Medieval pits and probable burgage plots on land to the rear of 127-129 High Street (EHER 46747)

Trial trenching and archaeological excavation in 2007 recorded six well-defined groups of intercutting pits, spaced in a regular grid pattern in line with the High Street. These were interpreted as reflecting land divisions which extended away from the High Street, with the boundaries being situated in the gaps between the pit groups. A post hole alignment at the west of the excavated area may represent a formalisation of this boundary division.

February 2007. Trial trenching. A six trench evaluation in February 2007, ahead of housing development, established that medieval remains were present in the southern part of the site, towards the High Street. Trench 4 contained two pits which contained peg tile and domestic medieval pottery. <1> April 2007. Archaeological excavation. Therefore in April 2007 an open area excavation targeted the southern part of the site. Sixty-eight features were recorded and all but three pits dated from the 13th to mid 14th century (the exception being three pits which were late medieval). The pits form six well-defined groups, some features intercutting one another, and the groups were spaced in a regular grid pattern in line with the High Street. These were interpreted as reflecting land divisions which extended away from the High Street, with the boundaries being situated in the gaps between the pit groups. A post hole alignment at the west of the excavated area may represent a formalisation of this boundary division. The function of the pits is not immediately obvious. Most clearly contain domestic refuse but it is possibly they were originally had a specific function, for example quarry pits, and were reused for rubbish disposal. Also recorded was a small gully which may represent an ephemeral internal division associated with a medieval burgage plot. Finds include a 'ballock' or 'bollock' knife. The name alludes to the shape of the wooden grip, lost on this example, which had a pair of lobes at the blade end, supporting the hilt plate and acting as a guard. The guard and grip were carved in one piece, sometimes with a mushroom-shaped pommel further accentuating the phallic imagery. The knife came from a small pit, on the line of one of the putative property boundaries, and it is suggested that its burial might be symbolic. Other finds included an iron shoe buckle, copper alloy lace-chape, part of an iron padlock, iron chisel or wedge, pottery and tiles (mostly roof tiles). The environmental remains included wheat, barley and oats, peas, fish bone, cattle and sheep bone. Three large pits towards the north-east side of the excavation were later in date than the other pit groups. Pottery from these pits included Tudor Red Earthenware and Low Countries Red ware. A large quantity of cod bones (as opposed to herring and mackerel) recovered from these pits might represent a change in fishing practices between the mid 14th century and the late medieval period. <1> <2>