NHER 61876 (Monument record) - Medieval and post-medieval structural remains in grounds of Friary Cottage

April-October 2010. Excavation and Watching Brief.
This programme of work took place during building work at Friary Cottage (NHER 43988). Archaeological investigations took place prior to and during the construction of an extension to the existing outbuilding, a new link building and alterations to the main dwelling itself.
The first phase of work was the excavation of the footprint of the outbuilding extension. This excavation revealed a north-west to south-east aligned medieval wall that was interpreted as a continuation of the Burnham Norton Friary precinct wall. A parallel wall at the opposite end of the trench appears to have been post-medieval and was probably part of a 17th- or 18th-century precursor to the existing outbuilding. This structure was clearly larger than the present building and had probably been constructed as a dwelling. Although it appeared that the medieval wall had been largely demolished by this time, it seems that it nevertheless determined the position and orientation of the later structure. The finds recovered included assemblages of medieval to post-medieval pottery, ceramic building material and animal bone. Surprisingly not a single metal object was recovered. Apart from a small number of medieval sherds, the pottery recovered is predominantly post-medieval and modern. This assemblage is dominated by a large amount of 16th- to -18th-century Glazed Red Earthenware that was recovered from a single deposit. A sample taken from a medieval deposit produced a small assemblage of material that was probably derived from hearth waste.
The subsequent watching brief also recorded significant medieval and post-medieval remains. Two medieval walls were identified immediately to the south of Friary Cottage. These were similarly aligned to the extant building and probably represented part of the same structure as that which is known to have been partially incorporated into the fabric of Friary Cottage. A medieval or early post-medieval well and a post-medieval wall were partially exposed within footing trenches excavated at the eastern end of Friary Cottage. A series of underpinning trenches excavated around the outbuilding revealed a number of additional walls and two areas of brick floor; providing further support for the suggestion that the precursor to this structure had been much larger. Elsewhere medieval pit fills were exposed in a sump excavated at the end of a drainage run to the east of Friary Cottage.
A post-medieval floor tile was the only find recovered during this phase of work.
See assessment report (S1) for basic summary of results. Final report awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 24 October 2016.

July-September 2012. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of groundworks associated with the construction of two new buildings and a soakaway.
The small footing trenches for the southern building exposed the foundations of two walls of probable medieval date. The alignments of these walls would appear to be consistent with those of the friary buildings previously identified in the vicinity.
No features or structures were observed during the excavation of post-pits for a new garage, although they did reveal deposits of mortar, chalk and coal that may have been the results of the robbing or demolition of friary buildings.
Brick samples taken from one of the walls were the only finds recovered during this work.
See report (S2) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S3).
P. Watkins (HES), 24 October 2015.

A combined archive comprising material from both phases of archaeological work at this site has now been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2011.272).
P. Watkins (HES), 16 May 2019.