NHER 5759 (Monument record) - Site of Late Saxon occupation, Late Saxon to medieval church, and medieval buildings, St Michael's Close, Thetford

Around 1902. Casual Find.
The skeleton of a 'full grown child' was discovered in a garden plot adjacent to the gas works on Bury Road approximately five years prior to the discovery of an inhumation in a stone coffin (see below). In 1907 a stone marked the location of the burial.
It is uncertain whether this garden plot was located within the area included in NHER 5868 or NHER 5759.
Information from (S1), copy in file.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 31 January 2008.

1907. Casual Find.
An inhumation in a stone coffin (orientated east-west) was discovered while gardening in a plot adjoining the gas works on Bury Road. No identification was found either in the interior or exterior of the coffin, which had a plain lid with a ridge down the center. Earth was removed around the coffin, revealing possible remains of a vault. Possible foundations were also revealed at a slight distance from the coffin and it is thought that these may have belonged to a church.
It is uncertain whether this garden plot was located within the area included in NHER 5868 or NHER 5759.
Information from (S1), copy in file.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 31 January 2008.

1912. Casual Find.
The foundations of a building were discovered during groundworks for the installation of a new sewer north of the Thetford workhouse (NHER 51822), approximately 50 yards from the boundary of Weavers’ Close and near the Nunnery (NHER 5892) end of the field. The foundations were three feet thick, constructed of rubble and mortar with fragments of worked chalk and Barnack stone. Several inhumations were also encountered, described as ' in an eastward position' and not showing any signs of coffins or grave furniture. The building was interpreted as a church, and as no further walls were located to the east it was believed that the wall likely belonged to the chancel. Some of the chalk and Barnack stone was discoloured, and the church may have been destroyed by fire. It was also speculated that this may have been the medieval church of St Michael.
See (S2), (S3), (S4) and (S7, p 80) for further details.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 10 October 2008.

April to May 1957. Test Pit.
Twenty-nine test trenches were excavated in southeast Thetford in order to assess the extent of Late Saxon occupation and locate a former ford in the area of Nuns' Bridges. Four of these trenches were located within the allotments at the northeast of this site. NB 21 and NB 23 were located at the northeastern edge of the allotments. The southernmost of these contained a 'recent' rubbish pit which yielded fiver sherds of Late Saxon Thetford ware while the northern test pit was described as disturbed and contained no archaeological finds or features. NB 24 and NB 25 were located further west. These were both described as having been disturbed and yielded two sherds of Late Saxon pottery.
See (S5) for further details.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 10 October 2008.

1967. Scheduled.
This area was scheduled as part of the Late Saxon town and probable site of the 11th century Church of St Michael. At the time of scheduling, the area was partly built over by a school. The central portion was occupied by a tarmac play-ground while the remainder was open grass.
See (S6) for further details.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 10 October 2008.

January 1968. Geophysical Survey.
The Ancient Monuments Laboratory conducted a magnetometer survey within this area prior to redevelopment. Several anomalies were detected but no further details are currently available.
Information from (S7, p 76) and (S9).
H. Hamilton (NLA), 10 October 2008.

May 1968. Geophysical Survey.
The Ancient Monuments Laboratory conducted a resistivity survey within this area prior to redevelopment. Several anomalies were detected but no further details are currently available.
Information from (S7, p 76), and (S9).
H. Hamilton (NLA), 10 October 2008.

July-August 1969 and Easter 1970. Excavation.
Four trenches were excavated in order to investigate the line of the Late Saxon town defenses and locate the remains of a church discovered in 1912 and believed to be St Michael’s.
Trench 1 was located in the extreme west of the site, adjacent to Bury Road, in order to investigate a linear anomaly identified during geophysical survey (see above) that was believed to be the Late Saxon defenses. This was found to be an area of intense 10th to 11th century activity, predominantly industrial. Features consisted primarily of pits and post holes and were most dense towards the north of the excavated area. A possible sunken featured building containing two phases of hearth was located towards the south. This was likely dated to the 10th century and may have been associated with several early pits located to the north. The building was cut by an east-west ditch, interpreted as a possible boundary and dated to the early 11th century, which was overlain by a series of hearths and floors. These 11th century hearths and floors were associated with increased numbers of pits and post holes, representing an intensification of activity at this time. This also appears to be the period when the majority of the metalworking activity took place. A large quantity of iron slag have been recovered within in excavation trench a few metres to the west of this site in 1959 (NHER 5758) and is likely connected to this activity.
Trench 2 was placed towards the southeast of the area in order to locate the building encountered in 1912 (see above). The church was identified in a northern extension of the trench and several construction phases were identified. Nine sherds of 11th century pottery were recovered from soil layers beneath the earliest church, and any pre-church activity in the area is likely 10th to early 11th century. Some of the undated pits, post holes, and ditches on the site likely date to this period and a small group of post holes in the area of the church may represent an earlier building. A small timber church consisting of a nave and chancel appears to have been constructed in the middle of the 11th century. A flint-filled pit within the footprint of the church may have been a font soakaway, and additional small post holes may represent a screen located between the nave and chancel. This was replaced with a slightly larger stone building some time in the mid to late 11th century. The stone church likely had a square chancel in both phases and the nave was later extended to the west. It also had a mortar floor which was re-laid twice.
It has been estimated that the churchyard was in use for a period of about 200 years. Approximately twenty in situ graves remained unexcavated, seventy-nine in situ graves were excavated (two of these contained more than one individual), and a further thirty-six context numbers were allocated to reburials and disarticulated bone. It has been estimated that the excavated remains represent between 101 and 149 individuals. Approximately equal numbers of males and females were identified, and there was a high percentage of very young children, which is typical of this period. A range of bone pathologies were identified, including dental caries, abscesses, and periodontal disease, osteoarthritis, cribra orbitalia indicating anaemia, and two cases of tuberculosis. These are all typical of the period.
Three to four phases of secular use were identified following abandonment of the church, but the dating of these phases remains uncertain. Two metalworking features were cut into the floor of the church, towards the west of the nave. These features were associated with at least two slots, indicating a possible structure, and mould fragments indicate that bell casting was carried out. The bell metal recovered has been identified as Saxon or medieval type. A second phase of activity is represented by a wall abutting the west end of the nave. Sometime later, two small walls appear to have been constructed against the eastern wall of the nave. The final phase of activity associated with the remains of the church saw additional structural alterations. A small annex was constructed on the north, associated with a path leading northeast. This appears to have been integral with the building, as a mortar floor laid during this phase overlaid the foundations of the north wall. A second annex was constructed at the west end of the building, incorporating the wall assigned to a previous phase of activity. However this annex may not have been accessible from within the nave as the mortar floor did not continue past the former western nave wall. Two wide, irregular entrances were created on the north and south side, the latter possibly wide enough to allow a cart, and the mortar floor was extended outside the southern entrance. To the east, no evidence was found for foundation trenches, but probable arcs were identified. It has been suggested that the arcs may have been associated with industrial activity, possibly a bakery or a malting and brewhouse. This final phase of activity appears to be contemporary with several buildings and areas of mortar identified to the south which have been dated to the 14th century or later. Very few medieval finds were recovered from the site, but a small scatter of 17th century pottery was recovered suggesting that this final phase may be 17th century.
Trench 3 was excavated in the southeast in order to investigate a linear concentration of geophysical anomalies which was thought to be a road. Finds were limited to several modern pits, likely late 19th to early 20th century, which were likely the source of the resistivity anomalies.
Trench 4 was excavated in the northeast of the site in order to investigate a linear anomaly identified via geophysical survey which was also believed to represent the Late Saxon defensive ditch. Two pits and an east-west ditch were recorded but these remain undated as no archaeological finds were recovered.
See (S7), (S8), (S10-12) and (S17) for further details.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 8 October 2008.

1975. Casual Find.
A Late Saxon coin was found on an allotment [1].
Is has been identified as a styca of Aethelred II of Northumbria.
Thetford Museum T1975.153. Die duplicate of BMC Northumbria 345.
Information from letter from S Lyon, NCM.
See list in file.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 03 October 2008.

February 1980. Field Observation.
Construction trenches were examined in St Michael's Close. No archaeological features or finds were identified.
See list in file.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 03 October 2008.

May or June 1989. Stray Find.
Found on allotments at [2]:
1 Palaeolithic ovate flint handaxe in very rolled condition. See drawing (S18).
Identified by J. J. Wymer (NAU). See detailed description in file.
Also noted on (S19) and in (S20) and (S21).
H. Hamilton (NLA), 03 October 2008.

Dedication of the Church
Documentary research has demonstrated that St Michael's Church was still in use in 1368 and that the parish may have still existed as late as 1428. As these dates conflict with the archaeological evidence gathered in 1969 and 1970 it is now believed that the church at this site was not St Michael's. Further research has ruled out several other dedications of uncertain location as they also appear to have remained in use in the 13th century or later. These include All Saints, St Edmund, St John, and St Lawrence. Three possibilities for the dedication of the church excavated in 1969 and 1970 have been identified:
i) The dedication of this church may have gone unrecorded.
ii) This may be St Martin's. The only evidence for this church is that it is named in the Domesday Book.
iii) This may be St Benet's or St Benedict's. The only evidence for this church is that it was given to the nearby Benedictine nunnery of St George (NHER 5892) in the late 12th century. It is therefore believed to have been located nearby and may have had a pre-Conquest dedication. Thre is also no mention of St Benet's within documentary sources after about 1176, which fits the archaeological evidence for this site.
See (S7) and (S14) for further details.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 13 October 2008.

March 2007. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of site of proposed residential development at 10 St Michael's Close.
Two features were identified; a linear feature of uncertain nature that probably predated the 10th/11th-century phase of activity and a probably quarry pit of unknown date. A single sherd of Late Saxon pottery was recovered.
Report awaited. Above information taken from report produced following subsequent fieldwork (S16).
J. Allen (NLA), 2007. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 4 February 2017.

March 2007.
Scheduled monument consent granted concerning the erection of four 3-bedroom semi-detached houses with associated parking and amenity areas on the last vacant plot on the housing estate.
See (S15).
H. White (NLA), 6 April 2009

June-July 2007. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of groundworks associated with construction of new dwellings at 10 St Michael's Close.
No archaeological finds or features were recorded during monitoring of groundworks for a residential development. The absence of inhumations within this area indicates that the cemetery associated with the church to the southwest, excavated in 1969 and 1970, did not extend this far northeast.
See report (S16) for further details.
A. Cattermole (NLA), 27 November 2007.

Before 1 June 2009. Casual find on allotment Plot 2.
1 medieval coin.
See list in file.
A. Marsden (NLA), 1 February 2010.

May 2018. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of groundworks associated with extension to No 4 St Michael’s Close.
The footing trenches excavated revealed no archaeologically-significant features or deposits. Natural geological deposits were encountered at a depth of 0.37m.
No finds were recovered.
See report (S22) for further details.
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2022.117).
P. Watkins (HES), 31 July 2023.