NHER 16806 (Building record) - Marriott's Warehouse, South Quay

1980. Brief site inspection.
Late medieval or early 16th century warehouse constructed from brick. The windows have stone mullions on the northern gable.
E. Rose (NAU), 26 November 1980.

The building is believed to have been a Hanseatic Warehouse or 'steelyard' belonging to the Hanseatic League which was a economic group of trading cities and their guilds that was active between the 13th and 17th centuries. The revised Grade II* Listed Building description indicates that this site was 'possibly' the Hanseatic League warehouse, which was thought to have been located on the north side of St Margaret's Lane. The building possibly dates from the 14th century as indicated by the ashlar ground floor. However, (S2) states that their research indicated a late 16th century date utilising stonework from demolished parts of the Benedictine house. The 15th/16th century brick upper floor suggests it stood on an island in the river which would have been reached by a causeway.
E. Rose (NAU), 22 July 1998.

September 1998. Building Survey.
Early 16th century barn-like building built onto an area of reclaimed land on the edge of the river Ouse. In the late 16th century the building was heightened and roofed. In the 19th century the roof was replaced but the 16th century tiebeams and wall posts survive. The site is important for understanding the development of the quay side in South Lynn beginning with a hard standing referred to as 'Pygott's stand' forming a quay onto reclaimed land and finishing with a three storey warehouse into which ships could unload cargo directly.
See (S1) for further information.
S. Howard (NLA), 16 June 2010.

A. Rogerson (NLA) confirms it is likely that the brickwork was reused. (S3) notes that the site was called Piggott's Stand in the 15th century. It is possible that the ground floor was built post Dissolution as a pound and converted to a building in the 17th century. Trial holes below the floor produced over 2m of flint infill, and a 13th century moulding.
E. Rose (NAU), 6 October 1998.

1999. Dendrochronological Survey.
Tree-ring analysis. Ten timbers from Marriot's Warehouse produced a date range of between AD 1310 to 1583 with four timbers from an earlier group being felled in winter AD 1498/99 and two samples being felled in spring or summer AD 1583 and winter AD 1583/4. It is possible that, like some of the masonry, some of the earlier timbers such as large transverse bridging joists and tiebeams dating to AD 1498/9 were taken from salvaged materials from the three nearby dissolved friaries.
See report (S4) for further details.
S. Howard (HES), 27 October 2010.

January and August 1999. Watching Brief.
A cellar was revealed with two phases of backfill probably dating to the 20th century. The bricks forming the floor of the cellar probably date to the 19th century and might have replaced an original timber floor. However, an exploratory hole cut through the brickwork in the north-east corner produced no evidence for the original floor. The presence of a cellar at Marriot's Warehouse indicates that it is possible the site did not start as a pound.
See report (S5) for further details.
S. Howard (HES), 27 October 2010.