Post-medieval brick wall at Darcy House, St Osyth Priory, The Bury, St Osyth (EHER 80414)

Archaeological monitoring and recording in the West extent of the priory grounds revealed a post-medieval brick wall, which was 0.7m wide and on an E-W alignment. The topsoil produced six refitting fragments of an early 20th century wall or floor tile which form part of a 'rajoles d'oficis' – tiles of trade/trade tiles.

July 2022. Watching brief. Archaeological monitoring and recording in the West extent of the priory grounds revealed a post-medieval brick wall, which was 0.7m wide and on an E-W alignment. The bricks had been set in a lime mortar and based on the section drawing provided to CAT, the bricks were 0.22-0.24m wide and 0.08m thick. This wall appears to be in alignment with a section of 17th to 18th century brick wall uncovered further to the East during the 2016 evaluation on the site. Two walls were identified in Trench 3 of the evaluation, aligned N-S and NW-SE. Though seemingly part of a single structural phase, the two sections were awkward at their junction, and it was suggested that their position within the planned garden area shown on the 1762 map indicated that they could be part of a design element linked to this phase. The topsoil produced six refitting fragments of a wall or floor tile which form part of a 'rajoles d'oficis' – tiles of trade/trade tiles. While the first trade tiles were made in Spain in the mid 17th century, this particular example was part of a 20-tile set depicting 'innovations of the 19th century' made around 1900. The presence of the tile demonstrates the use of wall tiles imported from Spain to England for decorative purposes in one or more of the structures at the site during the earlier part of the 20th century. <1>