as an 

orchard in the 18th century. In 1846-7 the railway station was constructed, and the associated tracks 

covered an extensive area. 

In summary, the investigations produced a very substantial amount of new information about the 

occupation of this large area over almost 2,000 years, and have added to our knowledge of the Roman, 

Late Saxon and medieval city. In particular, a considerable amount of evidence was revealed about the 

Carmelite friary which occupied the site for three centuries. With further work and integration with the 

results of previous excavations, an even deeper understanding could be obtained of the Carmelite 

friary's influence in Lincoln, contributing towards national research issues in relation to monastic sites. 

2

1.0 


Volume I 

ST. MARK'S STATION, HIGH STREET, LINCOLN 

ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS 

VOLUME ONE 

In advance of the redevelopment of the site of the former St. Mark's Railway Station and Goods Yard 

to the west of the High Street, Lincoln, the City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit (CLAU) was 

commissioned by Simons Estates Ltd, to undertake a programme of archaeological evaluation and 

excavation of areas affected by the development. The archaeological work commenced with an 

evaluation starting on 11/7/1995 and ended on 25/06/97 with the completion of the final watching brief 

phase. 

This document has been prepared in accordance with the terms of the Unit's Articles of Association, 

the Code of Conduct of the Institute of Field Archaeologists, and The Management of Archaeological 

Projects 2 (English Heritage, 1991). 

1.1 Site Location (Fig. 1) 

The site is located at NGR SK 9735/7075 in the "Wigford" area of Lincoln and is bounded by the High 

Street to the east, the River Witham to the west, St. Mark's Street and terraced properties on High 

Street to the north, and Firth Road to the south. The name of "Wigford" is derived from that of the 

medieval suburb (Cameron 1985, 45-6), the boundaries of which are formed by the River Witham to 

the west and north, and by the Sincil Dyke (a man-made waterway) to the south and east. 

1.2 Topography and Geology 

Lincoln lies over several well-defined geological zones. The City itself is situated at a gap in the 

Jurassic limestone ridge (known as the "Lincoln Edge") which contains the course of the river Witham. 

The Witham valley contains a complex sequence of Pleistocene and Holocene gravels, silts and clays. 

Reclamation has taken place along the banks of both the Witham and Brayford Pool since the Roman 

period. The majority of Wigford lies on a subsoil of river terrace sand and gravel, giving way to 

alluvium near to the river. The area is very low-lying at a fairly uniform height of 7m OD. "Natural" 

(i.e. geological deposits) on the sites so far investigated (see 1.4, below) consisted of yellow river 

terrace sand, and was located in most trenches lying c.4.0m below modern ground level. 

1.3 Historical Background 

There has been little opportunity so far to investigate the origins of settlement and little is known of the 

prehistoric period in Lincoln apart from slight traces of late Iron Age settlement. Within a decade or so 

of the Roman invasion of AD 43, a hilltop fortress was established by Legio IX Hispana. Some 

evidence of early activity (early tombstones and cremations) has been discovered to the south, in the 

suburb of Wigford (m82) and although the focus of settlement at this time was the fortress, a large area 

to the south would have been required for grazing, industrial activities for provisioning the military, 

and probably a small civil settlement. 

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Fig. 1: Location map showing study area. 

Volume I 

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Volume I 

The frontier moved further north and the fortress was abandoned; Lincoln then gained 'colonia' status 

in the late 1st century and major public building works had begun by the beginning of the 2nd century. 

Outside the walled colonia, to the south, reclamation of the marshy ground alongside Ermine Street 

enabled the development of the suburb, with commercial properties fronting the street from the late 

2nd century onwards. Urban life in Wigford disappeared in the late or very late 4th century. 

Resettlement of Wigford probably began at some time during the early 10th century and has been 

continuous ever since. 

During the medieval period the south-east corner of the St. Mark's site was occupied by the church of 

St. Edward the Martyr and its associated graveyard, probably close to the modern junction of High 

Street and Firth Road. The exact location of this church was, at the time of excavation, unknown 

although a small building shown on Speed's map of 1610 could possibly represent the remains of the 

building, and reference is made on Marrat's map of 1817 to the location of St. Edward's. The date of its 

establishment is not known, but it seems likely that this church was founded several decades after that 

of St. Mark's, which appears to be of late lOth-century origin. There is no mention of the church in 

documentary sources prior to the late 12th century but there is evidence to suggest that the parish of St. 

Edward had already been established by the early 12th century. 

In 1549 the church was disposed of through the Act of Union of the Parishes which reduced the 

number of parishes in Wigford from eleven to five. It is thought that the churchyard was then 

incorporated into the parish of St Mark as shown on a 1774 parish plan. On the 1842 map by JS 

Padley, the site of St. Edward's is marked as a timber yard. The site was then taken over by the London 

Midland & Scottish Railway Company. 

To the north of St Edward lay the Carmelite friary. It was probably founded before 1260; in 1269 

Henry III granted the friary six beech trees for a kiln and in 1280 the house was authorised by Edward 

I to increase its area by receiving lands adjacent to their own (Gilmour and Stocker 1986, 4). 

On the Dissolution of the monasteries, the friary was surrendered in 1538/1539 and in 1544 the 

property was sold to John Bloxholme, an agent for monastic land. Much of the fabric of the house was 

probably destroyed at this time and the water conduit, which stands outside the church of St. Mary le 

Wigford, was reportedly constructed from friary stone (Stocker 1990, 25). In 1812 the former friary 

lands were referred to as a large orchard with an ancient wall towards the High Street. A map by JS 

Padley dated 1819 appears to confirm this, showing the land as only a row of terraced houses fronting 

the High Street. 

Lincoln St. Mark's station (originally known as the Midland station) was opened in 1846 and formed 

the terminus for the Midland Railway line from Nottingham. The line was extended, in 1847, crossing 

the High Street to link with the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway (later Great Central 

Railway) line to Market Rasen and the Humber port of Grimsby. 

The station passed into the ownership of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in 1923, and later 

came under the control of British Railways following the nationalisation of the railways in 1948. It was 

while under British Rail management that the original overall station roof was removed and the name 

changed to St. Mark's. The associated engine shed and goods facilities continued in use until closure in 

the late 1950's, which left only the passenger operations intact. 

In 1980 British Rail applied for Listed Buildings Consent to demolish St Mark's railway station to 

enable redevelopment to take place, but this request was refused in 1981. The station finally closed in 

1985, when its services were transferred to Lincoln Central station. 

5

CLAU Report No. 338: St. Mark's, High Street, Lincoln - Archaeological Investigations 

1.4 Previous Archaeological Work (Fig. 2) 

Volume I 

Elements of the St. Mark's station site have been archaeologically investigated on several previous 

occasions. A trial trench (br85), located in a siding to the north-west of the area of the station, was 

followed up by area excavation in 1986 (z86) between the two station platforms, in order to locate the 

Carmelite friary. In 1987 a further trench was excavated at the east end of the station platforms, and 

parallel to the High Street, to record the stratigraphic sequence down to Roman river silts. In the same 

year a watching brief (on41) was carried out during groundwork for a new water main to the north of 

the station buildings. 

No further archaeological work was carried out on the site of the station complex until 1994 when two 

further watching briefs (bra94 and zwb94) were undertaken, again to the north of the station buildings. 

The former project was carried out in conjunction with geotechnical work to assess the condition of the 

existing foundations along the north side of the station buildings, while the latter monitored the 

insertion of a new sewer connection (very close to the line of the 1987 water main trench) between 

High Street and the associated development to the west of the River Witham (St. Mark's West - now 

titled "The Sidings"). 

In addition to the investigations on the actual station site, further excavations to the east of High Street 

on the site of the former goods yard, in advance of construction of the new Magistrates' Courthouse 

(ze87) and to the north on the site of the former St. Mark's parish church (sm76), together with other 

watching briefs along the High Street have also contributed to current knowledge of the development 

of this part of the City. 

Results of previous work 

a) Pre-Roman (1st century B.C. and earlier) 

No evidence for prehistoric occupation has yet been revealed during the investigations on the station 

site, or on any other in the area covered by this site. It was probably marshy, with ground level at OD 

3.5-4m. 

b) Romano-British Period (1st - 4th century A.D.) 

The site of the proposed development appears to have been located in a Roman commercial suburb 

lying to the south of the walled city, with properties fronting Ermine Street (High Street). The road had 

been created by the army, c.A.D. 50-60; in the mid-late 2nd century, dumps were deposited as landfill 

to raise the ground level. 

The earliest features recorded during excavations between the station platforms (z86) comprised a midlate 

2nd-century timber structure, lying to the west of Ermine Street and sited on the northern edge of 

an east-west drain. This building was possibly used for smithing and subsequently underwent several 

phases of modification. In the mid-3rd century the drain was backfilled and the first in a sequence of 

stone "strip" buildings was constructed, again fronting Ermine Street. Occupation continued into the 

mid-to late 4th century; in the late or very late 4th century the walls were robbed to their foundations 

and massive dumps raised the ground level by c.lm; the area of dumping appears to have extended 

c.20m beyond the backs of the strip buildings. 

The river was a much wider and continuous presence to the west of the site throughout the Roman 

period; the early drain was associated with surfaces at between 4.52m and 4.86m OD. Dumps 

backfilling the drain for the construction of the later structures raised the ground level to 5.25m O.D., 

but piling as part of the foundation of the buildings suggests an awareness of the instability of the 

underlying surface. After the buildings went out of use the ground level was raised above the level of 

river flooding to between 5.68 and 5.77m OD, presumably connected with either a rise in the river 

level or the creation of a soil to allow cultivation to take place. 

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Volume I 

To the east of the High Street (ze87), marshy ground adjacent to Ermine Street was consolidated by 

dumps and timber buildings were erected in the early to mid-3rd century. These were replaced in stone 

in the late 3rd century; the latest buildings were demolished by the late or very late 4th century. 

On the former site of St. Mark's church (sm76), to the north of the station, a series of mid-late 2ndcentury 

drainage ditches was revealed, together with a rough limestone surface adjacent to Ermine 

Street, possibly a 'hardstanding' for roadside booths or stalls: forerunners of the permanent structures to 

follow. Evidence was recovered for smithing here, in the late 2nd-3rd century. The ditches, all running 

parallel to the road (and the river) were presumably an early attempt to drain this area of ground in 

advance of development. During the late 2nd century the ground level was raised and a similar 

sequence of timber and stone buildings to that seen on the site of the station was found, the earliest 

dating to the early/mid-3rd century. Again these appear to represent Roman traders' houses and 

indicate substantial occupation of the area into the late or very late 4th century. 

Investigation of the Roman commercial suburb over recent years has showed that it extended for at 

least a kilometre south of the walled city and has so far yielded the remains of at least sixteen traders' 

houses. Lincoln is now a well-quoted example of Roman suburban occupation. The earliest levels 

beneath the houses have produced evidence for various types of land use, in one case further to the 

south (m82) as a lst-century cemetery. 

c) Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Scandinavian Period (5th - 11th centuries) 

On the site of the station (z86), llth-century (and possibly earlier) north-south ditches probably 

represented some form of flood control; massive dumps overlapped the late Roman layers and spread 

down towards the river, sealing river silts and building the ground level up to between 5.13 and 5.68m 

OD. Pits and traces of timber buildings found both here and to the east (ze87) evidence occupation on 

both sides of the Ermine Street frontage in the (late) 10th and 11th centuries. 

To the north of the station, on the site of St. Mark's church, lOth-century pits at the rear (west) of the 

area were sealed by a graveyard; the first stone church was built in the 11th century. 

d) The Medieval Period 

Excavations between the station platforms in 1986 (z86) showed activity here during the late 12th and 

13th centuries, predating the foundation of the friary. A possible fence in the eastern part of the site 

and a later (13th-century) lane to the west may represent an east-west boundary. By 1269 the land, at 

least to the north of the lane, had become part of the Carmelite Friary. A sequence of structures, on 

both sides of the lane, produced evidence of industrial activity including smithing. The lane went out 

of use, probably some time in the 14th century. In the late 15th century, a substantial stone-founded 

and buttressed structure (of which only the south wall lay within the excavated area) possibly 

representing the friary church was built; land to the east was used as the friary graveyard. A later 

building, similarly buttressed and cutting through some of the graves, may represent an extension to 

the church. 

On the east side of the High Street (ze87) a stone building was probably associated with a series of pits 

and cobbled surfaces near the street, the latest of which dated to the 13th or early 14th century. The 

principal discovery of this period, sealing the demolished building, was the remains of two 14thcentury 

pottery kilns and a later, 15th-century tile kiln and associated structures. This industry may 

have been associated with the Carmelite friary to the west of the road. 

North of the St. Mark's station site, excavations (sm76) revealed the development of St. Mark's church 

during the medieval period, with its sequence of alterations and modifications. Part of the burialground 

associated with the church was also excavated, and a total of 248 individuals was recorded. 

8


e) Post-Medieval (16th - 18th centuries) 

Volume I 

On the site of St. Mark's Station (z86), excavations revealed that the friary walls were levelled and the 

foundations robbed, probably at the time of the Dissolution in the mid-16th century. Apart from a 

number of pits and an east-west boundary wall, post-medieval levels had been truncated by railway 

activity in the 19th-century. 

To the east (ze87), evidence was found of a 16th-century stone building fronting the High Street and 

activity to the rear of the site, possibly associated with outbuildings to the rear of similar properties. 

Again, later levels had been truncated by the railway and the only surviving evidence was confined to 

more deeply cut features such as wells and cellars. 

On the site of St. Mark's church (sm76), the existing medieval structure was reduced in size and 

eventually rebuilt in 1786. 

f) 19th century and later 

Later levels were truncated by the construction of the Midland Railway which opened in 1846, and 

from this date the majority of the occupation on the site of the proposed development was mainly 

concerned with railway expansion and operation. To the north, however, development continued on the 

site of the parish church with the construction of the Victorian church in 1871. 

Archaeological preservation 

Of the various types of work undertaken to recover the archaeology on the site it was only the deep 

trench near the High Street (z87) which definitely recovered archaeological levels down to the Roman 

period and into the natural below (at 3.70m OD). In other areas medieval features were recognised but 

depth of excavation was limited (with the exception of certain elements of the sewer trench zwb94, 

which reached depths of approximately 3.5m below the existing ground surface (c.3.60m O.D.), but 

unfortunately did not produce any dating evidence). 

In addition to the generally limited extent and depth of excavation on the site it was discovered that 

some of the archaeology had been removed already, especially in the areas directly affected by the 

construction of the railway. 

Present ground level around St Mark's is approximately 7.2m OD (bench mark at 7.54m) but the top of 

the archaeology remaining underneath the tracks of the railway was 5.8m OD, while in the trial trench, 

br85, the stratigraphy had been disturbed down to 5.4m OD. The preservation to the north of the 

station was however better with many elements in the stratigraphy surviving at much higher levels 

(c.6.3m OD - see Fig. 21). The "missing" stratigraphy concerns the activity from the 15th century 

onwards, probably relating to re-use of the friary buildings following the dissolution (which began in 

1538), together with subsequent residential and commercial structures fronting onto the High Street 

1.5 Planning Background 

The redevelopment scheme provided for twelve retail units and their service yards which are in the 

main situated on the eastern two thirds of the site. The western fringe of the site has primarily been 

used for car parking with hard and soft landscaping to the east bank of the River Witham. The scheme 

entailed the demolition of all existing buildings on the site, with the exception of the former St. Mark's 

Station building, which has been renovated and incorporated into the new development. 

Preliminary assessment of the potential impact upon the archaeological resource identified the 

following aspects of the scheme:

CLA V Report No. 338: St. Mark's, High Street, Lincoln - Archaeological Investigations 

Volume I 

• Enabling works for the development as a whole including the lowering of present ground level for 

the construction of roads, car parking, working platforms, etc. 

• Excavation of trenches for the diversion of an existing water main (see 4.1, Combined Services 

Trench). 

• Excavation of trenches to allow for the removal of redundant buried services. 

• Demolition of existing buildings and in particular the removal of ground floor slabs and elements 

of substructure. 

• Renovation of the former main station building and in particular groundwork for buried services. 

• Excavation of trenches for drainage and other buried services including possible modifications to 

existing buried services (see 4.1, Combined Services Trench). 

• Modifications and landscaping to the east bank of the River Witham. 

• Piling operations - in particular the need for excavation to remove buried obstructions in 

archaeologically sensitive areas. 

• Excavation to allow for pile cut-off levels and for the construction of pile caps, groundbeams and 

other elements of foundations and substructure such as lift pits, escalator wells, etc. 

Mitigation of the impact upon archaeological remains 

In response to the potential threats to the archaeological resource as detailed above, a mitigation 

strategy was produced by the Client's archaeological consultant, John Samuels Archaeological 

Consultants. This document reiterated the importance of the Carmelite friary as a monument of 

national importance and set out a scheme for mitigation to include as appropriate: 

a) Preservation by engineering design with minimal damage to archaeological remains. 

b) Archaeological excavation to recover and record all information that would otherwise be destroyed. 

c) Archaeological watching brief to record anything of archaeological interest that might be found 

during construction. This was to be subdivided into intensive and less intensive, depending upon 

the information already available and the ability to identify areas of particular potential. 

Upon this basis a staged approach was agreed with the then City Archaeological Advisor, M.J. Jones. 

This comprised the following phases: 

i) Demolition and groundworks - to be dealt with by an archaeological watching brief. 

ii) Archaeological assessment and proposals for the next stage. 

iii) Archaeological excavation of areas of significant importance which would be damaged during 

construction. 

iv) Construction - archaeological watching brief. 

v) Archaeological assessment of requirements for post-excavation analysis and publication. 

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Volume I 

In response to this mitigation strategy, CLAU produced separate project designs for work on the 

Combined Services Trench and for excavations below Units 10,11,12 (the Debenham's store) and Units 

1 and 2 nearer to the High Street. Excavation on the northern part of Units 2 and 17 was carried out at 

later date under a separate project design. 

1.6 Aims and Objectives 

The various project designs produced by CLAU stated a range of possible research objectives 

including: 

• The early line and extent of the River Witham and any indicators of waterside activities (eg 

medieval fish traps, as found 100m to the north at St. Benedict's Square) and evidence for the 

sequence of reclamation between the High Street and the Witham. 

• The Roman commercial buildings fronting Ermine Street (the present High Street), with evidence 

for their function and status within the Roman suburb. 

• Later additions and modifications to Ermine Street and to adjacent structures, up to the actual 

abandonment of the Roman city. 

• Possible "Dark Age" activity, c.A.D. 450 - c.900. 

• Anglo-Scandinavian and Norman occupation/industry c.A.D. 900 - 1250. 

• The medieval Carmelite friary and associated burial ground c.1260 - 1540, and evidence for the 

sequence of demolition and reuse of the friary and its site. 

• The medieval church and graveyard of St. Edward the Martyr. 

• To carry out a controlled programme of deposit sampling for environmental analysis, radiocarbon 

dating, etc., from waterlogged and other deposits (particularly those close to the river) potentially 

containing preserved organic and other material which would provide information about the ancient 

environment (the extent to which deposits could be sampled would depend upon the nature, 

suitability and importance of organic deposits and the extent of destruction to be caused by 

proposed development groundwork as well as any constraints imposed by contamination and site 

conditions generally). 

• To survey exposed deposits and obtain height and other data to augment the Urban Archaeological 

Database and deposit model of the area. 

In practice, the greatest impact of the redevelopment was upon the often shallow remains of the 

Carmelite friary. For this reason, it was decided that the recovery of evidence relating to the friary 

would take precedence over the more deeply buried and thus better protected Roman, Late Saxon and 

Saxo-Norman remains. 

1.7 Methodology 

Trench locations and depths were largely determined by the constraints imposed by the development. 

Particular site circumstances and the archaeological responses are therefore dealt with in detail in the 

separate Area descriptions. 

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Volume I 

All areas were initially cleared of more recent overburden with a mechanical excavator using a 

toothless ditching bucket. The areas were then cleaned by hand and planned at a scale of 1:20. 

Individual context records were made on standard CLAU context sheets. 

In general the excavations in all areas were piecemeal in character, with localised areas of fairly 

intensively investigated deposits within wider areas which were only stripped to the first significant 

archaeological horizon, then recorded and drawn only in plan. 

Post-excavation Methodology 

All context records were checked to ensure accuracy and consistency. Where appropriate, stratigraphic 

matrices were produced to show the relationships between individual stratigraphic units, i.e. contexts. 

However, as noted above, many contexts (often forming part of complex stratigraphic sequences) were 

only ever drawn and recorded in plan without any further investigation to determine their precise 

character, the sequence of deposition or to extract dating material. These contexts have, for the most 

part, been excluded from the site matrices and from subsequent phasing. 

Following the completion of separate matrices for each of the excavated areas (excluding those 

contexts mentioned above), individual contexts representing the same activity and which, as far as can 

be judged, were deposited at the same time and under the same conditions, were grouped together to 

form sets known as "context groups" (cgl, cg2 etc.). These context groups thus correspond to events 

which are clearly recognisable in the site stratigraphy (i.e. a grave cut, coffin, skeleton and backfill into 

the grave) and thereby form the basis for a higher level of phasing to discern temporally related 

structures and activities. The site stratigraphy was then divided into five broad phases, which could be 

readily identified on a site-wide basis. Several factors, including the absence of conclusive 

stratigraphic relationships, the paucity of dating from construction levels, the complexity of the 

archaeology and the consequent difficulty in defining site-wide horizons, have militated against the 

production of a more refined phasing within the time available. The implications of this for further 

study of the site are reviewed below (see Appendix B). 

For the purposes of this report, discussion of modern (Phase V) features in individual areas is confined 

only to the more salient events. Contexts in the South Platform Area, the Turntable Areas, the 

Evaluation, and Areas 4 and 5 produced little stratified or datable material and were therefore excluded 

from any phasing beyond the production of stratigraphic matrices; these areas are only briefly 

discussed below. 

2.0 ZEA95 - SITE EVALUATION 

Evaluation of the site took place during July 1995. While the earlier investigations had served to 

characterise the localised stratigraphic sequence, two important areas were deemed to merit more 

detailed study. These were the putative site of the medieval church of St. Edward the Martyr and its 

burial-ground immediately west of the High Street and north of Firth Road, and the area to the north of 

the former station building, which was known to be the site of the medieval Carmelite friary and its 

burial-ground. 

The trial trenches were located to provide additional information regarding the survival of medieval 

structural remains and to further define the possible extents of the areas that were used as graveyards. 

The programme of archaeological evaluation was therefore designed to: 

• Establish the archaeological content and potential of specific locations on the site by gathering 

sufficient information on the presence/ absence, extent, survival condition, character, quality and 

date of any deposits and remains. 

12


Volume I 

• Assess the importance of any remains/deposits in a local, regional, or national context. 

• Assess the possible scale of development impact on such remains. 

• Provide information which, when considered in conjunction with evidence from previous work, 

might have influenced development design proposals so that impact on archaeological remains 

could be avoided or minimised. 

• Provide information that would allow the Local Planning Authority to reconcile the need for 

development and preservation of archaeological remains and make an informed and reasoned 

decision on a planning application. 

• Provide site specific archaeological information which would allow for the design and integration 

of timing and funding of any further archaeological work (or other mitigating strategy) in advance 

of or during development. 

• Produce a comprehensive site archive including a detailed record of deposits, remains, artefacts and 

samples, etc., for deposition with an appropriate museum. 

Three trenches (1,2 and 3) were located on the site of the Carmelite friary to the north of the station 

building, and two trenches (4 and 5) were positioned to locate evidence of the church of St. Edward the 

Martyr. All trenches were machine-excavated to the first significant archaeological horizon and then 

cleaned by hand. 

2.1 Trench 1 (Fig. 3) 

Trench 1 was positioned to locate any evidence of structures or burials associated with the Carmelite 

friary in the south-east part of the car park to the north of Kingdom Hall. The trench, which measured 

6.50m north-south by 1.60m east-west, was machine-excavated to a depth of 1.2m and then cleaned by 

hand and recorded with no further excavation of deposits. At least one east-west robber trench (541) 

was detected at the eastern end of the trench. A pit containing disarticulated human bone (not lifted) 

had been cut into the robber trench. Further to the north, against the western trench edge, part of what 

appeared to be a stone slab (556) was revealed. For a more complete discussion of these findings see 

4.7, below. 


Trench 2 was located to the west of Trench 1 and immediately to the north of an extension to Kingdom 

Hall. The trench measured 4.40m east-west by 1.60m north-south and was machine-excavated to a 

depth of 1,90m below ground level. To facilitate safe access the trench had to be battered at its upper 

levels. 

A large cut (528), possibly a pit, in the upper levels of the trench cut the latest in a sequence of silty 

sands (top height at 6.78m OD), one of which contained frequent limestone fragments and possibly 

related to the demolition of surrounding friary structures (although the deposit was slightly lower than 

might be expected for this phase). Some localised ashy/burnt deposits (520, 521) at the base of the 

trench (at 5.33m OD) possibly represented the fills of earlier pits. For further discussion of the findings 

from Trench 2, see 4.7, below. 

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Volume I 

Fig. 3: Plan showing location of Remediation and Evaluation trenches. 

14

I 



Volume I 

Trench 3 was located in the north-eastern part of the station yard and measured 10m east-west by 

4.00m north-south, narrowing at its eastern end to 3.40m wide. The trench was excavated by machine 

to a depth of 1.20m below ground level with a rise in base level to the west, where structural remains 

of the friary were encountered. A lm wide slot was excavated by hand at the eastern end of the trench 

to determine whether the friary graveyard extended into this part of the site. The slot, which was 

excavated to a maximum depth of 2.40m below ground level, failed to produce any evidence of human 

bone. To the west of Trench 2 an east-west wall was located. Subsequent excavations (in Area 2) 

demonstrated this to be the south wall of ST9 (see 4.2 below, for further discussion). 


Trench 4 was located against the south railway platform and was intended to further define the 

boundaries of the St. Edward the Martyr graveyard, in this instance to the north of the church. After 

initial mechanical removal of spoil heaps left by previous excavations between the railway platforms 

(z86) from the area designated as Trench 4, two hand-excavated slots were placed against the south 

platform. The dimensions of the easternmost trench (4A) were 3.66m north-south by 1.30m east-west, 

with a maximum depth of 0.50m. The westernmost trench (4B) measured 2.35m north-south by 1.35m 

east-west, with a maximum depth of 1.15m. 

Trench 4(A) produced evidence, at shallow depth, of a possible oven or furnace measuring 0.65m 

across and 0.12m deep. The primary fill of the feature contained charcoal and possible hammerscale, 

i.e. evidence of smithing. Excavation was discontinued at this level. Trench 4(B) contained a sequence 

of soil horizons, the earliest of which (307 - a dark grey loam) probably dates to the early 11th - mid 

12th century. 

There was no evidence of human remains in either trench and it was concluded that the northern 

boundary of the churchyard probably lay below the south platform. 


Trench 5 was located on the putative site of the church of St. Edward the Martyr, at the south-eastern 

corner of the development, in an area previously occupied by an NCP car park. The main body of the 

trench measured 28m east-west x 4.00m north-south. Spurs measuring 5m x 3.30m wide, 7m x 3-4m 

wide, and 8.00 x 3m wide respectively, were then excavated to the north, south and east of the main 

trench with the intention of further refining information concerning the extent and density of 

population of the church graveyard. The trench was generally excavated by machine to the first 

significant archaeological horizon, at a depth of between 0.60 and 0.80m below ground level. The 

trench was then cleaned and recorded with only limited excavation to the south and west where burials 

were encountered. 

Roman 

A narrow sondage through graveyard material to the west of the main trench located, at its base, a 

possible 4th-century horizon consisting of a slightly clayey sandy silt with overlying post-Roman soils 

(232) containing a sizeable assemblage of residual Roman pottery. 

In the easternmost spur from Trench 5, a layer (217) containing a group of mid/late 3rd-century pottery 

sealed an east-west wall (218), which may have formed part of a Roman strip building fronting Ermine 

Street (now the High Street). 

15


Late-Saxon/Early Medieval 

Volume I 

Evidence of probable pre-church occupation (230, 231, 258) was present in the sondage through the 

western graveyard and in the area of the railway turntable in the form of floors interspersed with 

occupation layers. Although these layers could not be closely dated, context 230 contained pottery 

dating to the early 11th to early/mid 12th century. 

The Church of St. Edward the Martyr 

A north-south wall (287) within the western part of the main body of the trench has been interpreted as 

the west wall of the church of St. Edward the Martyr, with its south wall - represented by a probable 

robber trench (296) - transecting the northern end of the southward spur of the trench. A fragment of 

north-south wall (292), which appeared to project southwards from the south face of the main south 

wall, may have represented a porch at the south-west corner of the church, comparable to that found at 

St. Mark's church (sm76) during excavations in 1976-7. Two irregular masonry fragments (283, 292), 

found within the area thought to represent the interior of the church, perhaps represented the remains 

of contemporary structural elements within the building or may have related to a different phase of 

construction. 

Burials in the churchyard lay immediately beyond the walls, to the south and west. At least seven 

articulated skeletons including six juveniles (242, 244, 246, 247, 248, 249) and one baby (245) were 

located in the area to the south of the church along with much disarticulated human bone. Two of the 

burials (244, 246) were contained in stone-lined cists. The graveyard to the west of the church 

appeared to terminate at the line of a north-south ditch (256), which may have demarcated the western 

boundary of the churchyard. There was no obvious evidence of burials beyond this line. In all, five 

burials comprising four juveniles (601, 602, 603, and 650 - recovered at a later date and not shown on 

Fig. 4) and an adult (605) were located within the ditched boundary. These were originally left in situ 

but were later removed prior to groundworks at the time of the ZEA95 excavations. 

A burial (227: not lifted) and possible grave (228) were located at the eastern end of the eastward spur 

and a further burial (267) lay within a slot at the northern end of the northward spur. It is possible that 

these burials originally lay within the interior of the church. 

The evaluation revealed intensive use of the graveyard over a lengthy time span. While individual 

burials, particularly within intensively used medieval graveyards, are notoriously difficult to date due 

to the regular movement of soils and consequent redeposition of finds, pottery from the graveyard 

horizons (213, 233) suggests continuous use from the mid/late 12th century to at least the mid/late 15th 

century. Although the excavation revealed only a limited sample of the graveyard population, there is a 

sufficiently strong representation of juveniles in the sample in relation to adults to suggest a deliberate 

zoning of the graveyard according to age. (See 4.9, below, for further discussion of the graveyard). 

Post-medieval 

Rubble, presumably from the demolished church, extended throughout the majority of the probable 

internal area of the church. These deposits were not investigated in any detail but overlying silty layers 

(209) occurring within hollows were partially excavated. This material contained pottery dated to the 

mid/late 16th - mid/late 17th century which would be broadly consistent with an immediate postdemolition 

accumulation of material. 

A large cut feature (250), recorded in plan but not excavated, was at least 5.20m east-west x 2.50m 

north-south and appeared to truncate the rubble layers. 

16

Railway Turntable 

Service Trench 

605 

256 - Dilch 

1 

1 h 

603 602 

Service Trench 

Fig. 4: Plan showing salient features in Evaluation trench 5. 

5m 

I 

601 

287 

283 

247 

Sewer pipe trench 

\ / 

\ 

265 

Brick sewer 

r? 

Burial - 267 

Possible burial - 227 

218 

Robber Trench 

Exposed Wall 

1^X5 Brick Structure 

228

Modern 


Volume I 

The earlier horizons were cut by several service trenches including a brick sewer and a substantial 

railway turntable, which was partially exposed at the western extremity of the trench. (See also 

Turntable Area 2, 4.11 below). There was also evidence of earthfast timber foundations which may 

have been related to structures associated with the 19th-century timber yard or to later railway activity 

(see 1.3, above). 

3.0 ZEA95 - THE REMEDIA TION TRENCH 

The Remediation Trench (Fig. 3), situated in the station yard to the south of the former bus station 

building, was approximately 85m east-west with a width of around 4m. Archaeological recording, 

during July 1995, was carried out in conjunction with excavations to remove diesel contamination of 

the water table from leaking tanks serving the adjacent bus station. The trench was originally planned 

to extend in a straight line from east to west but a kink in the line was necessary in order to deviate 

around intended pile locations for the Debenham's store. 

The archaeological component of the project expanded from an intensive watching brief to monitor the 

cutting of an initial 4m wide easement prior to the excavation of the recovery trench to its full 5m 

depth below ground level. Any significant archaeological deposits occurring within the depth of the 

easement were left in situ for detailed hand excavation and the non-archaeological overburden, 

comprising mostly sand and gravel ballast, was battered to facilitate safe access to and from the trench. 

Two areas of particularly high potential were identified: a 12m length at the eastern end of the trench 

(Area 1) containing probable remains of the Carmelite friary, and a 20m length some 25m to the west 

of this (Area 2), containing an east-west wall and a series of linear features producing Late Saxon 

pottery. Even further to the west, close to the westernmost extremity of the trench, a possible wall 

constructed from loose stone was located. Due to constraints imposed by the contractor's programme it 

was not possible to investigate the intervening areas more thoroughly and there is a strong possibility 

that more intensive examination would have produced evidence of further deposits. 

A trench-side watching brief was maintained during the subsequent excavation of the trench to full 

depth but only a very schematic record of the deposits could be made. 

Phase I - Early environment and Roman 

The watching brief maintained during excavation of the lower levels of the Remediation Trench 

produced evidence of riverine sediments dating to the Roman period and possibly earlier. The earliest 

deposits encountered were yellowish sands (probably ancient river terrace) which were present 

throughout the trench. The top height of this material could not be measured accurately but probably 

varied, from around 3.00m OD closer to the river with a rise towards the eastern end of the trench. 

The western side of a broad channel filled with riverine sediments was located towards the western end 

of the trench. At approximately 18m from the eastern end of the trench the western edge of a second 

channel was located; this was filled by riverine peats and silts containing frequent sherds of Roman 

pottery dated to the late 3rd/4th century. It was c.7.00 m wide and c. 1.80m deep and was oriented 

approximately north-south. Possible evidence that the channel was navigable during this period was 

provided by a 2.60m long post which had been driven deliberately into the west bank and was held in 

place by large limestone fragments packed around its base. The post was formed from a forked tree or 

branch which may have been roughly trimmed, and which may represent a mooring post or part of a 

jetty. 

18


Volume I 

A series of alternating sand and interspersed peaty horizons, representative of possible episodes of 

overbank flooding followed by peat formation, was indicated by a sequence of sediments (cg377) 

encountered in a small section cut into the underlying natural sediments at the western end of Area 2. 

The sands were found at around 4.51m OD with the lowest deposit - a yellow brown sand saturated in 

diesel - occurring at 4.03m OD. 

Phase II - Late Saxon and early medieval (Fig. 5) 

To the east of Area 2 a dark grey to black sand/silt cg371 was encountered at the lower limit of 

excavation. The deposit, which had been badly contaminated by diesel, was located only in the sections 

of excavated pits and gullies and was not excavated, but could equally have comprised natural 

sediment belonging instead to Phase I. 

Cg371 was sealed by several shallow interleaving layers of sands and silts (including cg362-4, cg366- 

7, cg369-370). Two shallow layers of compact crushed shell indicative of human activity (cg365, 

cg368) occurred within this sequence. These layers were mostly recorded in the north section of the 

trench and are difficult to relate to features found in plan. 

Features included a linear east-west cut cg361 c.2.50m long and c. 1.50m wide with a depth of 0.80m 

(max.). This had steep or near-vertical sides and a concave base, and possibly represents a ditch. It was 

probably cut to the west by ditch cg359 and to the east by ditch cg360 but the relationships were 

difficult to determine without further excavation due to the homogeneity of their respective fills. 

Ditch cg361 cut the lowermost sand/silt cg370 and was filled by a primary deposit (182) of charcoalrich 

sand/silt, which perhaps indicates the carrying out of some form of industrial processing either 

within the ditch or in the immediate vicinity. Cg361 was then apparently filled by a natural process of 

sedimentation. This was overlain by a possible hearth (160) comprising reddish orange (fired) and 

creamy white (unfired) clay, which had slumped into the upper levels of the ditch. Pottery contained in 

cg361 suggests a 10th- or 1 lth-century date. 

Ditch cg361 was cut to the west by cg359, a linear north-south cut at least 3.50m long (extending to the 

south beyond the limit of excavations), 1.00m wide and 0.55m deep (max.). This terminated to the 

north, had steep sides sloping to a concave base, and contained a primary fill (142) of charcoal-rich 

silty sand suggesting a comparable function to cg361. It was also followed by a phase of apparently 

natural sedimentation. Associated pottery suggests that the feature dated to the first half of the 11th 

century. 

Another possible linear ditch, cg360, also terminating before reaching the northern trench edge and 

extending beyond the limit of excavation to the south, cut cg361 to the east. This ditch, with rounded 

corners at its terminal and steeply sloping sides, was at least 3.40m long, 1.20m wide and at least 

0.38m deep. Its primary fill (172) of mid greyish brown silty sand was sealed by a loose, friable layer 

of charcoal (168) 50mm thick. Cg360 dated to the mid/late 11th century. 

Another north-south linear cut, cg358, lay to the west. This was 0.80m wide with steep and regular 

sides breaking to a generally concave base. The feature contained a primary fill of silty sand (176) 

sealed by an apparently natural process of silting; associated pottery indicated a mid- to late 1 lthcentury 

date. The area was then sealed by a friable dark greyish-brown sandy silt cg355, dated to the 

12th century. 

Area 1 to the east revealed a dark grey-brown slightly sandy silt cg396 containing 13th- to early 14thcentury 

pottery underlying the structural elements of the friary and possibly representing groundraising 

activity prior to a westward expansion of the friary. 

19


Volume I 

A line of loose stone, cg350, perhaps the remains of an east-west wall lying close to the western limit 

of the Remediation Trench (Area 3) and associated with 12th-century pottery, may have been a 

revetment related to exploitation of the River Witham to the west. 

V V 

\ 

^ Cg359 

Fig. 5: Plan showing Phase II features in Remediation Trench (Area 2). 

Phase III - Construction and use of the Carmelite friary (Figs. 6 & 7) 

The shallow stone foundations (cg354) of the north wall of a building ST4 in Area 2 comprised two to 

three courses of angular limestone fragments, 10.20m long and 1.30m wide. The stone was irregular 

and pitched at random with no evidence of bonding material. The east (cg352) and west returns of the 

wall had been completely removed by robbing. Dating evidence for the construction of the wall was 

slight but a deposit (167) sealed beneath it which may have lain within the construction cut was dated 

early/mid- 13th century to late 13th/mid-14th century, suggesting that ST4 was constructed as part of 

the friary. 

ST4 was sealed by a layer of loose dark greyish-brown sandy silt, cg353, at least 0.30m thick, which 

was rapidly excavated as part of overburden to reveal the wall. This could represent either a postdestruction 

accumulation of soil or a cultivated horizon that had resulted in further truncation to the 

upper levels of ST4; it was difficult to distinguish from overlying loamy deposits, c.l.Om deep. 

Within Area 1 at the eastern end of the Remediation Trench, a mid-grey-brown sandy silt (cg395) 

0.65m thick may have been deposited as part of ground-raising prior to a westward expansion of the 

friary complex. Overlying structural remains of the friary included the foundations of two substantial 

north-south wall, ST5 and ST6, and a stone-lined pit, cg390. The easternmost of the two walls, ST 5, 

lay at 5.39m OD (upper horizon) and stood upon compact pitched stone footings of at least 1.55m wide 

(Plate 1). An overlying yellow-brown sandy silt, 0.12m thick, dating to the late 14th - mid/late 15th 

century, probably formed a bonding with the higher courses of foundation material. 

20


Volume I 

Fig. 6: Plan showing location of ST4 in Remediation Trench (Area 2). 

Wall ST6 abutted ST5 to the south but the sequence of construction of the two walls could not be 

determined without a more thorough investigation than could be carried out in the time available; no 

datable material was associated with the construction of either wall. ST6 was constructed from dressed 

limestone outer stones with a rubble core. At least four courses of masonry, resting on pitched 

limestone on a clay and mortar base, survived to a depth of 0.90m. The total width of the wall was 

1.50m; it was at least 2.50m long, terminating within the Remediation Trench but continuing to the 

north, beyond the limit of excavations. The highest level of recorded masonry lay at 5.67m OD. 

Pit cg390, immediately to the west of ST6, was lined by roughly flat-faced limestone on all four sides, 

with a rubble and mortar deposit filling the gap between the facing stones and the cut. The total depth 

of the pit was 0.95m with internal dimensions of 1.00m east-west by 1.28m north-south. At its lower 

levels cg390 contained a sequence (cg389) representative of a gradual accumulation of silty and/or 

cessy deposits, the latest of which was an organic cess-like silt (104) dated to the 15 th/16th century, 

preceding final infilling probably at the time of the Dissolution (see Phase IV). The cessy content of 

some of these deposits suggests that the pit might have functioned as a garderobe, possibly serving the 

building or buildings represented by ST5 and ST6. 

An east-west linear cut, cg394, also lay immediately to the west of ST6. The relationship between this 

cut, the wall, and the stone-lined pit cg390 was unclear although the latest fill of cut cg394 dated to the 

Dissolution period. 

Two north-south ditches lay to the west of the features already discussed. The easternmost ditch, 

cg392, was 1.60m wide and 0.70m deep, covering the full width of the trench. It had gradually sloping 

sides breaking to a concave base, with a primary fill dated to the late 13th - mid/late 15th century and a 

tertiary fill of 15th- or 16th-century date. The westernmost ditch, cg393, which terminated before 

reaching the southern side of the trench, was 0.80m wide with a depth of 0.40m. The final infilling of 

this ditch dated to the late 14th/early 15th century. 

21


Volume I 

Fig. 7: Plan showing Phase III features in Remediation Trench (Area 1). 

Plate 1: Looking south at ST5 and ST6 - Remediation Trench (Area 1). 

22


Volume I 

Phase IV - The Dissolution and post-medieval activity 

The stone-lined pit cg390 appears to have gone out of use some time in the 16th century when it was 

filled by a succession of rubble deposits. Associated pottery suggests that ST6 may have been 

demolished towards the end of the 17th century while material from the robbing of ST5 indicates 

demolition in the late 15th to 16th century (a fragment of 17th-century or later clay tobacco pipe found 

in the robbing material was probably intrusive). A dark grey-brown sandy silt extending across the area 

may represent a destruction horizon; it was cut by a small feature, possibly a posthole (cg378). 

Pottery associated with the demolition of ST4 is predominantly of 14th- and 15th-century date, perhaps 

suggesting earlier (Phase III) destruction. A possible posthole, cg351 (0.38m in diameter and 0.29m 

deep), cut the robber trench (cg352) of ST4 and a similar ?posthole further to the west, cg372 (0.30m 

wide and 0.35m deep), truncated the robbing of the west wall (cg373). 

Phase V - Victorian and Modern 

Over Area 1, at the eastern end of the Remediation Trench, deposits of silt (cg345, at 6.05m OD and 

cg344, at 6.15m OD), probably representing an accumulation of material following demolition of the 

friary, were sealed by thick sand and gravel ballast, cg343 (7.20m OD), which was probably deposited 

during railway construction in the mid-19th century. Over the area further to the west (Area 2) a firm 

dark grey silty loam of up to 1.00 m thick was sealed by the same sand and gravel ballast (cg343). 

4.0 ZEB95 - THE EXCA i 

4.1 The Combined Services Trench - Area 1 (Plate 2) 

The Combined Services Trench (hereafter referred to as the CST) occupied the area immediately to the 

north of the St. Mark's railway station building and to the south of the southern limit of the new 

Debenham's store. The excavation of this trench was necessitated by the decision to route primary 

services between the two, including the re-routing of an existing east-west water main which lay within 

the footprint of the proposed Debenham's store. 

The excavation encompassed an area of approximately 53m east-west by 4.00m north-south. A 

narrowing of the trench took place at its eastern extremity where the concrete-capped water main to the 

north encroached on the line of the CST. The trench originally extended further to the west but was 

backfilled once it had been established that significant remains would not be encountered within the 

depth to be excavated for the new services. 

The eastern limit of the CST coincided with the junction point of the old and new water mains. Work 

commenced with a 0.6m wide machine-excavated exploratory trench along the line of the CST, as 

requested by the client's archaeological consultant, in order to confirm the upper level of significant 

archaeological deposits. 

23


Volume I 

Fig. 8: Plan showing location of areas of excavation. 

24


Volume I 

Full-scale excavation commenced with machine-stripping of the full width of the CST. Due to time 

constraints imposed by the need to move the water main prior to groundwork for the Debenham's store, 

it was decided (in consultation with the City's then archaeological advisor M. J. Jones) that recording 

of the remains of the Carmelite friary should take precedence over earlier, more deeply buried deposits. 

This decision was made in the light of previous work, which had shown that the friary remains had 

already sustained considerable damage at the time of railway construction, and in the knowledge that a 

thick and comparatively sterile "dark earth" horizon underlay the more complex but shallow floor and 

occupation levels of the friary. 

Plate 2: Combined Services Trench and demolition of the bus station - looking west. 


There was no conclusive evidence of Roman occupation within the area of the CST, or of any pre- 

Roman land surfaces. 

Phase II-Late Saxon and Early Medieval 

A substantial depth of very dark brown loam was encountered throughout the entire area of the trench 

(cgl208, eg 1242, cgl291, cgl302, cgl352-3). This material may represent a period of abandonment 

between the end of Roman occupation and the reoccupation of the site in the Late Saxon period. 

Only a small number of isolated features may date to the period of pre-friary occupation. These include 

partially exposed clay surfaces (cgl306-7, cgl309, cgl310) and a burnt area (cgl308), possibly a 

hearth, towards the eastern end of the trench. There was evidence of a further possible hearth (cgl361) 

further to the east. These features were not investigated in detail and remain undated. 

25


Volume I 

Phase III - Construction and use of the Carmelite friary (Fig. 9) 

This phase encompasses both the construction of and subsequent modifications to friary buildings, with 

a particular concentration of activity at the eastern end of the CST. 

The lower part of the foundations (cgl336) for a north-south wall, ST30, only very partially revealed at 

the base of a later robber trench, formed an early structural element at the east end of this trench. The 

wall appeared to cut post-Roman "dark earth" but the precise relationship could not be ascertained and 

the possibility that these deposits were contemporary with the wall cannot be discounted. Further 

evidence for a possible Roman date is provided by the position of the wall, which more or less 

coincides with the western limit of Roman buildings found during previous excavations to the north 

(sm76) and south (z86). 

At the eastern end of the trench lay two substantial north-south walls ST 25 (eg 1335) and ST26 

(eg 1350), parallel to and abutting one another, both walls extending into Area 6. 

ST25 postdated a sequence of mortar/sand deposits (cgl338, cgl341) interspersed with possible 

occupation horizons (cgl337, cgl340). It is difficult to relate these deposits to any particular structure 

but the mortar deposits may relate to construction while the more humic layers perhaps indicate 

general movement of material around the site. Pottery associated with the wall suggests a possible 

construction date of the early-mid 13th century. Abutting the west side of, and possibly associated with 

ST25 was a layer sealed by a hearth, eg 1347. 

The construction trench for ST26 cut patches of metalling, almost certainly representing external 

surfacing, and possible pre-construction ground levelling material to the east (cgl351-2, cgl354). 

These external surfaces almost certainly relate to identical deposits occurring further north, to the east 

of ST26 in Area 6 (see 4.5, below), and to the south of ST1 in Area 7 (see 4.6, below). 

Although the stratigraphic relationship between walls ST25 and ST26 is difficult to determine due to 

the effects of later robbing, ST 25 may represent the earlier of the two. A succession of compacted 

deposits, including several mortar layers (eg 1349), lay within an apparent void caused by the deeper 

robbing of its foundations. These, and a similar sequence displayed by the northern extent of the same 

wall in Area 6 (see 4.5, below), probably represented deliberate compaction to provide a stable base for 

later floor surfaces which extended to meet wall ST 26, eg 1350. ST26 was possibly built in the mid- to 

late 15th century. 

A steep-sided pit eg 1317, 0.27m deep, was partially revealed on the southern side of the trench, cutting 

the compacted deposits cgl349. It was semicircular in shape and extended beyond the limit of 

excavation to the south. 

Layers sealing ST30 (cgl332) and ST25 (cgl334) were cut by the construction trench for a very 

substantial north-south wall, ST24 (cgl331). This wall also extended northwards, into Area 6 (see 4.5, 

below). The upper level of ST24 was approximately 1.70m wide and was constructed from four 

courses of roughly hewn limestone blocks bonded by orange-brown sand. Incorporated in the fabric of 

the wall was a reused fragment of door/window or vault rib, dated to the mid-13th to early 14th 

century, and confirming that this building represents a later phase of friary construction. 

The fills of the construction trench for ST24 were partially overlain by a layer of loose mortar 

(eg 1330) containing frequent small limestone fragments which, together with several other deposits 

(eg 1344-5), may represent demolition or perhaps construction activity. Cutting one (eg 1345) of these 

deposits was a grave eg 1328 containing a complete east-west burial, lying supine with arms parallel to 

sides. The presence of iron nails and decayed fragments of wood suggests that this was contained in a 

wooden coffin. The burial, that of a middle-aged adult male, was placed against the south side of the 

foundations of ST24 and had cut into the foundation trench. The earliest (cgl327) of a sequence of 

layers sealing this burial had slumped into the upper levels of the grave; the latest of these, eg 1325,


Volume I 

was cut by a small rectangular pit (0.30m x at least 0.85m) at least 0.32m deep. In the base of this pit 

two disarticulated human limb bones appeared to have been deliberately placed parallel to one another 

on an east-west alignment. This feature was directly overlain by a roughly built, east-west stone 

structure ST29 (cgl328; 1.50m x 0.63m), truncated at its eastern end by the construction of a later 

stone cist (eg 1316). The structure comprised two courses of masonry, incorporating both roughly hewn 

blocks and reused architectural fragments, resting on a bedding layer (0.16m deep) of sandy/gritty silt. 

Feature eg 1321 can, very tentatively, be interpreted as a religious relic with ST29 forming a possible 

monument or marker. 

The stone cist (cgl316) that truncated the east end of ST29 (group 1316) had itself been heavily 

truncated to the north by the 1980's water main installation. The cist comprised two courses of large 

dressed limestone blocks bonded by sandy mortar, the upper course surviving only in the south-west 

corner. The stones were set on edge upon a stone and tile floor and the undisturbed west end of the cist 

was sealed by a single large stone slab (0.77 x 0.58 x 0.12m). The majority of the skeleton had been 

removed during installation of the water main and only the right arm (lying across the surviving part of 

the pelvis) and the right femur remained in situ. 

A further major structural element is represented by ST23 (eg 1251), a north-south wall approximately 

5m to the west of ST24, partially revealed beneath the robbing of a later structure (ST22). This wall, 

constructed from roughly worked limestone blocks bonded by coarse mortar, was at least 1.1m wide 

and at least 1.0m deep; it probably continued northwards, into Area 6 (as cg867; see 4.5, below). A 

buttress projected c.lm from the west face of the wall, close to the northern limit of excavation in this 

trench. 

A major alteration to the friary took place with the construction of ST22, which certainly postdated 

ST23 and probably postdated ST24. The walls of this structure had been removed entirely by post- 

Dissolution robbing but some masonry survived in the form of buttress foundations (cgl217, cgl219, 

eg 1243-4, eg 1247 ). These elements formed the north wall of a substantial structure, the bulk of which 

must underlie the railway station building and the south wall of which was perhaps recovered during 

earlier excavations (z86) to the south of the north platform. A southward return of the robber trench at 

the eastern end of the structure suggests the line of the east wall of ST22. 

Evidence for buttressing at the north-eastern corner of the structure was present in the form of shallow 

imprints of probable comer buttresses, surviving at the base of the robber trench. These were 

positioned directly over separate broad and shallow cuts (cgl301: 1374, 1485) containing a common 

fill (1269, c.0.35m deep) of compacted yellow brown mortar with frequent small limestone fragments. 

Within both depressions, the mortar ''pads" sealed clusters of voids, which had resulted from the decay 

of wooden piles driven into the underlying material. A total of eighteen piles was exposed, twelve in 

one cut (1374) and six in the other (1485); there may have been further piles beyond the limit of 

excavation to the north. In plan, the majority of the pile holes were sub-square to sub-rectangular with 

occasional sub-circular examples, all falling within the range 0.1-0.15m, and generally box-like in 

profile; most were vertical but some were slightly angled. Those in cut 1485 were noticeably deeper 

(0.29-0.68m) than the others in 1374 (0 13-0 29m). 

To the east of ST23, and cutting its foundations, lay a further buttress pad (eg 1295). This was irregular 

(ovoid) in plan (c.2.95 x 2.05m) and contained a compact light yellow/orange mortar (1367, 0.25- 

0.36m deep) very similar to that (1269) within the shallow cuts but differing slightly in composition. 

The buttress pad (1367) was truncated to the south by a modern drain run (egl 184). 

A further pad, eg 1305, was located to the south of the piles and directly beneath the robbing of the east 

wall (eg 1229). Although heavily truncated in plan by the modem drain run (eg 1184), the mortar pad 

was well preserved in the north section, with further mortar deposits representing backfill into the 

trench after construction of the wall foundations. 

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Volume I 

The piles (eg 1301) and mortar 'pads' are likely to represent stabilisation of ground surfaces prior to the 

construction of the masonry foundations for ST22, possibly indicating the need for increased loadbearing 

capacity at this point - perhaps for a more substantial element of the structure, such as a tower - 

or evidencing prior knowledge of a "soft spot" in the area which required more substantial foundations. 

The latter is more plausible, firstly, because of the irregularity of the pits which also extend beyond the 

line of the wall/buttresses, appearing more like general ground consolidation rather than specific 

foundation elements. Secondly, the foundations of ST22 (by all indications a sizeable structure) are 

very insubstantial in comparison to the earlier, very substantial wall foundations represented by ST23 

and ST24. Furthermore, proven incidence of subsidence was recorded in two other areas (see Areas 2 

and 6, 4.2 and 4.5, below). 

To the west of ST23, stratigraphy was truncated by an east-west robber trench, cgl229. The north wall 

of ST22 had been entirely removed and was defined only by the line of this robber trench and by the 

foundations of buttresses to the north (cgl217, cgl219, cgl243-4, cgl247). These buttresses were 

generally near square in plan (1.00-1.20 x 0.95-1.05m) and between 0.33 and 0.65m deep. The 

masonry typically comprised up to two courses of unbonded, rough-hewn fragments of limestone, 

generally underlain by a shallow sand bedding. One buttress (eg 1247) incorporated a reused fragment 

of colonette (ZEB95 ) with a suggested date of c. 1280 - 1320, again confirming that ST22 was a 

later addition to the friary. 

In all, ST22 was approximately 22.0m long. A mortar layer (cgl304) sealing the fills of the 

construction trench for buttress pad cgl295 and abutting wall ST22 probably represents a 

contemporary floor surface (at around 6.50m OD). 

Truncation of the stratigraphy to the west of ST23, by the robber trench eg 1229, and further 

truncation, almost to the southern limit of excavation, by the modern east-west drain (eg 1184) created 

a divide between stratigraphy to the north and that to the south which was primarily recorded in section 

only, and which included a group of burials. The relationship between these burials and any particular 

structural phase is thus difficult to determine. 

The burials include cgl207, cgl269, cgl274 and cgl283, together with another possible grave, 

cgl279; cgl274 postdated both cgl279 and cgl286. These burials covered an east-west area of 

approximately 14m, the western limit being defined by heavy modern truncation related to 

construction of a modern sewer (egl 137), and were at different levels, ranging from 6.08m OD to 

6.37m OD. Cg 1207, at the westernmost point of the grave cluster, had been truncated by the sewer to 

the west and by a geotechnical test pit (bra94) excavated adjacent to the east end of the station portico. 

A partial burial had been found in this pit and it is possible that cgl207 is a previously unrecorded part 

of the same burial. It was also cut by a small pit (cgl204) and an indeterminate, partially recorded 

feature (cgl206) to the west. 

The absence of human remains from sections created during the excavation of deeper features in the 

area to the north, and the similar absence of burials from the majority of Area 2 (excluding the 

immediate cloister area) suggests that the northern limit of this graveyard was probably defined by the 

north wall of ST22. This may imply that the burials were internal, within ST22, but it should be borne 

in mind that the area immediately to the north was not excavated to the same depth. 

A possible floor/occupation horizon (cgl278) sealed grave cgl279 at 6.25m OD. A more convincing 

floor surface (cgl265), comprising a yellow clay with patches of dark grey silt, occurred at between 

6.56 and 6.70m OD, sealing the western part of the burial area and possibly contemporary with a 

surface (cgl304) further to the east. 

Indeterminate cut features (cgl287, cgl289) predated grave cgl283 and could be interpreted as either 

grave-cuts or pits; interleaved with the burials and possible floor surfaces were other features (cgl276, 

cgl298), together with several deposits that are probably best interpreted as general ground make-up or 

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Volume I 

incidental ground-raising resulting from the use of the area as a cemetery (cgl275, cgl277, cgl280-2, 

cgl288, eg 1290, cgl292-3, cgl297). 

ST20 appeared to form a westward continuation of ST22, with buttresses (1232, 1235-6) projecting 

from its north wall, together with a westward projecting buttress (eg 1152) at the north-west comer. 

These buttresses, however, differed in form, size and in construction to those of ST22. The 

stratigraphic relationship of the two structures could not be determined due to severe truncation by the 

modern east-west drain (eg 1184) at the junction between the buildings. 

With the exception of the area truncated by the drain (eg 1184) the very lowest levels of the wall 

footings for ST20 survived intact. A substantial area of the wall core (eg 1177) together with two 

buttresses (1235, 1528) was exposed at the western end of the structure. This demonstrated that the 

wall stood upon a broad, stepped-out foundation of irregular limestone pieces bonded by orange 

mortar. The overall width of the wall could not be accurately ascertained (it continued beyond the 

southern limit of excavation) but the overall length was around 11.00m. Two buttresses (1232, 1236) 

comprised very broad foundation plinths carrying (in the case of 1236) more compact foundations at 

their higher levels. 

Floor surfaces (egl 188, egl 191) probably relating to ST20 were recorded in the south section of the 

trench; these were mainly of mortar, the latest of which (egl 188) lay at between 6.39 and 6.50m OD. 

Wall ST20 (particularly the wider foundations of the buttresses) was sealed by a depth of loamy 

material (egl 151, egl 173-4), suggesting that either the structure was built at or slightly below the level 

of the existing ground surface and material was subsequently dumped against it to raise the level and/or 

to stabilise the building, or that the area to the north was open ground during the life of the building 

and the loam, modified by post-depositional processes - i.e. kitchen gardening and/or worm, root, or 

animal action - built up against it. The former explanation, that ST20 was built at slightly lower level 

than the existing ground surface might account for the broad "plinth" foundations for the buttresses, 

while it is clear from differences in the level of these foundations in relation to those for ST 22, and 

from previous observations of the underlying stratigraphy, that the ground level was probably 

significantly lower at this point than to the east. 

ST19, to the west of ST20, consisted of a stone-lined pit (cgll47) with a north-south wall (1190) 

projecting from its north-east corner (Plate 3). Evidence of robbing along the northern limit of the 

trench probably indicates a westward return of this wall, which presumably formed part of ST16 in 

Area 3 (see 4.3, below). The stone-lined pit was approximately square in plan with external dimensions 

of 2.95m east-west x 2.90m north-south, its walls surviving to a maximum of eight courses on the east 

and comprising faced limestone blocks with no evidence of bonding material. The east, west and south 

walls averaged around 0.60m thick, with a much wider wall to the north, 2.00m wide at its north-east 

corner but with a slight narrowing to the east towards its junction with the north-south wall. The base 

of the feature was lined with a compact yellow mortar (1361) including occasional limestone 

fragments, 50 mm thick, probably the bedding for a more solid base, subsequently removed by 

robbing. Pottery from the base of the pit was of early/mid-13th to mid-14th century in date. 

Cgll90 can best be interpreted as a garderobe pit situated at the south-east corner of ST 16, the 

widened north foundations representing the base for a broad, ramped wall facilitating efficient waste 

collection into the pit. The absence of organic sediments consistent with use as a cess pit perhaps 

supports the suggestion that the base of the feature had been dismantled during demolition. 

A further building, represented only by its floor surfaces, lay immediately to the north of ST20 and 

ST22, its eastern limit defined by ST23. The western limit of these surfaces coincided with the junction 

between ST20 and ST22, where there was very tenuous evidence of a north-south wall (egl 175). The 

relationship between ST20 and this wall is ambiguous, but ST20 is likely to be the later of the two. 

Beneath the surfaces, which were mostly of mortar and interspersed with occupation/make-up levels, 

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Volume I 

was a substantial stone bedding layer cgl241 consisting of unworked limestone fragments. This floor 

base appears to have carried a stone superstructure ST21 (eg 1220) in the area immediately to the west 

of the central buttress (eg 1243) of ST22. Here, three large limestone blocks formed an irregularly 

shaped structure standing 0.25m high, upon a wider course of more regular stone. 

There was no evidence of a continuation of surface cgl241 to the south. Comprehensive robbing of the 

upper levels of ST22 had largely destroyed the stratigraphic relationship between ST22 and eg 1241; it 

is therefore uncertain whether they were contemporary or represented different phases in the life of the 

friary. Cgl241 perhaps defined an external surface occupying the area bounded by ST 14 to the north 

(in Area 3; see 4.3, below) and ST23 to the east, possibly relating to an otherwise undisclosed 

structure. 

Plate 3: ST 19 - stone-lined pit looking north. 

To the north of ST20 was an east-west wall ST32, some 6.5m long and at least 0.8m wide (its northern 

edge lying within the north section), constructed of small, irregular limestone fragments. Associated 

pottery, of early to mid-13th-century date, suggests that this may represent a building predating or 

constructed in the early friary period. 

Phase IV- The Dissolution and post-medieval activity 

ST20 and ST22 appear to have been robbed simultaneously (cgl239, egl 163, egl 165-6, cgl290) at the 

time of the Dissolution. On the whole, the robbing of ST20 was comprehensive, leaving only the lower 

levels of the buttress foundations intact although the robbing itself was largely destroyed by the 

modern east-west drain (eg 1184) and was recorded primarily in the separate buttress cuts. In this area, 

the robbing had cut through a number of deposits (eg 1064, egl 150, egl 169-71) which cannot be 

securely dated and which could belong to either the pre- or post-Dissolution period. 

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Volume I 

Evidence of post-Dissolution disturbance to the graveyard area at the east end of the trench comprised 

a possible intrusion (cgl314) into the stone-lined grave cgl316. A broad, shallow pit (cgl213) cutting 

into the possible floor levels to the north of ST22 may also belong to this period. 

ST19 also appears to have stood until at least the Dissolution period. Its primary fill was a moderately 

compacted clay loam including large limestone blocks and frequent tile (eg 1145). The presence of 

significant quantities of building debris suggests that this material represents post-demolition backfill, 

deposited following removal of the feature's base. It was then backfilled with a succession of 

demolition layers (cgll40, cgll42?, egl 143-4), probably deposited during the destruction of adjacent 

buildings. The fabric of the structure was robbed (eg 1139, eg 1141) at a later date. 

Phase V - Victorian and modern 

A number of small isolated modern features was recorded, mostly in section. Investigation of the CST 

provided detailed information on surface contours immediately prior to the construction of the railway 

in the mid-19th century. This activity is evident at the western end of the trench, with a sand and loam 

deposit eg 1135. The installation of the modern drain eg 1184 had involved the (hand?) excavation of 

rectangular pits along the length of the drain run, leaving unexcavated 'bridges' of roughly comparable 

length through which the pipe was bored. At the southern limit of excavation an east-west brick sewer 

egl 182/1137 was exposed at several points along the line of the trench. 

4.2 Area 2 - Units 10,11 and 12 (Plate 4) 

Area 2 was located at the eastern end of the proposed Debenham's store (Units 10, 11 and 12), 

encompassing an area of 42m east-west by 41m (max.) north-south. In relation to previous structures 

on the site, the area was situated partly in the yard between the railway station to the south and the bus 

station to the north, and partly below the bus station itself, with the western limit of the former 

Kingdom Hall forming its eastern boundary. 

Through the evaluation process and localised investigation immediately prior to the stripping of 

overburden from Area 2, it had been established that floor levels and surviving masonry of the friary 

buildings generally occurred at levels of between 6.00m and 6.35m OD. These deposits had suffered 

relatively slight damage as a result of modem activity. The water main installed in 1987 and an 

adjacent sewer transected the southern part of the site from east to west. A brick-lined tank or cellar 

(4.70m north-south x 3.20m east-west x 1.50m deep) lying to the east of the former station yard was 

possibly associated with the railway or related to an earlier structure. The brick lining of this feature 

was removed by machine as part of the site clearance, and the stratigraphy recorded in section (Area 

2f). 

Further localised destruction of archaeological deposits had occurred at two points in the station yard, 

where what were interpreted as timber foundations for railway buffers had been installed. Below the 

bus station, some truncation of remains had occurred at the locations of pile caps but the formation 

level of the bus station had not resulted in any widespread destruction. During the current development 

aim - 2m wide east-west groundbeam trench (construction gridline E) across the north-eastern part of 

the site was dealt with on a watching brief basis only (Area 2g). 

Formation level for the Debenham's store lay above the floor levels of the friary. However, excavation 

to 5.70m OD for closely spaced pile caps along north-south groundbeams was expected to result in 

almost total destruction of floor horizons of the friary along four north-south corridors (construction 

gridlines 4, 5, 6 and 8). To take into account the anticipated level of destruction in these areas, it was 

agreed that detailed archaeological work would take place in 3.00m wide corridors following the above 

gridlines (numbered Areas 2a-d, respectively). In order to facilitate the integration of data between 

trenches and to take into account the as yet unspecified wider destruction through excavation for 

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Volume I 

services and related enabling works, it was agreed that the latter work would be supplemented by the 

stripping of intervening areas to the upper level of significant archaeological horizons, which then 

would be hand-cleaned and recorded. 

Plate 4: Area 2 looking west - work in progress and demolition of the bus station. 

Immediately to the east of construction gridline 5 (Area 2b), plumbing trenches associated with the 

Remediation Trench (see 3.0, above) had resulted in considerable destruction to the interior of a 

structure interpreted as a kitchen (ST9, see below), particularly with regard to a sequence of tile 

hearths, at least two of which had sustained extensive damage. It was believed that any further damage 

from the installation of services (detailed plans were not yet available) or from any enabling work 

related to the construction of pile caps would drastically reduce the archaeological value of a unique 

element of the friary; the area was therefore recorded in detail (Area 2e) in conjunction with work on 

Area 2b. 

In matching the archaeological response to the anticipated impact of the development some areas were 

investigated in greater detail than others, as outlined above, and were considered as more or less 

separate entities during post-excavation analysis of the stratigraphic sequence. These areas include the 

four north-south construction gridlines (numbered from west to east as Areas 2a to 2d), the kitchen 

area (2e), deposits recorded in section after removal of the brick-lined cellar (2f), and deposits recorded 

in section along the line of the southern delivery area groundbeam (2g). The majority of the deposits in 

those areas between the construction gridlines were recorded only in plan and thus could not be 

integrated into the stratigraphic sequence; only those that can be related with certainty to features 

discussed here are outlined briefly in a separate section of this report (see Unphased contexts outside 

the excavated area, below). 

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Volume I 

There was no conclusive evidence of Roman or pre-Roman activity within Area 2. This was probably 

due to the limited depth of the excavations. 

Phase II - Late Saxon and early medieval 

The only evidence for activity in this phase occurred in the eastern part of Area 2 in 2d, which more or 

less coincided with the area later covered by the western claustral walk of the friary, and in 2f, within 

the sections left after removal of the modern cellar. 

Within the cellar area (2f), "dark earths" cg827 at least 0.80m deep and extending below the lower 

limit of excavation were observed in section. Thirteenth-century pottery, possibly intrusive, was 

recovered from the upper levels of this material. Similar deposits (cg827, cg849) were recorded to the 

east, in Area 2d. 

Overlying the "dark earth" cg827 in the cellar area were the fragmentary remains of a possible hearth 

cg784, comprising two burnt stones and associated layers of burning and possible occupation material. 

In Area 2d, a sequence of clay floors was interspersed with possible occupation deposits (cg812, 

cg818). There was no associated pottery from any of these deposits but a 13th-century date, 

immediately predating the friary, is likely. 


The areas where more detailed recording took place, as outlined above, are discussed separately here. 

Area 2a 

Area 2a followed the westernmost construction gridline (4) in Area 2. Two substantial adjacent northsouth 

walls, ST5 and ST6, probably representing the external west walls of a structure or structures in 

the area to the east, lay within the width of the excavated area. These were examined in four sections 

across their respective robber trenches, in addition to the recording which took place at the time of 

work on the Remediation Trench (see above, 3.0). 

In the southernmost section, the only remnants of ST5 (cg574) to survive robbing (cg568) comprised a 

1.3m wide base of unworked limestone pieces (at 5.22m OD). Excavation was limited to removal of 

the robber trench fill. In a section further to the north, the foundations of the wall, cg548, comprised 

limestone blocks with a total width of 1.25m (at c.5.33m OD); the upper part of the foundations had 

been removed by robbing. 

At the northern end of Area 2a, a further section across ST5 revealed two courses of faced limestone 

blocks with a rubble core, cg542, surviving to a height of 0.30m. The wall was 0.90m wide, with a 

wider (1.10m) base raft of smaller stone (at least 0.50m deep) with no obvious bonding material. The 

top of the wall lay at a height of 6.05m OD. To the north, a buttress projected westwards from its west 

face; to the east it was abutted by an identical east-west wall, cg540, at 5.62m OD. Several reused 

architectural fragments including part of a late 13th-/early 14th-century hoodmould from a door or 

window, and a fragment of grave marker, were incorporated into cg542, suggesting that this wall 

belongs a later phase in occupation of the friary than its initial construction. 

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Volume I 

The adjacent wail to the west, ST6, survived robbing in the southernmost section as a base of 

unworked pitched limestone blocks, cg571, bonded by yellow-white mortar. The wall, which 

terminated to the north, was 0.45m long and 0.5m wide (at 5.1 lm OD). At the south end of the robbing 

of this wall another stretch remained, ST7 (cg573), representing an east-west return (i.e. the south wall) 

and comprising foundations of unworked pitched limestone 0.80m wide (at 5.44m OD). The northsouth 

robber trench of ST5 (cg568) separated this from a probable eastward continuation cg575, 

composed of three courses (part exposed) of small limestone pieces with roughly hewn facing stones 

bonded with orange sand (at 5.66m OD). It may have continued eastwards, as marked by the line of a 

robber trench (cg570), to meet ST10 in Areas 2b and c (see below). The relationship between this wall 

(cg575) and ST5 (cg574) could not be determined because the stratigraphy was truncated by the robber 

trench (cg568). Further north, ST6 seems to have been entirely removed by a robber trench, cg546. 

A yellow mortar layer, cg544 (at 5.99m OD), occupied the area between ST5 and ST6 and the northern 

limit of excavation. Cutting this surface immediately north of ST5 (cg542) was an east-west drain, 

cg528. It was roughly constructed with a floor of tile and limestone slabs (base height at 5.83m OD) 

and pitched limestone/tile walls, with a cover of limestone blocks. It was square in profile, 0.40m wide, 

and passed through wall ST5 (cg542). It was least 1.50m long, probably continuing further to both east 

(2196) and west (2022), its eastward continuation represented by the line of robber trench cg578 in 

Area 2b (see below). 

A patch of stone metalling cg545, to the west of ST5 (cg542), probably represented an external 

surface. 

Area 2b 

Area 2b (construction gridline 5) measured 3m east-west by 31.50m north-south, its northern end 

extending to the line of east-west gridline E. Apart from the most southerly part of the area, the trench 

was excavated to full depth at 5.70m OD. 

The southern part of the area was occupied by elements of a structure or structures defined by the 

robber trench (cg679) of ST10 to the north, and a north-south return of this trench which followed the 

line of 2b to meet the east wall of ST16 (cg431), as found in Area 3 (see 4.3, below). The internal floor 

of this structure was of pink mortar 20mm thick (cg681) upon a base of tightly packed stone (cg683: at 

6.10m OD). 

To the north of ST10 lay a stone-lined soakaway and drain set into external metalled surfacing, with 

evidence of pitting further to the north in the area immediately to the west of what has been interpreted 

as a kitchen, ST9 (see 2e, below). The earliest deposit in a sequence of metalling was a compact layer 

of limestone cobbles with occasional tile fragments, cg665, which was left in situ. This was overlain by 

a sequence of deposits, the latest of which - a compact but friable mid-yellow mortar (cg660: 6.06m 

OD) - was cut by the stone-lined soakaway cg659. The stone lining of this circular soakaway, c. 1.30m 

deep, remained intact on the northern side only, its southern side having been truncated by a later pit 

(cg654); it was at least 1.10m in diameter. 

A stone-lined drain cg647 emptied into the east side of the soakaway and further east it extended 

beyond the limits of Area 2b before turning northwards, where it passed through the south wall of the 

kitchen, ST9 (see 2e, below). The total east-west length of the drain was 4.5m; the limestone-flagged 

base was bordered by rectangular stone blocks, forming its walls. 

Owing mainly to the decision to leave these structures in situ, associated material was sparse or nonexistent; 

the date of their construction is therefore uncertain. 

A large unlined pit, cg601, was partially excavated to the north of the soakaway and west of the 

kitchen area (ST9). It had been cut to the south by an east-west plumbing trench, installed during pre- 

36


Volume I 

development ground remediation works to the south of the bus station in 1995, and its western extent 

lay beyond the limit of excavation. The excavated north-eastern portion was sub-square (1.20m x 

1.10m) in plan with a rounded comer; it sloped steeply to a depth of 1.00m from ground level (its base 

lying at 4.89m OD). The primary (2528) and secondary (2468) fills probably represent an initial phase 

of gradual silting. 

To the north of cg601 were two parallel robber trenches representing the line of east-west walls. The 

southernmost robber trench (cg586) continued eastwards to define the north wall of the kitchen area 

(ST9), possibly marking the line of an external wall bounding a yard or garden here, to the west of the 

kitchen. 

The more northerly wall, ST8 (cg591) had been robbed (cg584) to the lowest levels of its foundations, 

which consisted of a layer of smallish, roughly pitched limestone fragments with loose, patchy, 

whitish-yellow mortar. This base projected beyond the limits of the robber trench and must have 

formed a broad plinth within a wider construction trench sealed by adjacent mortar surfaces. 

Between these two walls (as represented by the line of robber trenches cg586 and cg591) lay a 

sequence of possible floor surfaces (cg589, cg590, cg595). A compact surface of light brownishyellow 

mortarv clay mixed with small limestone pebbles, cg595, sloped down slightly to the north and 

was by cut a stone drain, cg592. The latest surface, sealing the drain, was a compact mid-pink/red clay 

cg589, surviving in patches at 5.95m OD; this contained a small group of late 14th-century pottery. 

Drain cg592 was 0.50m wide and at least 5m long. It was oriented north-north-west to south-south-east 

and comprised a base of limestone slabs with single courses of smaller stone forming the walls, 0.12- 

0.13m high. There was no surviving evidence of a stone cover. Cg592 was found both to north and 

south of ST8 but was truncated further south by robber trench cg586, at a point where it may have 

passed through the north wall of ST9. The base of the drain sloped from south (5.79m OD) to north 

(5.72m OD), suggesting an outflow northwards from the kitchen. 

To the north of ST8 lay a very dark brownish-grey fine silty loam (cg593) containing a few small 

limestone fragments (5.74 - 5.80m OD), at least partially sealed by a light brown-orange silty sand 

(cg587), and probably representing a construction or levelling layer no later than the Dissolution in 

date, according to associated pottery. 

This area was separated from that to the north by a modern east-west linear cut. Evidence of structures 

here included some loose stone (2620), perhaps representing a northward (?robbed) continuation of the 

drain cg592. At the northern limit of excavation, an east-west drain had been robbed (cg578). Other 

indeterminate masonry fragments were also very partially exposed. 

Area 2c 

Area 2c (construction gridline 6) measured 25m north-south by 3m east-west; the southernmost 6m of 

the trench was narrowed to 2.00m to facilitate more rapid excavation and recording. 

Within the southernmost 6.00m section was a succession of mortar floors and overlying silty 

occupation deposits (cg742, cg748-9, cg751-4). The earliest of these, cg754, was a loose grey/yellow 

mortar (cg754) containing frequent limestone fragments, a maximum of 0.30m thick where it dipped to 

fill an underlying surface hollow; it was possibly deposited to level the ground prior to initial 

construction or rebuilding. The latest deposit, cg742, again sloped into a dip to the north. 

To the north of these deposits was an east-west wall cg741, 0.45m wide, constructed from roughly 

hewn limestone pieces set in a sandy clay matrix and surviving robbing (cg737) to a height of 0.27m. It 

appears to have been contemporary with the latest of the floor surfaces, cg742. A short distance to the 

north of wall cg741 lay the foundations of a substantial east-west wall, ST10 (cg745), which almost 

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Volume I 

certainly extended to meet ST14 to the east (see Area 3: 4.3, below). A 3.80m length was revealed 

within the confines of Area 2c and immediately to the east, where it had been truncated by a modern 

pit. The wall was 1.75m wide and, apart from a few facing stones to the south, survived at lower 

foundation levels only. The lower two courses consisted of large irregular limestone blocks containing 

a rubble core, bonded with compact olive yellow clay. Above this was a course of smaller stone and 

clay, which may have formed an interface with the superstructure. This almost certainly represented 

the north wall of a structure which incorporated ST18 to the south (in Area 3; see 4.3, below). Cg741 

was probably the remains of an internal dividing wall within this building; it lay parallel to a 

comparable east-west wall to the south (cg756) whose robber trench (cg732) cut floor material cg749, 

both walls perhaps representing partitions within the same building. 

Cobbled surfaces north of wall ST10 suggest this to have been external area; investigation here 

(ZEA95) revealed no evidence of structural remains beyond the line of the east wall of the kitchen 

block (ST9, see below), with the exception of a shallow mortar horizon which may have been 

deposited during the construction of ST10. To the south of the wall were patches of internal flooring. 

A possible east-west robber trench (cg715), further to the north, was partially excavated. It appeared to 

continue to the west but could not be related to any other structures with any certainty. 

The footings of a north-south wall, ST11 (cg702), lay at the northern end of Area 2c. This comprised 

two courses of roughly hewn limestone bonded by mid-brown sandy mortar and was 0.50m wide; it 

survived to a height of 5.98m OD. Truncation by modern features had taken place to north and south, 

leaving a lm section of masonry, while any continuation further to the south was obscured by 

unexcavated demolition material (cg700). The slight dimensions and shallowness of its footings imply 

that this was an internal wall but it was not possible to relate it to any other structural elements. 

A complex sequence of possible occupation/floor surfaces (including cg704: 5.88m OD) recorded in 

section immediately to the west of ST11, probably represent associated/contemporary deposits. 

Area 2d 

Area 2d designates the area of the easternmost north-south gridline (8) of the Debenham's plot. It was 

not possible, within the time available, to reduce the entire area to the base level of the pile caps (at 

5.70m OD), and the area which lay beneath the former bus station in particular was only cursorily 

investigated. However, the southern part of the area was explored in sufficient detail to provide a 

reasonably comprehensive record of friary remains. 

Area 2d more or less coincided with the west claustral walk and its flanking walls. To the south of the 

area a 1.00m wide north-south slot was excavated across the line of the eastward return of the walls, 

i.e. the south claustral walk. The outer cloister wall, cg847, had been substantially robbed away at this 

point, its higher levels surviving as a line of roughly worked limestone blocks bonded by mid 

yellowish-brown sandy mortar. 

The inner cloister wall had also been robbed (cg820). The robber trench, at least 1.65m. wide, was only 

partially excavated (to a maximum depth of 0.65m) and produced no evidence of surviving masonry. A 

sequence of mortar deposits cg824 (0.25m deep), between the two walls, probably represented flooring 

within the south claustral walk. There was no attempt to excavate below this level to the underlying 

"dark earth" horizons, and the presence of burials cannot be discounted. 

Further south, at the southern end of the north-south slot, a partially exposed cut, cg836, possibly 

represented the robber trench of the south wall of the southern range of the cloister. A yellowish-brown 

sandy clay cg846 approximately 1.0m thick (c.6.12m O.D.), lying between the ?robber trench and the 

inner cloister wall, possibly represented the remains of internal flooring. 

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Volume I 

The southern end of the west claustral walk and its associated walls was investigated in some detail. At 

this point, the inner cloister wall and claustral walk lay within the boundaries of Area 2d with the outer 

cloister wall just outside it to the west. The outer wall, 1.3m wide here on its western side, was 

recorded at two points (cg795 and cg806) 9.5m apart. A substantial section of its west face was 

exposed in section following removal of the modern brick-lined cellar (2f) immediately to the west of 

Area 2d. Removal of a skin of bricks built against the face of the cloister wall revealed masonry 

standing to a height of 1.2m and extending below the lower limit of excavation. The wall comprised 

seven courses of limestone with roughly faced outer stones and a rubble core, bonded by yellow-brown 

sandy mortar. The top height of the surviving masonry occurred at 6.31m OD. The second exposure of 

the wall, cg806, in a narrow sondage to the north, revealed only its east face. 

A possible corner buttress (2293) at least 1.90m wide projected westwards for a distance of 1.45m 

from the south-west corner of the outer cloister wall. The feature could not be examined closely 

enough to confirm this interpretation and could equally be interpreted as a stone-lined pit. 

The inner cloister wall was revealed at two locations (cg811, cg822) but its full width could not be 

determined. The southernmost exposure, cg822, revealed the western face of the wall and a 1.15m 

width of masonry. Its foundations consisted of a single course of large, roughly squared blocks, sealed 

by a thick sand/mortar (7035) to a depth of 0.18m (max.). The remnants of the wall, which survived 

robbing only on its west side, stood to a height of 6.04m OD. Further to the north the eastern face of 

the wall, cg311, had also been largely cut away by later robbing; the surviving stonework was roughly 

faced and bonded by light yellowy-brown silty sand. 

Patches of mortar, probably representing floor surfaces, were found at the south (cg323: 6.02m OD) 

and centre (cg824; cg803: 6.06m OD) of the claustral walk. The earlier of two burials within the 

southern end of the claustral walk, cg825, which was initially exposed during machine-excavation of 

the adjacent modern cellar (Area 2f), was at least partially sealed by the mortar floor. This was the 

skeleton of an adolescent or young adult ?male, lying supine with arms across the pelvis and legs 

extended. The feet had been truncated, presumably during robbing of the inner cloister wall. 

The second burial, cg821, was that of an adolescent, comprising a complete skeleton lying on an eastwest 

orientation with legs and arms extended. The skeleton was in a generally good state of 

preservation and lay at 5.65m OD. This grave had been cut into the mortar flooring within the claustral 

walk. 

Removal of mortar surfacing from a 4.50m north-south section to the north of these two burials 

produced no conclusive evidence of further graves. 

Area 2e - ST9 

ST9, which is interpreted as a possible kitchen serving the friary, lay immediately to the east of Area 

2b. The northern side of ST9 was formed by wall cg611, which had been almost completely removed 

by a robber trench (Phase IV, cg586) and survived only as three irregular clusters of small unbonded 

limestone from the lowest course of foundation material (2566-8). The east and south walls had been 

comprehensively robbed (Phase V, cg630 and cg633 respectively) although a short remnant of the east 

end of the south wall was located during the Evaluation (Trench 3; see 2.3, above). The west wall had 

been removed by an earlier (Phase III) robber trench (cg607). 

ST9 encompassed an internal space of around 6.0m east-west by 4.7m north-south. The northern wall 

(cg611) may have continued westwards to form an external wall (in Area 2b; see above) with external 

areas almost certainly lying to the south and west. 

Within ST9, a heavily compacted dark brown silty loam cg629 was sealed by a centrally-positioned 

rectangular hearth, cg628, comprising late 13th- to late 14th-century roof tiles set on edge. It measured 

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Volume I 

2.10m north-south by 1.56m east-west; its northern edge abutted the north wall (cg611) but its 

southern end had been truncated by a modern plumbing trench. Limestone edgings defined its eastern 

and western borders; the north-western corner had been cut by a later hearth (cg621, see below). The 

hearth sloped from south (5.98m OD) to north (5.77m OD), where some slumping may have occurred. 

Loam cg629 was also partially sealed by a sequence of silts, sands, and clay (cg622, cg625-7), the 

uppermost of which (cg622) was cut by a later hearth cg621, situated midway along the northern wall. 

This rectangular hearth also comprised roof tiles, mainly of late 13 th- to late 14th-century date, set on 

edge within a limestone surround (Plate 5). It extended over an area 2.50m east-west by c. 1.00m northsouth 

(its upper surface at 5.83m OD); a small patch (0.43m x 0.62m and 0.07m thick) of burnt stone 

and clay, cg620, may represent a repair to cg621. 

Hearth cg621 appears to have been completely renovated with two layers of similar tile, cg619, still 

contained within the existing limestone surround. The lower layer (2855), comprising tiles laid flat, 

was overlain by a layer of closely packed tiles set at an angle and bonded with mortar (2807). The 

surface of this hearth lay at 5.96m OD. 

Plate 5: Tile hearth (cg621) - looking south-west). 

One of two later hearths, cg613, was constructed of tightly packed late 13th- to late 14th-century roof 

tiles, some laid flat and bedded into creamy mortar to the west, where it abutted the west wall. This 

hearth measured 2.40m long by 1.2m wide; a central strip had been blackened by heat. It was truncated 

to the south by a modern east-west plumbing trench (2115) but another fragment of hearth, cg646, 

further south in the south-west corner of ST9, probably represents the south end of cg613. Cg613 lay at 

6.01m - 6.02m OD and was directly sealed by a layer of loose tile cg612 (cut by robber trench cg607 to 

the west), possibly representing a phase of demolition or abandonment. 

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Volume I 

The second of these later hearths, cg616 (its upper surface at 6.14m OD), was constructed from tile set 

on edge and was c. 1.30m wide; this also had been truncated by the modern plumbing trench (2115) to 

the south and by a further hearth, cg610, to the north. 

Hearth cg610 comprised closely packed tiles set on edge, again with a central heat-blackened strip; it 

abutted the north wall (cg611) and measured 2.60m east-west by 1.0 - 0.40m north-south (it was 

partially truncated by the robbing of the north wall) with a top height at 6.25m OD. This hearth 

postdated abandonment deposits cg614 and cg612 (see above) and might more properly belong to 

Phase IV. 

Area 2f (Plate 6) 

The stratigraphy in Area 2f was recorded in section following the machine-removal of the modern 

brick-lined cellar that had cut into the west range of the cloister, in the angle between the north (cg794) 

and east (cg795) walls of a room in the south-west corner. The north and west sections revealed a 

succession of probable floor surfaces, the earliest of which was a firm but friable light yellow mortar 

(cg789/cg786: 5.91 OD) around 0.02m thick. This and subsequent layers almost certainly relate to wall 

(cg794) to the north. It was overlain by a layer of orange brown sand (cg788) and a later ?occupation 

deposit (cg778). 

Plate 6: Area 3 - north wall of ST 12 and associated floors to left - looking north. 

A later clay floor, cg776, lay at 6.02m OD in the south, rising to 6.15m OD in the west section of the 

trench. A succession of later floors survived only in a small area adjacent to the wall: a friable yellow 

mortar (cg774) at 6.09m OD, and a firm brown clay (cg772) at 6.17m OD. The latest floor, cg771, was 

of reddish mortar on a base (0.09m thick) of irregular limestone pieces bonded by creamy white mortar 

containing limestone fragments. It extended throughout the west and much of the east sections of the 

trench, its upper surface lying at 6.17m OD. Outside, to the west of the cellar, this floor extended 

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Volume I 

westwards to the line of ST14 (see Area 3: 4.3, below) and southwards to the line of the robber trench 

(cg737) of wall cg741 in Area 2c (see above). It abutted the north wall, cg794, but any direct 

relationship with the wall to the east, cg795, had been removed by the insertion of the cellar. However, 

its eastern limit was almost certainly defined by this wall, and it thus represents a room, ST12, within 

the west range of the cloister. A small quantity of plaster found within the demolition debris of the 

north wall showed evidence of decoration, with purple paint on a white ground. 

Area 2g 

Area 2g denotes the area to the north of Area 2 where recording took place following the excavation of 

an east-west trench (gridline E) to accommodate the southernmost groundbeam of the Debenham's 

goods delivery area. 

Possible floor horizons cg839 towards the western end of the trench were associated with an 

indeterminate fragment of masonry cg843, possibly part of a wall. At the eastern end of the trench a 

large pit cg844, which had been severely truncated by the groundbeam but survived to the north, 

revealing a hemispherical shape (2.40m east-west x 0.68m north-south). It was steep in profile, 

breaking to a flat base 0.69m deep. The primary fills of this pit, sands and silts with a mortar lens, were 

sealed by a distinctive horizon of very hard orange-yellow sandy mortar containing frequent limestone 

fragments, possibly evidencing use as lime kiln. The absence of datable finds and of stratigraphic 

evidence precludes the close dating of this horizon but a Dissolution or post-Dissolution date would be 

consistent with its use as a lime kiln. The final deliberate infill (2474) contained a clay tobacco pipe 

bowl dated toe. 1680 - 1710. 

Unphased contexts outside the excavated areas 

Areas beyond those already described above were rapidly cleaned and recorded only in plan. While an 

attempt was made to determine stratigraphic relationships, these remained unconfirmed by excavation; 

furthermore, it was not always possible to define the nature or function of contexts that were only 

partially exposed. Contexts recorded in this way thus offered little potential for integration into the 

overall stratigraphic sequence, and only the features that can be related with certainty to those already 

discussed are outlined here. 

The foundations of a substantial structure were partially exposed to the north-east of Area 2. The south 

wall of this structure (2422) consisted of large facing stones with a rubble core, 1.15m wide (at its 

upper level), surviving to a height of 6.30m OD. Further to the west another fragment of masonry 

(2392) surviving to the same height probably represented part of the same wall, giving an overall 

observed length of 7.0m. 

The east wall (2425) was of identical build with, and formed a northward return from, the south wall 

(2422). A modern truncation separated this stretch of wall from a drain (2498) which passed through it 

further to the north. The drain, which was not excavated, had an internal width of 0.17m between walls 

of limestone blocks (top height at 6.24m OD) bonded with yellow-brown mortar. 

The south face of a wall (2479; at 6.35m OD) was found at the northern limit of excavation. This wall 

extended to a southward projection (2502) which again was constructed from large outer limestone 

blocks bonded by sandy brown mortar, with a rubble core; it may have been a buttress but is more 

likely to have been a southward return of the wall, the other end of which may be represented by the 

line of a robber trench immediately to the west of the masonry fragment (2392) at the westernmost part 

of the south wall. The structure thus formed probably represented a room within the north range of the 

cloister. 

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Volume I 

Abutting the north face of, and slightly offset to the north of the north wail (2502), was an east-west 

wall (2503) constructed of limestone blocks with mcrtar bonding. It extended westwards beyond the 

limit of excavation, suggesting an adjacent structure to the west of the north range. 

To the west of Area 2 two north-south features, possibly robber trenches, were revealed in the northern 

half of the site between Areas 2a and 2b. Two poorly defined concentrations of masonry within this 

run possibly represented the remains of the east wall(s) of the range defined by ST5/6 to the west. 

Phase IV-The Dissolution and post-medieval activity 

Analysis of the pottery and finds from Phase IV suggests that the majority of the buildings were 

demolished in the mid-16th century - probably at the time of the Dissolution. The kitchen area, 

however, may have continued in use until at least the end of the 17th century, as indicated by material 

from the robbing (cg586) of the north wall. The evidence from the interior of the structure is less 

comprehensive but a copper farthing of Charles I, issued 1635-49, from a later deposit (2153) may 

indicate continued use. There is little evidence for continued use of the buildings to the south, and it 

therefore seems likely that the kitchen in this phase served buildings to the north. Although the 

adjacent pit (cg601) and the soakaway (cg659) together with the drain (cg647) were filled with 

demolition material at the time of the Dissolution, a group of broad, shallow pits (cg673-4, cg676) 

situated in the area formerly occupied by buildings to the south, and containing 17th/18th-century 

material, could represent rubbish pits associated with post-friary occupation. 

Another element of the friary which may have survived well into the post-medieval period is the inner 

west wall of the cloister. The line of this structure was preserved in the western property boundary of 

the terraced houses fronting the High Street. Material from the robbing of this wall suggests a late 

17th- to late 18th-century date for its demolition. A later ditch following the line of the robber trench 

replaced the wall. This sequence corresponds with the possible survival of the inner cloister wall in 

Area 6 (see 4.5, below). 


The majority of the modern structures found in Area 2 probably were associated with the railway from 

the mid-19th century onwards. The large brick cellar probably relates to a brick structure first shown 

on the 1842 map by JS Padley (corrected to 1851). On the 1887 First Edition Ordnance Survey map, a 

series of railway terminals is shown to the west of this structure and the deep pits found in this area of 

the site almost certainly held the railway buffers for these terminals. 

4.3 Area 3 - Southern Edge of Units 10,11 and 12) 

Area 3 was located within the southern extremity of the new Units 10, 11, and 12 complex containing 

the Debenham's store. It was convenient to approach Area 2 to the north (which covered the remainder 

of the Debenham's site) and Area 3 as separate entities because of the division made by the modern 

east-west water main and sewer. 

The primary objective of excavation in this area was to record deposits occurring within the limits of 

the southern perimeter groundbeam and pile caps of Units 10, 11, and 12, together with the southern 

extents of the connecting north-south groundbeams. As with Area 2, the work was completed in two 

stages with the first stage concentrating on the eastern part of the site to allow for piling to commence 

with a minimum of delay. Area 3 encompassed an area of around 33m east-west by a maximum of 5m 

north-south, with the trench narrowing to east and west. 

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Volume I 

Area 3 was not excavated to sufficient depth to encounter Roman remains. 


A dark grey silt containing frequent mussel shells, cg474, predated the foundations (cg473) of a 

probable friary building (ST14) and may therefore relate to a pre-friary phase of activity. 


The remains of at least four separate friary structures were clearly defined in Area 3. These consisted 

of the south-west corner of a major structure, ST14, and an associated stone-lined pit, to the east of the 

trench. This was adjoined to the west by the southern part of a room, ST18, possibly forming part of a 

range extending to the north. A probable external wall, ST17, linked ST18 to the southern part of a 

building, ST15/16, to the west. 

Fig. 11: Plan showing Phase III features in Area 3. 

ST14 rested upon a lower foundation course of large flat limestone blocks, cg473, bonded by pale 

yellow mortar, with upper foundations of large limestone blocks bonded by coarse orange sand. The 

foundations for a westward-projecting corner buttress, which was recorded in greater detail, contained 

a total of seven courses of limestone above cg473. The upper two courses, which may have been 

contiguous with the superstructure, comprised large, roughly cut limestone blocks sealing a 0.12m 

offset to the west consisting of five courses of large, roughly hewn limestone blocks. The full width of 

the wall was not exposed. 

A mortar surface cg471 abutted the south side of ST14 but it is not clear whether this was an internal or 

external surface. It sealed a deposit of dark grey sandy silt cg470 which could have resulted from 

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Volume I 

ground-raising activity following the construction of the wall, or which possibly represented 

construction trench fill. 

A stone-lined pit cg466 was built onto the corner buttress of cg473, its east wall formed by the buttress 

foundations while the remaining walls were constructed mainly from large, roughly hewn limestone 

blocks, occasionally incorporating reused architectural fragments. The pit was 1.28m east-west by 

0.80m north-south and c.l.35m deep, with a primary fill of slightly cess-like organic silt (3136-7), 

almost certainly indicative of its use as a garderobe. Associated pottery suggests that this probably 

remained in use until the early to mid-16th century. 

A mortar surface cg464, possibly contemporary with the use of pit cg466, covered the area 

immediately to the north, extending to the northern limit of excavations. The relationship between 

cg464 and the adjacent structures could not be determined and it is unclear whether this was an internal 

or external surface. A layer of clay/silt, cg460, possibly an occupation layer, sealed surface cg464. 

Immediately to the west of the stone-lined pit lay the southern end of a building, ST 18, which extended 

into Area 2 (Plate 7; and see 4.2, above). The single room of the structure as recorded within Area 3 

had internal dimensions of c.3.40m east-west by at least 2.80m north-south to a point where it was 

truncated by the modern water main to the north. The walls of the building had been robbed to 

foundation level or below. The west and south walls were of similar construction, with plinths of 

pitched limestone (3095, 3097) carrying an upper course (or two courses in the case of 3095 to the 

south) of roughly squared outer stones with an inner rubble core, bonded by pale yellow-brown sandy 

mortar. The east wall had been robbed almost completely, to the level of its pitched limestone base 

(3115), but an upper course of large blocks with a smaller stone core (3102) survived on a projecting 

southward spur which extended beyond the southern limit of excavation. A similar spur (3105), 

apparently keyed into the south wall, was found 1.00m to the west. Neither of these projections from 

the main wall extended as far as the Combined Services Trench a short distance to the south, so they 

most likely represent the foundations for a small entrance porch into ST18. 

Plate 7: Area 3 - ST 18- looking north. 

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Volume I 

The interior of ST18 was floored with a pinkish-grey mortar lying on a 0.16m thick pitched limestone 

base, and sealed by a possible occupation layer of mid-grey silt with evidence of burning, cg446. 

Partial destruction of the floor surface had occurred through what was presumed to be post-Dissolution 

robbing. Possible earlier floors and floor make-up layers (cg448-451) were visible only in section. 

Cg436 represented the foundations of a wall, ST17, c.7.3m long, linking ST18 in the east to ST16 in 

the west. The orientation of ST17 varied slightly from the general east-west alignment of the majority 

of the friary structures, with a tilt towards west-south-west/east-north-east. The eastern part of the wall 

had been severely truncated by robbing - probably at the time of the Dissolution - but a 2.60m length 

of foundations survived to the west, c. 1.05m wide and comprising large, roughly squared outer stones 

with a core of medium sized, roughly hewn limestone blocks. The profile of the robber trench 

indicated that the upper wall was narrower than the surviving foundations. From the limited 

stratigraphic evidence available it is difficult to advance a sequence of construction although ST17 was 

butt-jointed onto ST18 at its east end, suggesting that it was built onto an already existing structure 

(ST18). Evidence for the sequence of construction at its western end, where it met ST16, was 

inconclusive but it seems likely that ST17 and ST16 were built at the same time. Both of these walls 

incorporated reused architectural fragments including openwork tracery of 14th-century or later date, 

implying reuse of debris from an earlier (friary) structure. The presence of loamy soils, possibly 

indicative of cultivation, to both north and south of ST17 suggests that ST17 may have represented an 

external boundary wall (see below). 

ST 16 formed the southern end of a building lying to the west of the friary complex. The east wall 

(cg431) of the building, which had been robbed to approximately 0.20m below the top foundation 

level, was c. 1.20m-1.55m wide and c.0.95m high. It displayed a pronounced stepping out to the west 

with a corresponding widening of the foundations occurring to the south. The upper walls were around 

0.80m wide. The offset foundations of ST16 were sealed by a succession of layers representing 

probable make-up (cg424) and burnt material (cg423). 

A sequence of mortar floors with interspersed occupation material (cg418-21) sealed cg423. All, with 

the exception of cg423, respected the line of a north-south linear feature cg422 to the west, possibly a 

robber trench. Later floors sealed this feature, suggesting that it may have related to the demolition of 

an earlier wall; these surfaces extended further to the west, where a new western wall, ST 15 (cg416), 

was built. 

Possibly related earlier features in this area include a fragment of masonry cg432, comprising small 

and medium-sized pitched limestone, bonded by dark grey sandy silt. This lay beneath the ?robber 

trench cg422; its form and alignment could not be ascertained because it had been truncated to the 

south by a linear east-west feature (cg428), possibly another robber trench, and by probable robbing 

(cg429). Another fragment of pitched limestone masonry to the east, cg433, may have been associated; 

this too had been robbed (cg429). The ?robber trench cg428 was partially filled and sealed by a deposit 

(cg426) cut by a later ?pit (cg425), subsequently sealed by floor surface cg424. 

The westernmost wall, ST 15 (cg416), had been robbed almost entirely, to its lowest foundations of 

roughly hewn limestone slabs with a rubble infill. The surviving plinth measured c. 1.65m across and 

lay at a depth of around 0.80m below the presumed original top foundation level. The latest of the 

floors, a clay surface cg417, sealed by sandy silt ?occupation cg412, surfaced the area between ST 15 

(cg416) and ST16(cg431). 

A series of loamy deposits (cg414, cg438-40) to the north of ST17, covering the whole area between 

ST16, ST17 and ST 18, possibly represented garden soil. Alternatively, the structures may have been 

built at a lower level, and the loams could represent subsequent dumping to raise the ground surface. 

The possibility that undetected construction trenches in fact cut at least the lower loam deposits cannot 

be discounted. Identical deposits (cg415 and 441) lay to the south of ST 17 and ST18. 

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Volume I 


At the Dissolution, ST14, ST15, ST16 and ST17 were all still in place. Subsequent demolition is 

represented by the robbing (cg405) of ST15 (cg416) to the west, reducing this wall to its lowest 

foundation course. The east wall of ST15/ST16 (cg431) was robbed (cg407) to just below the top of its 

foundation level. It is not clear why cg431 was not as thoroughly robbed as cg416 given that they 

relate to the same building. The boundary wall ST17 (cg436) was robbed in two stages (cg404, cg408), 

whereas the walls of ST18 were probably robbed in a single episode (cg410), although specific robbing 

of the westernmost ?porch wall (3105) may have taken place earlier. Whether there was any significant 

lapse of time between these events is impossible to say. The floor of ST18 was robbed (cg409) at a 

later date. 

The west wall of ST14 was robbed (cg459); the south wall of the building had been much more 

thoroughly robbed (cg462). The backfill of the stone-lined pit cg466 contained a number of large 

limestone blocks, probably derived from its collapse or deliberate destruction, sealed by a final 

deliberately infill (cg463). 

A possible north-south robber trench (cg458) lay between ST14 and ST18; there was no associated 

evidence of masonry but this feature may relate to an earlier friary building, possibly succeeded by 

ST18 (in which case it more properly belongs to Phase III), or perhaps represents robbing of friary 

drainage for which no other evidence was recovered in this area. 

Phase V- Victorian and modem 

The most notable modern features included a north-west to south-east sewer pipe cg399, which 

traversed the western end of the trench. The modem water main (cg413) truncated the northern 

boundary of Area 3 and a modern drain (cg456) crossed the south-east corner of the trench. Various 

other discrete features perhaps related to the railway. 

4.4 Areas 4 and 5 

Areas 4 and 5 were located to the north of Area 2, in the goods delivery area of the new Debenham's 

store. Archaeological recording of deposits occurring in section was made possible by the excavation 

of east-west trenches to accommodate groundbeams 1.20m wide by 21.50m long and 1.50m deep. Pile 

caps (3.50 x 3.50m x 1.50m deep) were situated at either end of the groundbeams. 

Both trenches produced evidence of thick loams occupying the upper extent of the stratigraphy with an 

apparent deepening in Area 5, which lay closest to the northern perimeter of the site. More varied 

deposits were encountered at around 1.20m below ground level in Area 5 and 0.80m below ground 

level in Area 4. There was no evidence of structures that could be related to the Carmelite friary with 

any confidence. 

4.5 Area 6 - Unit I 

Area 6 lay to the east of Area 2, to the west of Area 7, to the south of Area 8, and to the north of the 

Combined Services Trench. The northern part of the area lay directly below the footprint of Kingdom 

Hall, which had already been demolished as part of the development scheme, coinciding with the 

southern extent of the Unit 1 footprint. 

The objective of excavation in this area was to obtain a record of archaeological deposits subject to 

potential destruction during groundwork in the area of Unit 1. A group of three decorated stone grave 

47


Volume I 

slabs or coffin lids were given a high priority because of their significance (see Vol. II, Architectural 

Stone). 

Phase I- Early environment and Roman 

Roman levels lay below the limit of excavations in this area. 


Post-Roman soils (cg900, cg941, cg961, cg964, cgl009, cgl044, cgl062-3, cgl066, cgl097, cgll21, 

cgl 126) were encountered at several locations within Area 6. 

Possible occupation material representing pre-friary reoccupation of the site included a small pit 

(eg 1007) recorded only in section, a burnt horizon (eg 1008) recorded in the north section, an ashy 

deposit (cg961), the sand filling an indeterminate shallow feature (cg925), and a soft organic silt 

(cg903) recorded in the east section. 


The northern part of Area 6 was occupied by the south part of the cloister, ST13: the south claustral 

walk and its flanking walls. 

Plate 8: Area 6 - looking south-east, showing sections through inner cloister wall. 

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Volume I 

Three complete sections were excavated across the line of the robber trench defining the position of the 

inner cloister wall to reveal remnant lower foundation courses (Plate 8). The westernmost section 

(cgl039) revealed, at 1.50m below ground surface, a lower level of pitched limestone (6394) 1.82m 

wide. This was sealed by a layer of rubble (6371) 0.07m thick, followed by a shallow depth of mortar 

and then by two courses of pitched limestone (6302 and 6122). The upper foundations had been robbed 

(eg 1033). 

The north side of the uppermost course of foundations (6122) was overlain by a very compact orangeyellow 

sandy mortar (6121), extending to the north in a discrete patch projecting from the main face of 

the wall, and sealed by a compact silty clay (6119), possibly forming a buttress foundation. The profile 

of the north side of the robber trench beyond this belled out towards the bottom, perhaps suggesting 

that the lower courses of foundations were stepped out. 

The second section across the robber trench, eg 103 3, revealed a more or less identical sequence, with a 

primary layer of pitched limestone footings (6110) c.l.40m below ground level sealed by a further two 

courses (6108-9) of irregular limestone pieces. The north side of these foundations was overlain by a 

mortar layer (6111) and a compact orange-yellow sandy mortar similar to that (1039) sealing the 

foundations in the westernmost section 

The third and easternmost section across the robber trench revealed the junction between the inner 

cloister wall and a north-south wall cgl061 to the north, probably the outer east cloister wall. At this 

point, to the west of a foundation of tightly packed pitched limestone eg 1064, was a break in the inner 

cloister wall, eg 1025. This probably represented a gap in the wall foundations to allow access between 

the south and east claustral walks. To the east of the junction, cgl064 continued eastwards, possibly 

forming the north wall of an east-west range at the south-east corner of the cloister, its south wall 

perhaps represented by ST1. 

The northward return of the outer cloister wall was represented by two courses of pitched limestone 

cgl061, at least 0.80m wide, which had survived robbing although to the north the foundations had 

been completely removed by a pit-like feature (eg 1050), most likely representing a more severe 

episode of robbing. Within the line of eg 1064 a fragment of north-south masonry (6129) perhaps 

indicated the keying together of the higher levels of the wall foundations. 

The outer cloister wall foundations (egl 123) were exposed at a single point, in a north-south sondage 

across the robber trench and the claustral walk. The wall was 1.05m wide at this point and had been 

robbed to 0.30m below ground level (5.75m OD). Further to the east robbing had resulted in the 

complete removal of the wall to below its foundation level at 4.92m OD. 

Flooring within the south claustral walk was represented by fragmentary mortar deposits (egl 112, 

egl 125, egl 127, and possibly cgl060). A series of intercutting graves along the central axis of the 

claustral walk cut the mortar floors but the homogeneity of their fills rendered impossible the 

individual recording of the graves and a collective number, egl 118, was therefore allocated to the 

whole feature. Cg 1118 extended more or less the full length of the claustral walk with an average 

width of around 0.85m. A narrow sondage to confirm the presence of burials within the line of egl 118 

partially revealed a single skeleton egl 113 (at 5.50m OD), lying supine with hands placed across the 

abdomen. The burial, which was in fragile condition, was not lifted. A further possible grave egl 122, 

sealed by a badly fractured and subsiding stone slab, probably a grave marker, was also left in place. 

The fill of a probable grave egl 116 further to the west was only partially excavated, revealing 

disarticulated human bone which almost certainly represented an earlier burial disturbed by gravedigging. 

This grave was situated close to the outer cloister wall and as a consequence had been 

disturbed by robbing. 

Floor surfaces (cgl035, cgl040, cgl056) were found within the south part of the cloister garth, 

between the inner cloister wall and a shallow cut (egl032) to the north, possibly the robbing of an eastwest 

drain. These surfaces, which were not excavated, were mainly of mortar. 

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Volume I 

The area to the south of the cloister contained evidence of at least two (and probably many more) 

phases of structural development. Because of the fragmentary nature of the archaeological evidence it 

is impossible to identify the exact sequence of development or to relate structural elements one to 

another with any degree of certainty. However, it is clear that an east-west wall, ST28, represents a 

comparatively early phase of structural activity. 

Wall ST28 originally extended over a distance of at least 7.00m east-west; to the west (cg924) it had 

been removed entirely by the foundations of modern structures while to the east (eg 1020) it survived 

only in fragmentary form, due to heavy truncation by a later grave (cgl016). The topmost course was 

0.61m wide and consisted of flat-faced outer stones containing a rubble core, with a pale brownishyellow 

slightly clayey sand bonding. This rested upon offset lower foundations of approximately 

0.76m wide. The primary layer of foundation material consisted of pitched limestone, giving a full 

depth of foundations of 0.54m. 

0m 10m 


Cg1050 

V / / y i - ST1 

(//A 

G - Grave 

L = Coffin Lid 

C - Coffin 

Robber Trench 

Three very substantial north-south walls to the south, ST24, ST25 and cg867, together with a "column" 

base cg869, possibly were associated with ST28, together representing a single structure. ST25 lay at 

the east end of ST28. The relationship between these two walls was difficult to determine without more 

intensive excavation but ST25 was probably contemporary with ST28, forming the east wall of the 

same structure. ST25 consisted of an initial rubble layer carrying at least five upper foundation courses 

consisting of irregular limestone fragments. The presence of external surfacing to the east of the wall 

(in Area 7; see 4.6, below) suggests that the area defined by ST25 (which continued to the south in the 

Combined Services Trench; see 4.1, above) and ST28 was internal. 

Approximately 3.00m to the west of ST25 the second substantial wall, ST24 (cg938), abutted the south 

face of ST28, extending southward (see 4.1, above). The topmost 0.37m of its foundations consisted of 

a layer of pitched limestone bonded with soft light grey-brown silt (6409), overlain by two courses of 

50


Volume I 

large, roughly faced limestone blocks with a light brown-orange bonding.' The remainder of the 

foundations lay beneath the lower limit of excavation. Localised truncation of cg938 had occurred as a 

result of grave-digging, for burials cg889 to the west and cg936 to the east. 

The third wall, cg867, represented only by its lower foundations, lay further to the west in the heavily 

truncated area to the south-west of Area 6. This was probably the north end of a wall, ST23, located in 

the Combined Services Trench (see 4.1, above). A substantial square base, cg869, in the same area 

perhaps indicated a strengthening of the north-west corner of the structure formed by ST23, ST28 and 

ST25. 

ST28 was demolished to foundation level and a new east-west wall was built immediately to the north, 

represented by the line of three fragments of masonry, cg920, cgl 120 and cgl370. 

Plate 9: Area 6 - showing heavily robbed column base (cgl370) - looking north. 

A fragment of masonry cg920, at the west end and immediately to the north of the line of the nowdemolished 

ST28, consisted of four courses of limestone slabs, bonded with light brownish-orange 

sand and resting on two courses of pitched foundations, giving a total depth of 1.07m. It was 0.87m 

east-west by 1.00m north-south, with a lower offset (1.40m north-south x 1.13m east-west) but was 

truncated on its west side by the foundations for modern structures. It was therefore impossible to 

determine whether it represented the east end of a wall extending further to the west, or the foundation 

for a column-base. 

Another masonry fragment, cgl 102, at the east end of the demolished wall (ST28) and representing the 

eastward continuation of the new wall line, butted and perhaps also represented part of the south wall 

of ST1. Cgl 102, recorded only in plan, was 0.96m wide; to the west it was overlain by a single course 

of stone eg 1021, 0.80m long (east-west), which also extended over the remains of ST28 to the south. 

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Volume I 

This probably formed the western terminal of wall cgl 102/ST1, possibly widened at this point to carry 

an arch (see below). 

ST1 (cg959) continued eastwards into Area 7, where it formed the south wall of a building extending 

eastwards from the south-east corner of the cloister (see Areas 7 and 8a, 4.6 and 4.8, below). A northsouth 

wall ST26 keyed into the south face of ST1 was of identical construction, with facing stones 

containing a rubble core over an offset base (see Combined Services Trench, 4.1 above). It is possible 

that the building alterations represented by ST1 and ST26 were carried out simultaneously with the 

modifications represented by cg920, cgl 102 and eg 1370. 

At mid-point between the two masonry fragments cg920 and cgl 102 lay a column- or pier-base, 

cgl370 (Plate 9), constructed of large limestone blocks bonded by firm pale yellow-brown clayey 

mortar. This had been robbed (cg908) to a depth of 1.00m below ground level; five courses of 

stonework survived the robbing, and further courses extended below the lower limit of excavation. The 

southern part of cgl370 appeared to incorporate remnants of the earlier wall ST28. 

The central position of this column- or pier-base suggests that it may have carried a springer between 

the west (cg920) and east (cgl 102) ends of this new wall, forming arches to either side. The openings 

thus formed would allow access between the area to the north (ST27), possibly part of the south range 

of the cloister, and the area to the south, perhaps part of the friary church or a north transept of that 

church. 

ST27, representing the area to the north of the new wall (cg920, cgl 102 and cgl370) as described 

above, was bounded on the north by the outer south cloister wall and extended to the line of a northsouth 

wall (cgl 103) to the east. A possible robber trench (cg864) may indicate the line of the west 

wall. ST27 contained a particularly noteworthy assemblage of at least six burials, represented by three 

stone coffins and three decorated stone grave markers. All graves were cut into a creamy white mortar 

surface (cg998/cg918 at 6.13m OD) and were oriented east-west with heads to the west in accordance 

with the Christian burial tradition. 

In the western part of ST27 the southernmost of a row of four burials, cg917, lay immediately to the 

west of the central column-base (cgl370), cutting into the remains of the east-west wall ST28 (cg924). 

The skeleton, that of an adult male in good state of preservation apart from crushing of the facial 

bones, lay supine with its head inclined to the north and legs and arms extended. Three disarticulated 

skull fragments were found in the backfill of the grave. Directly below cg917, an infant burial cg919 

was found, lying supine with legs and arms extended; this was in very fragile condition and had been 

truncated from the lower legs down. The skull was also missing but a disarticulated skull found in the 

grave fill might have been displaced during the digging of the grave for burial cg917. 

A short distance to the north of cg917 lay a cluster of three burials. The sequence of deposition of these 

burials is particularly difficult to determine due to the homogeneity of their fills although the earliest, 

cg985, lay to the south of the cluster. This, the skeleton of an adult male, lay supine with legs and arms 

extended; its skull was missing due to truncation by a modem pipe trench cutting the south side of the 

grave. The recovery of twelve associated nails, some with decayed wood attached, suggests burial in a 

wooden coffin. 

The north side of burial cg985 was cut by cg984 (Plate 10), that of an older middle-aged female. This 

skeleton also lay supine with arms and legs extended, but in a stone coffin (2.07m long and 0.64 - 

0.37m wide). The coffin did not have a lid and had been infilled with soil cg983, probably following 

opening of the coffin. A small feature, cg982, cut the east end of the grave; this could be a posthole or 

perhaps was related to the removal of the missing lid. 

The third burial, cg981, that of an adult male, lay to the north of cg984. The skeleton was complete, 

lying with its arms folded across the waist and legs extended, beneath a decorated limestone grave slab 

(ZEB95 ) although it was not contained in a stone coffin. It is possible that the overlying slab, 

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Volume I 

which fitted well with the stone coffin of cg984 to the south, had been moved from one to the other. 

Equally, there was no evidence (such as coffin nails) to suggest burial in a wooden coffin. 

Plate 10: Area 6 - excavation of stone coffin (cg984) and burial (cg985) - looking west. 

Two further graves (Plate 11) marked with decorated stone slabs were located to the east, against the 

wall terminal cgl 102. The northernmost of the two, cg997, that of an older middle-aged male, lay with 

arms and legs extended and had probably been buried in a wooden coffin (suggested by the presence of 

coffin nails and a fragment of decayed wood). The grave had been cut through the mortar floor (cg998) 

and was partly covered by a decorated stone slab (ZEB95 ) which was offset in relation to this 

grave, but aligned neatly with a slab marking another burial (cgl016) to the south. It therefore seems 

likely that the slab originally belonged to burial cg997 but was later moved as part of a tidying up 

operation. 

Cgl016, to the south of cg997, cut an earlier pit cgl017, and consisted of a mature adult female, lying 

supine with arms and legs extended in a stone coffin (ZEB95 ), sealed beneath a decorated stone 

slab (ZEB95 ). During subsequent processing of the remains, a seal matrix (ZEB95 ) was 

found in soil attached to the skull (see Vol. II, Registered Finds, for a more detailed consideration of 

this object). It is likely that the seal matrix originally was associated with this burial, although the 

possibility that it was redeposited here following a reopening of the grave - as evidenced by the 

displacement of the grave marker - should be borne in mind. The absence of the lower mandible from 

the skull and damage to the skull itself provide further evidence of tampering. A small hole 

immediately to the north-east of the grave may have been associated with the original interment or the 

later movement of the lid, or perhaps simply represents a scaffold-hole. 

Three possible graves located to the north of all of these burials comprised two cuts, eg 1022 and 

cgl023, in line with the two easternmost burials (cg997 and cgl016) and a third, cgl078, further to the 

west. None of these features was excavated. 

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Volume I 

Plate 11: Section showing grave slabs marking burials cg997 (to right) and cgl016 (to left), sealed by 

waterlain sediments - looking east. 

Three burials (cg889, cg936, cg945) were only partially revealed in the area to the south of wall ST28. 

These and other possible graves, which could not be investigated owing to limitations of time, suggest 

that the area was quite densely populated with burials but it is not clear whether they represented 

activity contemporary with that recorded within ST27 or an earlier phase of burials. 

Other noteworthy features within ST27 include a sequence of layers (eg 1005-6) sealed by a mortar 

floor cglOOO, located in the north section of the robber trench of the central column-base (cgl370). 

The easternmost part of ST27 showed no evidence of burials and perhaps comprised a separate room 

or chapel. An initial mortar surface eg 1099 extended throughout much of the area, abutting the east 

wall (eg 1103) and apparently extending northwards through the break (eg 1025) in the outer south 

cloister wall and beyond, into the south claustral walk. Unfortunately, the stratigraphic relationship 

between this floor and the south cloister wall was truncated by robbing. 

The north-east part of floor eg 1099 had slumped severely, indicating an underlying "soft spot" in the 

area. Sand (eg 1098) and soil (eg 1094) were dumped into the resulting depression as ground 

consolidation in advance of the laying of a new surface, eg 1092 and eg 1093, comprising limestone 

brash/white mortar. This later surface also showed signs of slumping. Two small pits, eg 1091 and 

cgl088, were cut into cgl092 and cgl093 respectively. 

The later surface (cgl092-3) was sealed by mid-grey ?occupation silts (cgl089-90) which were in turn 

cut by the foundation trench for a short wall, cgl087, possibly forming the base for a column keyed 

into the east wall (cgll03). A light yellow-brown moderately compacted mortar cgl080 formed the 

latest floor surface, extending throughout the majority of the area. 

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Volume I 


Pottery from the backfill postdating the destruction of the inner and outer walls suggests that the 

cloister was extant at the Dissolution. The outer cloister wall may have been demolished at the time of 

the Dissolution in the mid-16th century but the inner wall, or at least its foundations, may have 

survived intact until the mid/late 17th century. The 1842 map by JS Padley (corrected to 1851) shows 

the wall line preserved in the southern property boundary of the houses fronting the High Street (see 

Area 2; 4.2, above). 

A period of disuse and partial destruction of ST27, prior to the demolition of the building, was 

represented by an accumulation of waterlain sediments (cg913, cg927, cg929, cg931, cg942, cg944, 

cg966, cg970, cg975, and cg979: c.6.25m OD) within the interior of the structure. The sediments were 

primarily concentrated within ST27, sealing the mortar floor and covering the grave markers (see Plate 

11), but were also identified immediately to the south in the adjacent building represented by the area 

bounded by ST23, ST24 and ST25. 

The nature of the sediments was consistent with "puddling" in an enclosed space. This suggests that the 

structure may have been exposed to the elements, possibly through the stripping or removal of the roof 

for lead and timber, the removal of a door, or through the collapse of a wall. The material contained at 

least 200 laminations which, according to James Rackham (pers. comm.), indicates at least two years 

of sedimentation during normal rainfall conditions, while lenses of mortar within the material probably 

derived from collapsed plaster from the surrounding walls and the sandy texture of the sediment 

probably reflected a high mortar content. The structure of the sediment was noted to be intact, possibly 

indicating that it was quickly sealed below demolition debris. 

The north-south robber trench (eg 1051) along the line of the probable outer east cloister wall (eg 1061) 

produced pottery of the early/mid-13 th - mid-14th century, while that from the robbing (cgl075) of the 

north-south wall eg 1103 further to the south dated to between the late 14th and late 15th centuries. 

This material is likely to be residual although an earlier, pre-Dissolution date for the robbing cannot be 

discounted. 

Pottery and clay tobacco pipe stems from the post-robbing backfill (cg908) of the central column-base 

(cgl370) indicate a comparatively late date of destruction during the 17th/18th century. 


Modern disturbance to the area was fairly light with two shallow east-west service trenches truncating 

the southern part of the site. Major truncation occurred along the southern periphery, through 

installation of the water main, and in the south-west part of Area 6 where the foundations of modern 

structures were removed by machine. 

4.6 Area 7 - South side of Unit 2 

Area 7 was bounded by the High Street to the east, the station building to the south, the south wall of 

153 High Street to the north and Area 6 to the west. The plot occupied by 153 High Street lay within 

the area scheduled for redevelopment but, although the building had been demolished at the time of the 

excavation, the area was not available for archaeological investigation due to safety considerations (the 

danger of undermining shoring for the gable end of 154 High Street to the north). 

The excavation was contained within the footprint of the proposed Unit 2, which was to rest upon piles 

with groundbeams at a base height of 6.25m OD. A 1.00m wide slot at the southern limit of excavation 

was also excavated to c.5.50m OD to take into account the line of a new east-west drain. It was 

originally intended that the entire width of the eastward extent of the Combined Services Trench, 

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Volume I 

between the water pipe connection point to the west and the High Street to the east, would be subject to 

archaeological investigation. In the event this area was excluded from Area 7 due to the cumulative 

impact of existing services, including the installation of the original water main in 1987 and the 

installation of a large manhole and sewer in 1994. These groundworks were judged to have effectively 

destroyed the majority of medieval and post-medieval deposits in the area. 

Three poly-tunnels measuring approximately 5.40 by 5.00m were provided by the developer to 

minimise time lost through bad weather. These were aligned east-west along Area 7 with c. 1.00m 

wide baulks between each individual trench (numbered 1-3 from the High Street end) to facilitate spoil 

removal and access. (A fourth trench, between Trench 1 and the High Street, lay outside the polytunnels) 

Although the poly-tunnels proved effective in allowing work to proceed in extremely poor 

weather conditions, the need to leave unexcavated baulks significantly hampered understanding of the 

timber structures associated with Late Saxon/early medieval occupation (see Phase II, below). 

Phase I - Early environment and Roman (Fig. 13) 

Two stone buildings (ST2 and ST3) were located in Trenches 1 and 2; later material represented late 

Roman abandonment of the site. 

ST2 lay to the north of Trenches 1 and 2 and was represented only by its south wall, cg320, which 

extended beyond the eastern limit of excavation, presumably to a frontage on Ermine Street. A section 

of this wall (cg227) was located further to the west, revealed in a later pit. It was not possible, 

however, to locate the west wall of the building which presumably lay within Trench 3 or even further 

to the west. The south wall was constructed from roughly faced limestone blocks bonded by hard, pale 

yellow mortar; its internal (north) face displayed a layer of painted wall plaster. Significant quantities 

of plaster were also contained in probable demolition layers abutting cg320. At least six courses of the 

wall (0.80m x 0.58m wide) survived at its eastern end, giving a top height of 6.18m OD, but the 

foundations extended below the lower limit of excavation. No conclusive evidence of a floor surface 

was recovered. 

ST3, represented by its north wall cg318, lay at the east end of Area 7 in Trench 1, 0.55m to the south 

of ST2. Wall cg318, heavily truncated by a modern concrete base, was also located in a sondage along 

the east side of Trench 2. It was constructed from roughly faced limestone blocks, bonded with a very 

firm dark brownish-yellow mortar and was 0.68m wide, standing to a height of at least 0.58m. A 

poorly preserved internal flagstone floor cg315 was exposed at the lower limit of excavation in Trench 

1 and within an east-west drain slot (cg222) at the south end of Trench 2. It consisted of limestone 

blocks with no obvious evidence of bonding (at a height of c.5.63m OD); an underlying pinkish-orange 

(heat-affected) clay (7608) perhaps represented a base for the stone floor or possibly an earlier floor 

surface. 

Incorporated into floor cg3 15 at the western end of Trench 1 was the flue of a probable oven, cg314, a 

north-south slot 0.28m wide and 0.22m deep, with a squared profile. It is likely that the chamber of the 

oven lay a short distance to the south, beyond the southern limit of excavation. Both the flue and the 

adjacent floor surface displayed evidence of heat but there was no evidence of residues associated with 

the use of the feature. It probably lay within the workshop or kitchen of a commercial property fronting 

Ermine Street. The oven flue cg314 was abandoned and backfilled (cg311). 

Rubble layers (cg312 and cg313) represented the abandonment and eventual collapse of ST3. This 

material included partly bonded masonry (7554), possibly derived from the south wall of the building. 

ST2 was abandoned and sealed by an accumulation of soil cg319; this was followed by the formation 

of a deep soil horizon, eg 310. 

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Volume I 

Fig. 13: Plan showing Phase I features in Area 7, Trenches 1 and 2. 

Phase II - Late Saxon and early medieval (Fig. 14) 

Robber Trench 

' / / / A 

: / . Exposed Wall 

Stone Surface 

Reoccupation of the area appears to have taken place during the Late Saxon period with the 

construction of timber buildings; the evidence suggests that a succession of such buildings occupied 

the area until clearance in advance of the construction of the friary in the mid-13 th century. The later 

phases of this activity, particularly in Trenches 1 and 2, were almost certainly lost as a result of 

subsequent use of the area as a graveyard during the friary period. The evidence, even for earlier 

phases of activity, is extremely fragmentary owing to the direct impact of grave-digging and to 

processes concomitant with the use of this area as a graveyard, such as animal, worm, or root action. 

The difficulty of interpreting the remaining evidence has been further exacerbated by the need to 

correlate deposits in trenches separated by baulks and by the complexity of the stratigraphy. For this 

reason the sequence is discussed below by individual trench. 

Phase II - Trench I 

The earliest evidence of renewed occupation was a deposit cg298 of very dark grey sandy clayey silt 

with a high charcoal content, 0.02mm deep, extending throughout the area to the south of the earlier 

building, ST3. In the south-eastern part of the trench it was cut by a heavily truncated pit of 

indeterminate shape and function, cg277. Overlying cg277 were several highly compressed sequences 

of deposits, probably representing occupation material relating to otherwise undefined timber 

structures. 

Survival of deposits in the south-eastern part of the trench was fragmentary due to the heavy degree of 

truncation by later graves cg248 and cg250 (see below, Phase III) and in the eastern part by the 

installation of a modern concrete base (cg230). The earliest deposits to the east (cg266-76) were 

mainly of clay, ash and silt, perhaps representing a sequence of interleaved surfaces and occupation 

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Volume I 

layers. The latest of these was sealed by possible metalling cg260 and the remains of another possible 

surface of silty clay, cg259. 

To the west, similar deposits (cg294-7) may have represented a continuation of this sequence. The 

latest of these, cg294, an orange-brown charcoal- and ash-rich sandy silt containing occasional mussel 

shells and 0.1m thick, may have been associated with the use of a possible hearth (7467) which was 

visible only in the south section of the trench (it was mostly truncated by a grave to the north). 

To the north of the trench and south of wall cg320 (ST2), a separate sequence of possible occupation 

deposits was recorded, again truncated to the east by the modern concrete base (cg230). These again 

comprised clays, sand and silts (cg261-5), the latest of which (cg258) was sealed by a sequence of 

charcoal-rich layers containing evidence of burning, cg257. 

Several deposits found in different areas of the trench may have represented parts of a single surface. 

Cg273 in the east, a layer of stone 0.12m thick, may have continued towards the west as cg297, a layer 

of stone and baked clay also 0.12m thick. The latter was sealed by a 05m thick deposit of light yellow 

clay, cg295, incorporating an area displaying evidence of burning (7467). An eastward continuation of 

cg297/cg295 was possibly indicated by a layer of pale yellow and pink heat-affected clay cg296, 

sloping down from east to west. 

A cluster of possible postholes (cg289-93) was cut into cg296. With the exception of cg291 (which 

was only tentatively interpreted as a posthole and may have been caused instead by animal activity), 

these were generally sub-circular to oval in shape with steep or vertical sides (ranging from 0.34-0.60m 

x 0.30-0.32m) and between 0.18m and 0.36m deep. 

Cg210 

Cg208 

A \ 

0 2m 

TR.2 Cg198 Cg211 

/ 

Cg197 

Cg205 

v 

X 

~ t - J 

Cg206 

\ / 

\ V 

Cg199 

V L 

Fig. 14: Plan showing Phase IIfeatures in Area 7, Trenches I and 2 

58 

TR.1


Volume I 

These postholes may have represented the remains of a timber building related to cg297/295 etc. All 

were sealed by a light grey-brown charcoal-rich sandy ashy silt, cg288, containing a small quantity of 

daub with wattle impressions. This perhaps related to a similar deposit, cg286, recorded in the west 

section of the trench; both cg286 and cg288 possibly represented the destruction of a structure as 

evidenced by the postholes. Baked clay cg285 sealed cg286 and was in turn sealed by a sequence of 

charcoal/ash layers cg284, recorded only in the west section of the trench. 

To the west, silt cg288 was truncated by a north-south linear feature cg287, 2.26m long and 0.84m 

wide. It is possible that the feature returned to the west at either end but this could not be established 

with certainty due to the presence of the baulk between Trenches 1 and 2; its upper levels were 

severely truncated by the cutting of graves cg254, cg282 and cg283 (see below, Phase III). A small 

quantity of daub within the fill of this feature probably derived from a nearby structure. 

A feature, eg 308 (0.87m north-south x 1.06m east-west and 0.24m deep), had been cut from the upper 

surface of the late Roman/post-Roman soil horizon (cg310) immediately to the north of, and respecting 

the north face of wall ST3 (cg318) and extending to the west beyond the limit of excavation. The fills 

of this feature (cg299-301, cg306), some of which almost certainly represented later levels slumping 

into the depression, mainly comprised silts and ash deposits with inclusions of burnt material and 

occasionally fired clay. A layer of burnt material cg302 that also probably slumped into cg308 

contained painted plaster which had been discoloured by smoke and crazed - probably by heat - on its 

painted surface; the backing plaster was pink, almost certainly a result of burning. Cg302 thus 

represents the final collapse of wall cg318 which was clearly still standing, at least in part, when 

feature cg308 was cut. 

To the north of feature cg308 lay a possible pit or posthole, cg304 (at least 0.60m x 0.32m and 0.30m 

deep), lying partly beyond the limit of excavation to the west, and severely truncated by a later robber 

trench (cg247) to the north. Both cg308 and cg304 cut a layer of sandy silt cg307, which directly 

sealed the late Roman/post-Roman soil horizon cg310. 

At the northern limit of excavation, cg310 was sealed by silt cg309 and ash cg303. A steep-sided oval 

pit cg305 (0.96m x 0.60m and 0.40m deep) filled with light greyish-brown sandy silt was of unknown 

function. 

Phase II - Trench 2 

An indeterminate cut feature cg217 (0.88m x 0.58m and at least 0.18m deep) was partially excavated at 

the eastern limit of Trench 2. It had cut the probable post-Roman soil horizon cg218 and its northern 

edge was formed by the south face of the north wall of ST3 (cg318). 

A red, ashy silty sand cg216 sealed the soil horizon cg218 and extended over a wide area of the trench 

(c.3.60m x 2.40m), possibly representing a beaten earth floor. Several rubbish pits (cg201, cg203, 

cg208-10, cg294), at least some of which cut into the underlying soil horizon (cg218), were also found. 

A sequence of possible occupation deposits cg215 was overlain by a red, daub-like deposit with 

frequent charcoal inclusions cg214, possibly representing a floor horizon or collapsed wattle and daub. 

This was sealed by a moderately compacted layer of light grey ash cg213 with an abundance of 

charcoal, especially at its lowest level where a unified black horizon predominated. This material could 

relate to domestic or even industrial activity, or perhaps represented the destruction of adjacent timber 

structures. 

Cutting both cg213 and a deposit (cg212) overlying the post-Roman soil horizon, and positioned along 

the line of the south wall of ST2 (cg227), was a linear east-west feature cg211 at least 2.70m long and 

extending beyond the limit of excavation to the east; it was truncated by a pit (cg208) to the west. In 

the north-south sondage against the eastern limit of the trench it displayed a steep-sided profile 

59


Volume I 

breaking to a flattish base, 0.38m deep and 0.67m wide. This feature perhaps represented a gully or a 

beam slot for a timber building; its position, along the line of the Roman wall (cg227), suggests that the 

latter was still visible at the time of construction and may have been incorporated into the new building 

as a wall foundation. 

Cg211 was sealed by coarse red sandy silt with a daub-like character, cg207, which was riddled with 

animal burrows or root holes and cut by a small ?posthole cg200. 

Cutting soil horizon cg213 was an east-west beam-slot cg206 and an associated ?posthole cg205, 

perhaps part of another timber building. The beam-slot, c.2.50m long, terminated to the west but 

continued into a temporary baulk to the east. The ?posthole cg205 (0.90m x 0.70m) was positioned 

centrally on the line of the beam. A line of small sub-round/sub-square cuts along the northern edge of 

cg206 may have been contemporary with this building or related to a later structure. 

Phase II- Trench 3 

The excavation of probable pre-friary deposits was confined to an east-west slot on the line of the 

proposed drain to the south. This produced evidence of a very broad feature eg 172 which was only 

partially excavated and probably originally extended to a much greater depth. The earliest recorded fill 

was a very dark brown silt and this large depression may represent a north-south ditch, perhaps a drain 

serving properties to the east. Overlying deposits (cgl69-71) probably represented dumping into the 

feature once it had gone out of use, to raise the ground surface up to the level of the surrounding area. 

This activity was superseded by an undated phase of occupation indicated by a charcoal-rich burnt 

sand cgl65 and a soft ashy loam containing frequent charcoal flecks cgl68. This evidence of 

occupation above the line of the disused feature suggests that, following infilling of the ditch, 

settlement (represented by cgl65/cgl68) expanded over it, extending to the west. These later phases of 

pre-friary occupation are almost certainly better preserved in Trench 3 due to the absence of graves in 

the area. 


An east-west wall, ST1, was revealed along the northern boundary of Area 7 (see Plate 12 - as seen in 

Trench 3). The south-east corner of the building, cg256, was located in the north-west part of Trench 1; 

to the west, ST1 continued into Area 6 (see 4.5, above). 

ST1 extended over a distance of approximately 16.00m. The lowest foundation course consisted of a 

broad plinth of pitched limestone, cgl66 and cgl82, projecting beyond the south face of overlying 

courses by distances of between 0.30 and 0.78m. The wall, surviving to a maximum of seven courses 

of stone above the pitched foundations, was 1.20m wide, narrowing to 1.00m at its highest level. It was 

faced with flattish limestone blocks over a core of irregular limestone rubble bonded by dark brownishyellow 

sandy clay. Two south-projecting buttresses were located. The westernmost, in Trench 3 

(7472), was identical to the main wall in bonding and construction and measured 1.35m across, 

narrowing to 1.08m for the uppermost course and surviving to a height of 0.65m from the top of the 

pitched limestone foundations. It was severely truncated by a later pit (eg 132). 

The easternmost buttress, in Trench 2, projected beyond the southern face of the wall to a distance of 

0.85m and extended to the west beyond the limit of excavation. Two contexts partially exposed in 

section to the north of Trench 2 possibly represented an internal mortar floor (eg 187) and associated 

occupation deposits (eg 186). 

60


Volume I 

Plate 12: Area 7 - south wall of ST1 - looking north. 

O m 

ST1 

tzzzz/T, 

T R . 2 

' c 3 1 9 1 Cg193 

O " ^ - , 

1 0 m 

Cg192 


61 

Cg540 Cg282 

T R . 1 

0 9 2 5 4 Cg252 | 

I / y Cg253 

n?" ) ; 

( G 1 !- Cg248 

Cg283 

Cg335 

cT~~—L Cg250 

Exposed Wall 

T R . 4


Volume I 

Fourteen burials were located, lying within a graveyard which appears to have extended throughout 

Trenches 1, 2 and 4 while respecting the south wall of ST1 to the north (but see Area 8a, Phase III, 4.8 

below). Observations during removal of the east cellar wall of 153 High Street indicated that human 

remains also lie further north, in the area between the east wall of ST1 and the High Street. 

Ten burials (cgl91-3, cg248 - see Plate 13, cg250, cg252-4, cg282-3) were fully recorded and 

excavated. All were lying supine with heads to west and legs extended. The majority had hands placed 

across the torso, with several instances of the hands having been placed together (eg 192, cg250 and 

cg282). Of these, nine were adults or young adults with a single child burial (cg252). The latter had 

been damaged by the machine bucket during mechanical stripping of overburden from the site. 

Plate 13: Area 7 - burial (cg248) - looking west. 

Partially exposed burials included the left arm of cg249 (left in situ) in Trench 1, the remainder lying 

beyond the limit of excavation. Burial eg 184 in Trench 2 was represented by a left leg only, at the 

southern limit of excavation. This lay on the line of the proposed east-west drain and was therefore 

removed. Trench 4, which lay to the south of Trench 1, was subject only to very limited investigation 

of the latest horizons. Two burials cg333 and cg335 were located below a partially excavated cut for a 

modern drain (cg323). These were left in situ because they lay below the expected level of 

construction. Cg335 had been truncated above the shoulders during installation of the drain and cg333 

was represented solely by its right arm, this being the only part of the burial exposed in the drain cut. 

Within Trench 3, the earliest friary-related activity was evidenced by deposits probably representing 

levelling, such as a sand and mortar layer eg 164 which filled a hollow in the ground surface to the 

south-west. This material was truncated by a group of small features eg 162, almost certainly animal 

burrows or root holes These were sealed by an olive- and orange-brown slightly clayey sand containing 

a large quantity of limestone, cgl61, possibly derived from the construction material for ST1. The 

62

CLA U Report No. 338: St. Mark's. High Street, Lincoln - Archaeological Investigations 

Volume I 

upper horizon of cgl61 displayed strong evidence of wheel ruts in the form of linear east-west 

hollows; it was cut by a small pit cgl59 and sealed by loamy deposits cgl56-7. 

A series of four small pits (cgl51-4) respecting the line of wall cgl66 may have represented postholes 

associated with scaffolding used in the construction of ST1. Three of these, eg 152-4, were sealed by a 

mix of small limestone rubble and mortar cgl50, possibly an external surface to the south of ST1. This 

was in turn cut by a shallow linear feature cgl49 running parallel to, and approximately 0.80m to the 

south of, wall eg 166. This feature, 0.55m wide and c.0.15m deep, extended over a length of 7.10m and 

could be interpreted as an eaves-drip gully. 


ST1 was robbed (cgl44, cgl80-l, cg247) to foundation level. Several other features tentatively 

attributed to this period include, in Trench 1, a ovular pit or posthole cg246 (0.80 x 0.60m x 0.30m 

deep) which cut into the graveyard soil (cg255) and a sub-oval pit (0.65 x 0.48 x 0.30m deep) cutting 

into the upper levels of grave cg248. 

An east-west linear feature turning southwards at its western end, and probably representing a robber 

trench, was located in Trenches 2 and 3 (cgl79 and cgl41 respectively). In Trench 3 it extended 

southwards beyond the excavated area, giving a north-south length of 4.50m, before returning 

eastwards. Its fill, of pale brownish-yellow loose sandy mortar mixed with crushed limestone 

fragments, appeared to represent deliberate consolidation of the void following robbing. The feature 

was partly removed during machining in Trench 3 and wholly removed in Trench 2 apart from a short 

length immediately adjacent to the western limit of excavation. In Trench 3, cgl41 cut or sealed earlier 

features of this phase including a shallow sub-rectangular pit (eg 146) and probable demolition layers 

(cgl45, eg 147). 


A number of discrete features attributable to this phase include an east-west pipe trench cgl29 which 

traversed Trenches 2 and 3, continuing eastwards across Trench 1 (cg229) and beyond the eastern limit 

of excavation, where it cut the large concrete base cg230. A similar concrete base lay close to the 

westernmost buttress of ST1 (7472) in Trench 3. The majority of the features interpreted as belonging 

to this phase may have resulted from the use of this area for railway related activities. 

4.7 Area 8 

Area 8 was situated in the area earmarked for the proposed retail Units 1 and 17. Its northern boundary 

was delineated by the south boundary wall of the Kwiksave store, while its eastern limit was a northsouth 

footpath parallel to the rear of properties fronting the High Street (nos. 154-7). To the south lay 

archaeological Area 6, and to the west was the site of the proposed Debenham's store (Unit 10). Prior 

to its investigation, Area 8 was undeveloped, consisting of a raised, roughly square plot of land 

covering c.425m~. A mature tree stood centrally within it; its roots, extending for a distance of c.3m-, 

had disturbed archaeological levels. Before archaeological work commenced, the tree was felled and 

the surrounding ground level machine-excavated to reduce it by approximately 0.8m. 

The positions of the groundbeams were set out and their formation levels established by the main 

contractor. The groundbeam design for these units was such that archaeological intervention required 

the excavation of only three north-south trenches (c.2m wide and c.l.7m long), the remaining area of 

the site having been taken down to beneath the level of any constructional groundworks associated 

63


Volume I 

with the new development. Two of the excavation trenches lay against the east' and west boundaries of 

the site, with the third approximately midway between them. 

Plate 14: Post-excavation view of Areas 8 and 8a from the roof of Debenham's (Unit 10), looking 

south-east. Area 8a can be seen at the top of the picture to the left of the site huts. 

Phase I: - Early environment and Roman 

Mitigation measures undertaken during the design of piling and groundbeam arrangements for Units 1 

and 17 greatly reduced damage to the buried archaeological resource. For this reason, deposits 

attributable to the early environment and the Roman occupation of the site were not encountered. 

Phase II: - Late Saxon and early medieval 

Excavation of the central groundbeam revealed some evidence for Late Saxon and early medieval 

occupation. Here, during the excavation of the central groundbeam, extensive deposits of a generally 

dark brown sandy silt eg 120 were recorded. An east-west rectilinear pit egl 19 at the south end of Area 

8 cut into eg 120. Although no dating evidence was recovered, the position of these deposits in the 

stratigraphic sequence of the site is suggested by their similarity to other, dated deposits recorded 

elsewhere on the site. 


The excavation of Area 8 revealed several undated features and deposits. The nature and extent of 

these activities remains unclear due, in part, to the limitations of the archaeological work. Extensive 

dump/levelling deposits, truncated by the occasional pit, were noted towards the northern end of the 

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Volume I 

site. Two shallow postholes, cgl22 and cgl23 (5.87m OD), revealed beneath the earliest floor of the 

north claustral walk, may have formed part of an undated pre-friary building. Other possibilities 

include temporary accommodation during the construction of the earliest buildings (cf Mellor & Pearce 

1981, 14), an early timber cloister, or possibly postholes for scaffolding associated with the 

construction of the stone-built cloister (see below). 

Excavation uncovered further evidence for ST13, the friary cloister. Its inner and outer north and east 

walls were revealed, as was approximately 150m" of the cloister garth. Limitations to the 

archaeological programme meant that few structural elements of the cloister were actually investigated 

and, for the most part, the suggested alignment and dimensions (linear) of these elements are 

conjectural. 

The junction between the north and east inner cloister walls lay beyond the pre-positioned areas of 

archaeological excavation and therefore was not investigated. Both walls had been extensively robbed 

to their foundations. A 19m length of the north wall, eg 109, and a 16m length of the east wall, cg520, 

lay within the confines of Area 8. The foundations of both walls averaged c.2m wide with an overall 

depth in excess of 1.0m. Excavation also revealed a 1.4m wide buttress, projecting 1m from the south 

face of the inner north wall, approximately one-third of the way along its projected length. Constraints 

in the archaeological programme meant that it was impossible to establish whether further buttresses 

were present. The inner cloister wall was also notable for its thickness, suggesting that it may have 

supported more than just a lean-to structure, perhaps evidencing first-floor rooms extending over the 

cloister walk, as at the Austin Friars, Leicester (Mellor & Pearce 1981, 23-4) and elsewhere. The outer 

walls, egl 15 (north) and cg521 (east), lay parallel to, and approximately 2m from, the inner walls. 

Again, these had been robbed to at least foundation level. The surviving foundations were constructed 

from small to medium-sized pitched limestone, bonded with light yellow sandy mortar. 

Several mortar floors and associated occupation deposits, egl 10 (the earliest at 6.0m OD and the latest 

at 6.10m OD), lay within the north claustral walk. A burial, egl 14, was partially revealed at the 

western end of the north walk, comprising the upper half of an extended adult inhumation with its arms 

placed across the chest; the bone was in poor condition. Two extensively damaged and fragmentary 

east-west grave markers egl 11 and egl 12 (at 6.08m OD) were located close to the west end of the 

north walk, laid end to end; subsequent investigation on and around marker egl 12, however, revealed 

no evidence for a burial beneath it. No further burials were recorded in this area of the site although the 

disturbed remains of a further two skeletons were recovered from later (Phase V) deposits (cg474, 

cg495). 

Two partially exposed east-west cuts, cg83 and cg510, were recorded in the west section of a small 

sondage in the south-east corner of the site; these may have represented graves within the east claustral 

walk. The cuts lay c.0.25m apart, perhaps indicating the spacing of burials in this part of the cloister 

walk. 

Two structures, evidenced by east-west walls, projected from the outer east cloister wall cg521. The 

northernmost wall, ST34 (18562), lay approximately 3m south of the projected north-east corner of the 

cloister. It was 1.4m wide and at least 2.4m long (continuing into the east section of Area 8), and keyed 

in to wall cg521 at foundation level, suggesting that it was built at the same time as the main structure 

of the cloister. It possibly represented the south wall of a building projecting from the north-east corner 

of the cloister; ST34 thus may have formed an eastward extension of a range of buildings on the north 

side of the cloister. The area to the north of the wall was not excavated, but the stratigraphy probably 

was truncated by later (Phase V) activity.


Volume I 

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Volume I 

The second structure, ST35, lay approximately 2m to the south of ST34; its north wall, cg523, which 

was only partially revealed, was c. 1,4m wide and constructed from occasionally bonded medium-large, 

pitched limestone fragments. Its west end butted the cloister wall cg521, indicating that it was of later 

construction; it continued eastwards beyond the limit of excavation. Prior to the construction of this 

building, the area to the east of the cloister and south of ST34 may have been an open yard, or possibly 

a garden. The remains of the south wall of ST35 (541; found in Trench 1 of the Evaluation) lay 

approximately 5m to the south of cg523. Fragments of this wall, again robbed to its foundations, were 

observed in the base of a small sondage. Earlier excavations immediately to the east, in Trench 1 of the 

Evaluation (see 2.1, above), revealed a c.l.6m wide linear robber trench (614), suggesting a 

continuation of this wall. Deposits and features present in the internal area between the two walls were 

only partially revealed; these included patches of a narrow (0.15m), loosely compacted, crushed 

limestone mortar surface, cg514 (6.01m OD). The remains of a grave marker, cg513 (6.03m OD), were 

recorded midway between the walls (cg523 and context 541) of ST35, cutting through floor cg514. As 

with those recorded elsewhere in Area 8, this marker was also badly damaged; it was left in situ, 

therefore the presence of a burial here was not proven. 

Plate 15: Area 8 - ST36 (drain/latrine) - looking east. 

In the area between ST34 and ST35, tight against the east wall of the cloister, lay a rectangular stone 

structure, ST36 (cg522; Plate 15). It measured 2m (north-south) by 1.2m (east-west) and comprised 

three main elements. Firstly, a 2m by 1.4m pad of flattish, medium-sized limestone was placed 

between ST34 and ST35, leaving an east-west central hole, 0.80m x 0.50m, lined with crude facing 

stones. The remains of an unbonded north-south stone wall (18645) lay on top of this base to the north 

of the central hole and abutting ST34, defining the eastern limit of the stone pad. A well worn area of 

metalling (18369) lay between the base of the wall and the central hole. A dark brown silty loam 

(18621) containing fragments of tile, bone, charcoal and shell within the central hole sealed more 

sandy soil with grey/green staining at its base, suggesting that ST36 may have served as a drain, small 

soakaway or even a latrine (limitations to the archaeological programme precluded the excavation of 

67


Volume I 

this hole to its full depth). This suggests that the small area between ST34 and ST35 was external, the 

worn patch of metalling ST36 perhaps suggesting that access to it was through a doorway in the southwest 

corner of ST34. At its eastern end, ST36 cut through pre-friary dumps; beyond it, these dumps 

were directly sealed by modern stratigraphy. 

The excavation of a small trial pit against the eastern boundary of Unit 2, immediately next to the 

pedestrian pavement of the High Street, revealed a north-south robber trench very close to the line of 

the present day shop fronts. Although no dating evidence was recovered, this robber trench may have 

represented the line of the east precinct wall. Deposits observed to the west during the excavation of 

groundbeams for Unit 2 revealed them to be dumps with no evidence of floors or occupation deposits. 


Associated pottery indicates that for the most part this area of the friary was robbed between the 16th 

and 18th centuries. The sequence of robbing and/or post-friary occupation of the site is difficult to 

determine because of the limited scope of groundworks and the relative absence of dating material. 

Activity consisted of wall robbing with occasional pitting and land levelling. Of particular note was pit 

cgl 17, which lay within the area of the cloister against its inner north wall. This semicircular pit 

contained a large quantity of architectural fragments, including many pieces of window moulding. 

Phase V - Victorian and modem 

The earliest event recorded in Area 8 was eg 100, an extensive series of dumped deposits, effectively 

levelling the site and obscuring all traces of the friary cloister. Many features were recorded cutting 

into eg 100; the most prominent were three stone-lined pits of c.1900, associated with the tenements 

fronting the High Street. 

4.8 Area 8a 

Area 8a lay in the western half of the plot previously occupied by 153 High Street and allocated for the 

location of Unit 2. Owing to health and safety considerations regarding the stability of the southern 

gable-end wall of 154 High Street, and the likely effects of excavation, little over 35m" of the 138m" 

available in this area underwent archaeological examination. An infilled cellar formed the eastern 

boundary of the trench, with the High Street slightly further to the east. Area 7, now infilled, lay 

immediately to the south, with the station building to the south-west. To the west was Area 6 (northeast 

corner), with Area 8 slightly further to the north. 

Excavation was commenced by hand after the machine-removal of recent overburden. Prior to the 

excavation of the groundbeam for Unit 2, a small evaluation trench was excavated immediately 

adjacent to the High Street frontage, in order to establish the archaeological potential of the eastern half 

of the plot (153 High Street). 


Excavations were not deep enough to recover evidence of the early environment or Roman occupation. 

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Volume I 

Phase II deposits and features were not fully investigated because they generally occurred below the 

predetermined limit of excavation. 

ST33, cg23, a crude, east-west wall of unhewn, randomly coursed and unbonded limestone (2.10m 

long x 1.10m high, at 5.90m OD), was visible in the north section of a later (Phase IV) pit, cgl 1. There 

was no associated dating evidence, and no obviously associated occupation deposits (these may have 

lain to the north of the wall). Sealing cg23 was a group of ashy soil layers cg22 which may have 

represented demolition or destruction of the wall. To the west of these lay a further undated dump, 

cg28. 


The truncated remains of an east-west skeleton, cg26 (at 5.57m OD), were revealed lm to the south of 

ST33 in the base of a later pit, cgl 1 (see Phase IV below). This pit had removed all bones above the 

knees, together with any evidence of the grave cut. The left and right tibia and left fibula were visible 

in the base of the later pit but the feet were still presumed buried beneath the pit's eastern section. 

Although not entirely clear from the site record, it is thought that this burial may have been associated 

with an earlier phase of burials on the site, subsequently overlain by the construction of ST1 (see also 

Area 7, Phase III: 4.6, above). Skeletal remains, possibly from two further burials, were recovered 

from the fills of pit cgl 1, and the remains of another skeleton came from a second pit cg8 (also Phase 

IV). An indeterminate pit-like feature, cg32, to the west of burial cg26 and containing early 13th- to 

late 15 thcentury pot and tile, cut into dump cg28. 

A shallow, east-west angular cut, cg33 (4m x 1.4m x 0.15m deep), truncated to its north by the 

foundations of ST1 (eg 15, Phase III) and to its east by pit cgl 1, was recorded in the north-west corner 

of Area 8a. Deposits infilling cg33 included a deposit of pink, heat-affected ashy soil (18664). 

Subsequent fills included a crude metalled surface (18747, at 6.00m OD). Too little of this feature was 

exposed to allow for a more complete interpretation. 

To the east of cg33 lay the remnants of a mortar floor and its associated occupation deposits, cg29 

(6.12m OD). Several random postholes of unknown function cut through this occupation material and 

also through feature cg33. A large sub-circular pit cg41 (2.2m x 1.2m x 0.5m deep) against the south 

section of Area 8a cut cg29. 

The excavation of Area 8a revealed further evidence of ST1 (also present in Area 7). A c.6m length of 

the north wall of ST1 and its associated internal floors and occupation deposits were exposed during 

the excavation. The wall had been robbed to foundation level. The foundations, eg 15, were c.l.5m 

wide and up to 1.5m deep, and constructed from several courses of pitched, clay-bonded limestone 

fragments. Further excavation on the north side of the wall revealed a stone-built recess/alcove cgl3. 

Due to extensive truncation by later (Phase V) features, the original form and function of this feature 

was not readily apparent, not was its precise relationship to ST1 entirely clear. Excavation of the 

alcove did, however, produce a small but interesting group of 16th-century pottery with several nearcomplete 

vessels, including substantial parts of two Lincoln ware jugs, one with an 'IHS' monogram 

seal, and an almost complete Humberware jug. A large proportion of a glass urinal was also found 

here. 

Several mortar floors and bands of ashy occupation (cg42-7; between 6.00m and 6.12m OD), 

containing pottery of 13th- to 14th-century date and all extensively truncated by later features, lay on 

the south (internal?) side of wall cgl 5. Within the make-up for the earliest of these floors, cg42, was an 

unusual find (ZEB95 ), a small fragment from a circular, bowl-shaped object of Purbeck Marble, 

possibly a piscina (a basin for washing communion/mass vessels, normally set in or against a wall to 

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Volume I 

the south of an altar (Pevsner 1989, 838; see Vol. II, Architectural Stone). Its presence here may 

indicate that ST1 was not part of the original friary but was built at a later date. 

The north-east comer of an angular stone-lined pit, cg53 (1.6m x 1.6m x 0.8m), was present in the 

south-east corner of Area 8a, 2m south of wall cgl5, positioned almost centrally within ST1. Two 

courses of stone lining survived, consisting of roughly hewn limestone blocks and some reused 

architectural fragments. Two layers of friable, pink sandy mortar (18502, 18538) in the base of the pit 

sloped down towards the south-west (5.77m - 5.63m OD), and also continued in places up the face of 

the lining; between them lay a deposit of dark grey silty soil (18537), containing frequent flecks of 

charcoal and off-white mortar. The silty soil perhaps represented an original phase of use, sealed by a 

subsequent relining of the pit. 

Several postholes including some that lay parallel to, and partially within, the construction trench for 

wall eg 15 were recorded. Their location suggests that they may have been associated with scaffolding 

used during the construction of ST1. 


Post-friary activity in this area comprised robbing and demolition associated with the demise of ST1. 

Joining vessel sherds from the fill (cg6) of the recess/alcove cgl3 on the north side of ST1, and a 

robber trench (cg7) suggest these events to have been contemporary, around the time of the 

Dissolution. 

There were also a number of pits present, the most prominent of which, eg 11, was aligned with, and 

lay against, the south side of the foundations (eg 15) of ST1. Its position suggests that it may have been 

excavated prior to, or was associated with, the robbing of stone from ST1. This large rectilinear pit (at 

least 2m x 1,4m x 0.65m deep) continued into the east section and beyond the limit of excavation. 

The infill (cg9) of the stone-lined pit cg53 contained a number of architectural fragments including a 

fragment of miniature vault rib, possibly from a small chapel, sacristy or cloister walkway (see Vol. II, 

Architectural Stone). 

Phase V - Modern 

The predominant modern feature recorded in Area 8a was cg3, the west wall of the infilled cellar of 

153 High Street. The cellar covered approximately one third of the available plot. Other more recent 

features and deposits were formed during enabling works associated with the present St. Mark's 

redevelopment. 

4.9 Post-Demolition Recording Adjacent to the South Railway Platform 

The south railway platform was demolished as part of pre-construction groundwork, which also 

included the removal of deeper foundations below the southern retaining wall, thus presenting an 

opportunity to record archaeological deposits along the length of the platform. The western part of the 

trench mainly contained deep loam deposits similar to those already encountered within the 

Remediation Trench (see 3.0, above); archaeological remains, however, were encountered further to 

the east. 

These remains included an east-west wall (8155), probably of Roman date, at the base of the trench (at 

c.5.20m OD). Only one course of roughly hewn stone, 0.70m wide with a sandy mortar bonding, was 

visible at this level. 

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There was also sporadic evidence of Late Saxon and/or early medieval occupation in this area, 

predating graves that were almost certainly associated with the church of St. Edward the Martyr. 

At least ten burials were located in section, together with random bones indicating further burials; these 

lay in the graveyard to the north of the church. The density and depth of burials with, in one place, a 

sequence of three tiers of burial (8293-5) indicates a dense population and a lengthy span of use. The 

top horizon of the graveyard lay at 6.05m OD. 

4.10 Recording in the Area of Turntable 1 (Fig. 8) 

Turntable Area 1 was located close to the High Street in the area between the railway platforms. 

Archaeological work in this area consisted of the recording of exposed surfaces following the removal 

of two circular brick turntables in preparation for the formation of pile foundations in the area. The 

resultant trench measured 15.60m north-south by 6.40m east-west (including a higher platform along 

the High Street side of the trench). Depth from modern ground level was c. 1.90m (max.). 

The most notable feature was an east-west wall (9018) at the base of the trench. A large quantity of 

unstratified pottery collected during cleaning of the trench (9000) suggests both wall and associated 

deposits to be of Roman date. Pottery recovered from layers to the south of the trench (9003-4, 9006, 

9010) consistently dated to the late 3rd/4th century. 

Sealing these deposits was a thick "dark earth". A whitish clay seen in section at 6.19m OD (top 

height) may have represented a later floor surface (undated). There was no evidence of human remains 

in this area. 

4.11 Recording in the Area of Turntable 2 (Fig. 8) 

Turntable 2 was located to the south of the south platform at the western end of the area partially 

opened up during the Evaluation as Trench 5 (see 2.0, above). Recording in this area followed the 

removal of a very substantial brick turntable resting upon a thick concrete base. Only the upper levels 

of the trench sides were recorded after partial removal of the turntable; the lower extent of the trench 

could not be accessed due to health and safety considerations. 

The upper levels of the trench produced further evidence of occupation - probably Late Saxon and later 

- while the lower part (seen from the trench-side only) contained alluvial sediments, probably of 

Roman date, overlying ancient terrace sands at the very base of the trench. 

5.0 DISCUSSION OF RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS 

Phase I — Early Environment and Roman 

Evidence for the early environment of the area was found in the Remediation Trench and in Turntable 

Area 2, suggesting that over most of the area terrace sands were covered by fairly shallow depths of 

alluvium and cut at intervals by extinct watercourses, generally running north-south. These 

watercourses are typical of a low-lying flood plain. Prior to the process of reclamation, the River 

Witham may have separated into more than one channel with changes of course during periods of 

heavy flooding. At least one watercourse was navigable during the late 3rd/4th century, as suggested 

by the possible mooring post inserted into its bank. 

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Evidence of Roman occupation was found: two buildings in the area close to the High Street, to the 

north of the station building, a third in Turntable Area 1, and possibly a fourth within the South 

Platform Area. This, together with the evidence of other structures found during earlier investigations 

between the railway platforms (z86), at the Magistrates Court (ze87) and at St. Mark's Church (sm76), 

has added to our knowledge of the pattern of Roman occupation along the street frontage. The flue in 

Area 7 (Trench 1) can be compared to similar features found in buildings to the north, at the St. Mark's 

Church site, but from the limited information available it is difficult to comment further on the layout 

or function of the buildings. Their occupation appears to have ended by the late or very late 4th 

century, judging from the pottery and coins found in abandonment deposits; their earlier phases were 

beyond the limits of the investigation 

Further work on the soils micromorphology might reveal important information about the character of 

post-Roman abandonment deposits, for example whether they represent cultivated soil or dumps, and 

whether the 'dark earths' were formed by post-depositional processes which affected stratigraphic 

layers (see Vol. II, Soils Micromorphology 

Phase II - Late Saxon and Early Medieval Occupation 

Fragmentary evidence of Late Saxon occupation on the site was recovered in the Combined Services 

Trench and in Area 2f, but was most pronounced close to the High Street in Area 7, and in the 

Remediation Trench. 

The evidence for Late Saxon activity in Area 7, immediately to the west of the High Street, was 

extremely fragmented due to the later use of this area as the friary graveyard. This had resulted in 

severe truncation of the earlier deposits by grave digging, as well as the more gradual type of 

disturbance to be expected in an open space such as animal burrowing, worm action and tree root 

penetration. 

While study of the information gained from Area 7 is unlikely to lead to further understanding of the 

exact form of individual structures etc., the work has undoubtedly advanced our knowledge of the 

period in several key respects. The discoveries are also important for the information that has been 

obtained concerning the depth and state of preservation of deposits; this will assist in the future 

management of the resource. 

The "dark earth" cg310 produced a large assemblage of pottery; it may have accumulated over several 

centuries, but its latest dating material belonged to the first quarter of the 10th century. There were no 

specific structures associated with this material but it may represent the earliest known occupation in 

Wigford (see Vol. II, Post-Roman Pottery). Occupation deposits of this phase could have been 

reworked into a "dark earth" through natural processes similar to those mentioned above. 

The remains of parts of the stone walls of two of the Roman buildings (ST2, 3) were still visible, their 

upper parts lying at around ground level in the Late Saxon period. Although it is not clear whether 

these remains were incorporated into the later timber buildings, it is of interest that several features, 

including possible slots for timber beams, were aligned directly against the line of the Roman walls. 

Information gained from assessment of the environmental samples, allied to contextual data, allows 

inferences to be made about the general type of activity taking place in and around the structures. For 

example, analysis of samples from the ashy deposits occurring in sequences containing probable late 

lOth/early llth-century clay floors showed a high density of oat and barley grains which may have 

been associated with malting (see Vol. II, Plant Macrofossils and Other Remains). Interestingly, the 

pottery assemblage included part of a 10th- or 1 lth-century funnel, while an unusually high number of 

vessels had decalcified interiors, indicating that they had originally contained an acidic liquid; these 

may provide supporting evidence for the production of ale. 

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There was no conclusive evidence of kilns used in this process but the ash/charcoal-rich deposits and 

burnt clay surfaces could be related. Assessment of the soil samples (see Vol. II, Soils 

Micromorphology) indicated that the interleaving ashy layers could have been generated by waste 

processing, wood burning, industrial activity (perhaps including ale-making), building debris or from 

dung burning. This could suggest either a domestic or industrial function for the buildings; further 

study of these samples in the light of the results of plant macrofossil assessment might allow for a more 

conclusive interpretation. 

Soil micromorphology sampling has also provided information on the composition of the clay floors 

within the structures and it might be possible to determine the origins of the flooring materials used. 

The inclusion of diatoms, for example, could indicate the use of soil/plant materials from wet 

environments, possibly the banks of the River Witham which lay in close proximity to the site (see 

Vol. II, Soils Micromorphology). 

The pits to the west of Area 7, Trench 2, may demarcate the western limit of the structures. The 

primary fills of these pits dated to the last quarter of the 10th century. Pit cg209 contained possible 

sewage residues at its base, perhaps suggesting use as a cess or latrine pit, serving the structures to the 

east. 

The presence of linear features dating to the first half of the 11th century, on more low-lying ground 

further to the west in the Remediation Trench, suggests both extensive and intensive activity by the 

Late Saxon period. The complex and concentrated character of these features, and the occurrence of 

significant quantities of associated pottery, implies domestic or industrial activity rather than just 

drainage or boundary demarcation. Whether the low-lying nature of the ground at around 4.80m OD 

would have prevented domestic settlement is unclear and the possibility of occupation at this level 

cannot be entirely ruled out. However, some form of industrial processing, perhaps on a seasonal basis, 

is the most likely explanation for these deposits. 

Environmental samples from the primary fills of the linear cuts in the Remediation Trench generally 

displayed evidence of waterlogging; assemblages of wetland/aquatic plant macrofossils and shells of 

freshwater obligate molluscs were consistent with a permanently wet environment although some of 

this shell may have been deposited by river flooding. The presence of foraminifora implied some 

marine influence, suggesting that the river was, to some extent, tidal. The occurrence of charcoal-rich 

primary fills in the linear cuts to the east of the Remediation Trench (Area 2), together with a fired clay 

feature interpreted as a hearth, attests to some form of processing or industrial activity although there 

was no corroborating evidence such as a significant presence of industrial residues. It has not been 

possible, at this stage, to compare these results with features previously identified in an east-west 

section between the railway platforms (z86) but future integration of the data might lead to an 

enhanced understanding of Late Saxon exploitation of the low-lying ground closer to the River 

Witham. 

There was less evidence for later 12th- and 13th-century occupation on the site than for the Late Saxon 

period but there is no reason to suppose that this reflects a discontinuity in occupation. Instead, it 

seems likely that the relative absence of evidence for this period in the stratigraphic record arises from 

the impact of post-depositional processes and, in particular, the character of later activity on the site. In 

the area immediately adjacent to the High Street (Area 7), deposits representing this period were 

probably lost, as noted above, through post-depositional processes associated with its later use as a 

graveyard. 

The graves in Area 7 were generally cut through or sealed by a thick soil horizon (eg 194 and cg255) 

which almost certainly formed during the life of the graveyard. The grave cuts and the surrounding 

graveyard material both contained significant quantities of 12th- and 13th-century pottery, possibly 

indicating pre-friary use of the area. However, it is much more likely that the graveyard came into use 

after the foundation of the friary (see Phase III, below) and that the majority of the pottery contained in 

deposits associated with the graveyard represents residual material disturbed by grave-digging and 

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subsequently redeposited, or lay within 12th- and I3th-century occupation horizons which had been 

largely destroyed. It is possible that the later phases of pre-friary occupation are better preserved in the 

area of Trench 3, to the west of Area 7, because external or early construction levels of the friary 

sealed and therefore protected the earlier stratigraphy. This could not be confirmed, however, because 

excavation was discontinued at the upper horizon of the possible sequence. It is worth noting that the 

pottery of this period is generally of good quality, indicating reasonably high status occupation in the 

vicinity. 

Phase III - Construction and Occupation of the Carmelite Friary (Fig. 17) 

i) Extent 

It is now possible to delineate the boundaries of the friary with a reasonable degree of accuracy. The 

main building complex covered an area of approximately 75m north-south by 90m east-west. The 

southern boundary of the friary possibly lay at a midpoint between the railway platforms as defined by 

an east-west lane (z86), or just beyond the structures on the south side of the lane, dividing the friary 

from adjacent properties including the church of St. Edward the Martyr to the south. The eastern 

boundary of the property extended to the High Street where it appears to have been marked by a wall, 

the line of which more or less coincides with the modern building line. 

The northern boundary between the friary and St. Mark's church may have been formed by a 

predecessor of the brick wall (demolished during the development) which extended westwards from 

the northern end of the terrace fronting the High Street, lying on the southern boundary of the church, 

as depicted on maps from the 19th century onwards. Observation during demolition of this wall 

revealed that it stood upon substantial stone foundations, probably the remains of an earlier wall that 

continued to the west to form the south wall (2422) of a building recorded in Area 2. The eastern 

extent of this wall possibly formed the north wall of the north range of the cloister, and also coincided 

with the northern boundary of the friary. Alternatively, the boundary may have lain slightly further to 

the north. 

After a short northward turn, possibly represented by a north-south wall (2425), i.e., the east wall of 

the building recorded in Area 2, the remainder of the northern boundary of the friary may have been 

preserved by the line of the property division as shown on an 1827 Parish Valuation Survey map 

(Gilmour & Stocker 1986, 5). This division coincides precisely with an east-west wall (2479) at the 

northern limit of Area 2. 

The north-south walls ST5 and ST6 delineated the western limit of the main friary complex. A clear 

change in the character of deposits occurred to the west of this point, with thick loams perhaps 

indicating some form of cultivation of the more flood-prone ground closer to the river. The only 

evidence for structural remains in this area is represented by ST4, which almost certainly formed the 

northern extent of a structure recorded during earlier excavations (br85). It lay well clear of the main 

structural complex but was probably extant during the early friary period, if not later, and may have 

formed an outbuilding such as a barn for storage of produce from the friary land or a warehouse 

associated with the movement of goods to and from the friary by water. The western boundary of the 

friary is unknown, but was possibly formed by the river. 

ii) Structures and layout 

From the fragmentary evidence available it is difficult to discern distinct phases in the development of 

the friary over time and to define all of the structures for which evidence was recovered or their 

functions. Several discrete structures or areas serving a specific use can be recognised, however, such 

as the cloister and its associated ranges occupying the north-eastern part of the site, the church and 

graveyard to the south of the cloister, and a kitchen area surrounded by ancillary structures lying the 

north-western part of the site. 

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Fig. 17: Plan showing principal structural elements of the Carmelite Friary.

Cloister 


Volume I 

The most intensively excavated and best understood element of the complex is the cloister, ST13. This 

structure was investigated, with varying degrees of intensity, on all four sides (within Areas 2, 6, and 

8) and its internal area has been calculated at approximately 260m2. This appears small in comparison 

with some friary sites (eg, the large Carmelite friary in Coventry), perhaps reflecting constraints 

imposed by the availability of land at the time of construction. The significance of this cannot be 

ascertained without a much more thorough consideration of parallels in the archaeological record. 

Another notable feature of the cloister is the extremely substantial construction of the inner wall on all 

four sides. This suggests that it was a load-bearing wall, possibly supporting first floor rooms 

extending over the claustral walk as at the Austin Friars, Leicester (Mellor & Pearce 1981, 23-4), 

rather than the support for a much lighter, lean-to structure, as was often the case with monastic 

buildings. Whether this arrangement at St. Mark's is a common feature of Carmelite friaries and/or 

whether it has any dating significance may only be answered through further research. 

The paucity of datable material from contexts associated with the construction of the various elements 

of the cloister prevents conclusive dating of the structure but it is clear that the cloister, once built, 

continued in use until the Dissolution in the mid-16th century, and possibly beyond (see Phase IV 

discussion, below). 

While evidence for the use of the claustral walks for burial was found on all four sides of the cloister, 

only a limited number of features could be excavated to confirm their interpretation as graves, and only 

two burials (cg821 and cg825) were actually removed. These burials lay alongside one another at the 

south end of the west claustral walk. The burial in cg821 was eleven or twelve (sex could not be 

determined), while that in cg825 (a possible male) was between sixteen and eighteen years old. It is 

possible that these individuals were novices of the friary, and their burial in close proximity could 

intimate an element of zoning in the arrangement of burials around the cloister - although confirmation 

of this would require a much larger sample of burials. Evidence suggesting the repositioning of grave 

markers was recovered from the north claustral walk, as revealed by markers eg 111 and cgll2 

(although excavation below egl 12 did not reveal a burial beneath it). 

The west range of the cloister was represented by its west wall, ST14, and at least one room, ST12, 

which showed evidence of decoratively painted walls. The associated garderobe pit in Area 3 (cg466) 

may have defined the south-west corner of this range but a possible robber trench in the Combined 

Services Trench suggests a possible southward extent from here. 

The area to the north of the cloister lay outside the excavated area. However, observations during the 

demolition of the brick wall forming the boundary between the car park behind the terraced houses 

fronting the High Street and Kwiksave to the north was shown to stand upon a substantial stone wall. 

This stone wall and fragments of masonry (2416, 2422) probably representing its westward 

continuation may have formed the rear wall of the north range along the cloister. 

East of the cloister 

Stone structures forming buildings to the east of the cloister were recorded in Area 8. Here, evidence 

was found for a building aligned east-west, ST34, projecting from the north-east corner of the cloister. 

It is suggested that this building formed an eastward continuation of the north range. Only the south 

wall of ST34 was found; it was built at the same time as the cloister, as evidenced by the keyed in 

stonework of the foundations. It is unclear whether ST1, in Area 7, lying approximately 17m to the 

south of ST34 at the south-east corner of the cloister, was also contemporary with the construction of 

the cloister (and possibly modified later), or was constructed as part of a later phase of building. If the 

former were the case, the area between the two may have formed a large open yard, garden or similarly 

undeveloped area of the friary. 

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ST35 lay 2m to the south of ST34; its north wall abutted the outer east wall of the cloister, suggesting 

that it belonged to a later phase of friary construction. ST35 was approximately 5m wide and 

presumably aligned east-west, assuming a similar layout to that of ST34 and ST1 (see below). ST36, 

the small stone structure located between ST34 and ST35, appears to have been accessed via a 

doorway in the south-west comer of ST34. Its function, while not entirely clear, may have been a 

latrine or drain. 

ST1 lay to the south-east of the cloister (occurring in Areas 6, 7 and 8a) and had internal dimensions of 

17.50m long x 6.50m wide. Associated pottery (from the construction trench eg 166 in Area 7, Trench 

3) suggests a late 13th- to early 14th-century or later construction date. The presence of a rectangular 

stone-lined pit, located almost centrally within this building, may be significant, although its function 

remains unclear. 

A burial, cg26, uncovered within ST1 in the base of a later pit, may have been associated with prefriary 

activities on the site or may indicate that ST1 was built later in the life of the friary, this area 

having been used previously as a graveyard (the remains of at least two further burials were also 

recovered from the fills of later pits). Evidence recovered during the excavation of the adjacent area 

(Area 7), however, does not support the latter suggestion. 

ST1 continued in use with little modification throughout the remaining life of the friary and possibly 

longer (see below). The graveyard to the south and east of ST1 appears to have respected the building 

and has for this reason been interpreted as contemporary with the friary rather than earlier, in line with 

the pottery from the majority of the grave fills (see Phase II above, for further discussion of the pottery 

dating). 

Church 

The general monastic arrangement was to site the cloister to the south of the church, in order to prevent 

the former from being deprived of light. At St. Mark's, it appears that constraints imposed by the preexisting 

pattern of land ownership may have led instead to the construction of the cloister on the north 

side of the church; a similarly unconventional layout - suggested to have been dictated by the necessity 

of siting the church adjacent to a public thoroughfare - is evidenced at the Austin Friars, Leicester, 

where the cloister was also built on the north side of the church (Mellor & Pearce 1981, 6). The church 

at St. Mark's was possibly built on land first acquired by the friary, and the cloister added to the north 

on land acquired at a slightly later date. Walls at the eastern end of the Combined Services Trench and 

in Area 6 - ST24, ST25, ST26 and ST27 - lying between the cloister and the church, possibly represent 

a chapter house or, less likely, a chapel 

It may be possible to draw some conclusions about the status of ST27 by looking at the characteristics 

of the burial assemblage contained within it. This assemblage is generally composed of mature adults, 

often in wooden or stone coffins, some with decorated lids; the occurrence of at least one female 

skeleton, one (egl016: in a stone coffin with decorated lid) in probable association with a seal matrix 

(ZEB95 ; see Vol. II, Registered Finds), suggests that the group as a whole comprises high status 

burials of prominent lay people, possibly from a single family of the friary's benefactors. It was usual 

practice for this type of burial to take place within the church of a monastery, perhaps in a chapel or 

chapter house. The assemblage contrasted sharply with that found in the cemetery closer to the High 

Street, which was composed primarily of young males - possibly novices? 

If the burials in ST27 are associated with the friary church, the comparatively early date suggested for 

the coffin lids (late 12th - mid-13th century; see Vol. II, Architectural Stone) and for the seal matrix 

(mid/late 13th century; see Vol. II, Registered Finds) associated with cgl016 needs to be accounted 

for. It is unlikely that the friary was founded earlier than the mid-13th century (see Archaeological and 

Historical Background, 1.3 above) and it can be surmised that several years would have elapsed before 

the church was completed. Furthermore, at least one phase of probable friary building, represented by 

wall ST28, predates grave cgl016 while all of the graves in this area may also respect a later phase of 

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rebuilding, represented in part by the possible pier-base cgl370. It can be suggested that the site had a 

previous ecclesiastical use but this is unlikely. Alternatively, the graves may belong to the earliest 

phase of the friary but were disturbed by alterations to the church or chapel and were subsequently 

reinterred. It is also just possible that the 'bracelet-head' ornament of the grave slabs has a slightly 

longer date range than that suggested, extending into the 14th century, in which case the seal matrix 

may represent an heirloom. 

The buttressed wall ST20/ST22 (in the Combined Services Trench) probably represents the north wall 

of a replacement church and possible extension. Previous investigations to the south of the station 

building (z86) located corresponding walls and buttresses dated to no earlier than the late 15th century 

which, together with ST20 and ST22, could have formed the nave of a late church. Foundations 

strengthened with piles and compacted mortar at the east end of the building on the south side might 

indicate a central tower, with the narrowed chancel lying below the station building (alternatively, this 

may simply evidence the need for stronger foundations in the area of a 'soft spot'). It is worth noting at 

this point that the earlier excavations to the south (z86) demonstrated that the later (easternmost) 

building cut graves which were probably associated with an earlier church; it is possible that this 

church was of cruciform plan. The date of construction of the later church, and at least some of the 

modifications to other structures here, may coincide with rebuilding necessitated by the burning down 

of the tower (and dormitory) in c.1490 (Hill 1948, 150). 

Kitchen and related structures 

The structures occupying the north-western part of the friary displayed a marked contrast to those 

described above and can be characterised broadly as ancillary structures. The area contained a complex 

assortment of structures showing evidence of modification over time although it was only possible, 

within the limitations of the project, to gain a very partial insight into the sequence of development of 

this part of the site. 

The most clearly defined structure in the area with regard to both layout and function is ST9 which, 

with its sequence of hearths, is suggested to have served as a kitchen. Whether this building formed the 

main kitchen serving the refectory and the friary as a whole is unclear, but the absence of any 

comparable structure - despite excavations and other investigations over much of the friary complex - 

suggests that these were the main friary kitchens. The presence of ancillary features such as stone-lined 

drains, a soakaway, and rubbish pits in close proximity also attests to the function of this building. The 

date of its construction is again uncertain but the kitchen was certainly in use at the Dissolution and 

may have continued to serve reused buildings, at least in the northern part of the friary complex, into 

the 17th century. 

The external surfacing between ST9 and ST10, with external features to the west, indicates that ST9 

may have stood within a small courtyard with buildings arranged around it on all four sides. The west 

range of the cloister (comprising ST14 and ST12) lay to the east. 

Structures to the south of the kitchen - ST10, ST15/16, ST17, and ST18 and the stone-lined pit ST19 - 

were arranged around an open space between ST 15/16 to the west and ST 18 to the east, with a 

probable external wall, ST17, bounding the area to the south. The north wall of this complex was 

formed by ST10, with ST15 and later, ST16, forming the external wall to the west. Individual rooms to 

the south-west and south-east were represented by ST15/16 and ST18 respectively, with further 

possible rooms to the north. ST19 lay just to the south of the south-west corner of ST16, possibly 

forming a garderobe pit. The construction date of this complex is again uncertain but it is clear that all 

of these elements were extant at the time of the Dissolution. 

A north-south range, its west wall represented by ST5 and ST6 and its east wall possibly formed by an 

unphased masonry fragment (2577) to the east, may have lain to the west of the kitchen (ST9) at the 

time of the Dissolution. The north wall of this building may have lain at the limit of excavation to the 

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north, where an external east-west drain cg528 was located. The area to the north of the kitchen is 

more difficult to interpret because of the fragmentary nature of the evidence. 

Phase IV- The Dissolution and Post Medieval Activity 

The majority of the friary structures appear to have been pulled down at the time of the Dissolution or 

shortly thereafter and used as a source of stone; for example, the conduit head at St. Mary-le-Wigford 

was built c.1544 from reused stone suggested (Stocker 1990, 23-5) to have come from the chapel of 

Ranulf de Kyme at the Carmelite friary. There is reason to believe, however, that the inner cloister 

walls were retained as boundary walls enclosing the plot of land adjacent to the High Street on which 

the later terraced houses were erected. There is also some evidence that the kitchen continued in use 

into the 17th century, perhaps serving a structure (or structures) to the north which may have been 

converted for use as private accommodation; the ceramic evidence suggests that high status occupation 

continued here in the 17th and into the 18th century. 

The absence of significant archaeological structures from the later post-medieval period confirms the 

evidence from documentary sources, which describe the area as an orchard. 

Phase V- Victorian and Modern 

There was sporadic evidence of railway related activity across the site together with brick foundations 

and a cellar which almost certainly relate to structures shown on 19th-century Ordnance Survey maps. 

As already noted above, the positions and depths of areas investigated across the site were generally 

determined by the requirements of the development; for this reason, only some of the overall research 

priorities as set out in the Project Design could be addressed. 

The Evaluation 

The evaluation (Trench 5) was successful in precisely locating the Church of St. Edward the Martyr 

and its graveyard. From this information it was possible to determine the impact of the development on 

the remains with a high degree of accuracy, and to produce a mitigation strategy to preserve the 

remains. Trenches (1,2, and 3) on the site of the friary were also successful in confirming structural 

remains, often at shallow depth, but failed to produce precise information on the location and extent of 

the associated burial areas other than to confirm the probable absence of burials to the west of the 

station portico. The excavation showed that burials were located in discrete zones, which would have 

been difficult to assess through the limited sample investigated by the evaluation. On the whole the 

evaluation did provide data which, when considered in conjunction with the results of previous 

investigations and the potential impact from the development, provided a sufficient basis for the 

production of an appropriate mitigation strategy. 

The Remediation Trench 

The intensive watching brief was successful in locating structures associated with the friary and 

allowed thorough investigation of these structures to take place. It was also possible to record in some 

detail Late Saxon deposits on the lower lying ground towards the River Witham. In conjunction with 

79

CLA U Report No. 338: St. Mark s, High Street, Lincoln - Archaeological Investigations 

Volume I 

information from previous excavations, this may provide a greater understanding of the history and 

development of exploitation of these more marginal areas. The subsequent watching brief during 

excavation of the lower levels of the Remediation Trench produced some information on the general 

nature of the early course of the river which might be more informative when allied to borehole data 

for the site. However, the information recovered from this phase of work consists mainly of random 

observations, due primarily to the inaccessibility of the lowest levels of the trench. It is also likely that 

an appreciable volume of archaeologically significant material was lost without record. 

The Main Excavations 

As a result of the excavations, knowledge concerning the general layout and extent of the friary has 

greatly increased. In addition, the position, character and function of some of the main structures and 

allied features - the church, cloister, the kitchen, graveyard etc.- was established. Unfortunately 

however, it was not always possible to recover sufficiently detailed information to enable the 

construction of a chronology for the development of the friary over time. This was primarily due to the 

nature of the excavations, which were generally carried out within constraints imposed by the scheme 

of redevelopment and were consequently of a piecemeal nature. This, in some areas (eg Area 2), 

resulted in an extremely fragmentary record with few extensive stratigraphic sequences; in most areas, 

however, excavation demonstrated the complexity of the archaeology which displayed multiple phases 

of activity even during the life of the friary. Roman and Late Saxon remains were largely unaffected by 

the development but some useful information was obtained on the general character and dating of the 

deposits. 

The author of this report would like to acknowledge the contributions of Kevin Wragg (documentary 

background), Zoe Pattinson (digitising site plans), Yvonne Rose (production of reports), Jenny Mann 

and Michael Jones (editing of the reports and general advice). 

Thanks are also due to John Hockley (CLAU Project Manager) for his advice and encouragement at all 

stages of the project, to Michael Jarvis who was responsible for much of the fieldwork and for the 

production of the sections Areas 8 and 8a (4.7-8) in this volume, as well as for the collation and setting 

out of both volumes of this report. All of the site staff, especially supervisors Mark Dymond, Simon 

Johnson, Michael McDaid, Stephen Timms plus Yvonne Rose, site finds officer, are to be thanked for 

the commitment and enthusiasm which they displayed throughout the project. 

That the project succeeded under sometimes difficult circumstances was in no small part due to the 

excellent cooperation extended by the site staff of Simons Construction Ltd; in particular, George 

Dickinson, Paul Vine (Site Manager) and at a later stage Paul Rushton among others. 

John Samuels and Forbes Marsden of John Samuels Archaeological Consultants, Ward Cole 

Consulting Engineers, UCS Ltd and Schofield Kendall Ltd also deserve mention for assistance 

provided at various stages of the project. 

Cameron, K 1985 The Place Names of Lincolnshire. Part 1: The place names of the county of the City 

of Lincoln, Engl P lace-Name Soc Field-Name Stud, 58 

Camidge, K 1986 St Mark's Station, in Nurser (ed), 25-7


Volume I 

Colyer, C 1976 Excavations at St Mark's, Lincoln Bull CBA Church Comm, 5, 5-9 

Chitwood, P 1988 St Mark's Yard East, in Nurser (ed), 24-6 

Chitwood, P 1990 St Mark's Yard East (County Court site), in Jones (ed), 13-15 

Darling, M 1990 The blacksmiths of St Mark's and their god, in Jones (ed), 21-3 

Darling, M J & Jones, M J 1988 Early settlement at Lincoln, Britannia, 19 , 1-57 

Darling, M J 1981 A Roman face-pot from St Mark's, in Nurser, E (ed), Lincoln Archaeological Trust 

1980-81, Annu Rep Lincoln Archaeol Trust, 9, 27-8 

Department of the Environment, 1990 Planning Policy Guidance - Archaeology and Planning 

(PPG 16) 

Gilmour, B J J & Jones, M J 1978 St Marks, in Lincoln Archaeological Trust 1977-1978, Annu Rep 

Lincoln Archaeol Trust, 6, 13 

Gilmour, B J J 1981 St Marks, in Jones, M J (ed) Excavations at Lincoln. Third Interim Report: Sites 

outside the walled city 1972-1977, Antiq J, 61, 92-101 

Gilmour, B J J & Stocker, D A 1986 St Mark's Church and Cemetery, The Archaeology of Lincoln, 

13/1 

HBMC 1991 Management of Archaeological Projects (MAP 2) 

Hill, J W F 1948 Medieval Lincoln (reprinted 1965) 

Hill, J W F 1956 Tudor and Stuart Lincoln 

Hill, J W F 1966 Georgian Lincoln 

Hill, J W F 1974 Victorian Lincoln 

Jones, M J (ed) 1990 Lincoln Archaeology 1989-90, Annu Rep City Lincoln Archaeol Unit, 2 

Jones, M J, Gilmour, B J J & Colyer, C 1976 St Mark's, in Lincoln Archaeological Trust 1975-1976, 

Annu Rep Lincoln Archaeol Trust, 4, 17-21 

Magilton, J R & Stocker, D A 1982 St Mary's Guildhall, in Nurser, E (ed), Archaeology in Lincoln 

1981-82, Annu Rep Lincoln Archaeol Trust, 10, 8-16 

Magilton, J R 1983 Roman houses in the southern suburbs: St Mary's Guildhall and Monson Street, 

Lincolnshire Hist Archaeol, 18 , 99-100 

Mellor, J E, and Pearce, T, 1981 The Austin Friars, Leicester,CBA Res Rep, 35 

Nurser, E (ed) 1986 Archaeology in Lincolnshire 1985-1986, Annu Rep Trust Lincolnshire Archaeol, 

2 

Nurser, E (ed) 1988 Archaeology in Lincolnshire 1987-1988, Annu Rep Trust Lincolnshire Archaeol, 

4 

Otter, M & Jones, M J 1987 St Mark's Station, in Nurser, (ed) Archaeology in Lincolnshire 1986- 

1987, Annu Rep Trust Lincolnshire Archaeol, 3, 27 

Otter, M & Jones, M J 1988 St Mark's Station 1987, in Nurser (ed), 24 

Pevsner, N, and Harris, J, 1989 The Buildings of England. Lincolnshire (Rev edn by N Antram) 

Ruddock, J G & Pearson, R E 1985 The Railway History of Lincoln (2nd edn) 

Steane, K 1990 Wigford from the Roman to the late Saxon period, in Jones (ed), 18-21 

Stocker, D A 1991 St Mary's Guildhall, Lincoln, The Archaeology of Lincoln, 12/1 

Stocker, D A 1990 The archaeology of the Reformation, Lincolnshire Hist Archaeol, 25, 18-32 

Stocker, DA 1986 St Mary's Guildhall, in Nurser (ed), 29 

Trimble, R 1994 The Former St. Mark's Station, High Street, Lincoln, CLAU Archaeol Rep, 95 

Vince, A & Jones, M J (eds) 1990 (Rev edn) Lincoln's Buried Archaeological Heritage 

81


9.1 LHA NOTE DETAILS 

CLAU CODES: ZEA95 AND ZEB 95 

PLANNING APPLICATION NO.: LG36/0409/95 

FIELD OFFICER: R. Trimble 

NGR: SK 9735/7075 

CIVIL PARISH: Lincoln 

Volume I 

DATE OF INTERVENTION: 11/07/1995 - 25/06/97 

TYPE OF INTERVENTION: Excavation 

UNDERTAKEN FOR: Simons Estates Ltd. 

9.2 ARCHIVE DETAILS 

PRESENT LOCATION: City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit, Charlotte House, The Lawn, Union Road, 

Lincoln, LN1 3BL. 

FINAL LOCATION: The City and County Museum, Friars Lane, Lincoln. 

MUSEUM ACCESSION No.: 95.95 (ZEA95) and 165.95 (ZEB95) 

ACCESSION DATE : 

82


Volume I 

The site archive has been checked for internal consistency and includes stratigraphic matrices for each 

area. 

The ZEA95 archive consists of: 

No Description 

1 Site diary 

N/A Report (included in excavation report) 

322 Context records 

41 A3 permatrace plan sheets 

26 A3 permatrace section sheets 

10 Colour slide films 

9 Black and white films 

4 Stratigraphic matrices 

1 Levels book 

The ZEB95 archive consists of: 

J^i 0* - Description 

4 Site diaries 

1 Report 

3863 Context records 

490 A3 permatrace plan sheets 

161 A3 permatrace section sheets 

2455 Colour slides 

936 Black and white photographs- 

13 

n 

J 

Stratigraphic matrices 

Levels Books 

The primary archive material, as detailed above, is currently held by : 

The City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit, 

Charlotte House, 

The Lawn, 

Union Road, 

Lincoln, 

Lincolnshire, 

LN1 3BL. 

It is intended that transfer to the City and County Museum, Friars Lane, Lincoln, in accordance with 

current published requirements, under Museum Accession Numbers 95.95 (zea95) and 165.95 (zeb95), 

will be undertaken following completion of this project. 

83


Volume I 

The site has produced a substantial archive of material (as detailed above). While the stratigraphic 

sequence itself may have some shortcomings with regard to answering questions about the 

chronological development of the friary and the functions of individual structures, it should be possible 

to significantly advance understanding of the site through integrated study of all the data. The 

prerequisites for such further study are set out below. 

Recommendations for further work 

1) Enhancements to the archive to facilitate easier access to primary data, for example the 

computerisation of the context record, stratigraphic matrices, etc. 

2) Refinements to the phasing are required to elucidate the sequence of construction and the 

relationships between individual structures and their associated areas, in order to construct a site-wide 

sequence of development. The most effective way of achieving this would be through the 

amalgamation of context groups into a higher level of more interpretive groupings, known internally at 

CLAU as 'Land Use Blocks'. These Land Use Blocks reflect the varying uses to which particular areas 

of a site were put at different times (each individual division reflecting a specific use for a defined 

period of time), and would therefore be ideally suited to the St. Mark's material. 

This, in turn, would enable the various categories of specialist data to be studied in an integrated way. 

A specific example of the material which may benefit from this approach is the architectural stone; by 

identifying patterns of distribution, it may be possible to associate finds with particular buildings and to 

reconstruct elements of their superstructure. 

3) Understanding of the site, especially of the friary and its development, would be considerably 

advanced if integrated with the results of previous work. Parts of the possible late friary church, for 

example, were found on both sides of the north station platform. Integration of all information 

recovered could further elucidate the relationship between the phases of construction (ST20 and ST22), 

examine evidence for a tower, and refine dating. A distinctly earlier phase of friary building and 

associated burials was found to the south of the platform (z86); this could be contemporary with walls 

and burials encountered at the eastern end of the Combined Services Trench, while the building ST4 

provides a common link between earlier excavations (br85) and the Remediation Trench. 

4) A more intensive survey of documentary sources may reveal information concerning the ownership 

and transfer of land which, with the archaeological data, could permit the identification of the pattern 

of growth of the friary and, in turn, assist in the dating of particular structures recorded during the 

excavations. Further topics for documentary research could include possible evidence for the de 

Morteine family, as identified on the seal matrix associated with one of the stone coffin burials, and the 

recovery of information relating to post-medieval land ownership. The latter may assist in the 

interpretation of buildings which are thought to have continued in use after the Dissolution. 

5) The friary in particular should be considered in relation to comparable sites, drawing especially on 

relevant expertise on the subject of monastic architecture, and in relation to the layout and 

development of similar establishments; it may be possible as a result of such work to assign functions 

to particular buildings. In turn, the St. Mark's material may contribute towards regional and national 

research issues in relation to monastic establishments. 

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Volume I 

6) Our understanding of the periods between Late Roman abandonment and Late Saxon reoccupation 

of the site may be enhanced through further work on the soils micromorphology samples taken from 

the "dark earths". 

With regard to the Late Saxon period, it would be of considerable interest to compare the evidence 

found in the Remediation Trench with that derived from an earlier section (z86) recording deposits 

between the High Street to the east and the River Witham to the west. This may show whether the 

activity recorded in the Remediation Trench is also present to the south, and may shed light on the 

interpretation of the features recorded in the former, as well as on the relationship of this activity to the 

river and to alluvial episodes. 

85

St.Mark's Station, High Street, Lincoln - Archaeology Data Service

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