Archaeologists at Work

As usually happens in a historic town like Ipswich, especially on one of the oldest settlement sites, an archaeological dig is undertaken for as long as the archaeologists can persuade the developers to let them work. This dig will haw lasted about three months and is due to finish this month. The site is at Great Whip Street bordering on Stoke Quay, overlooking New Cut West and facing across the river to The Mill (Cranfield's) development. Being so close to the lowest crossing point on the river it has long been an obvious area to explore for human influence. A large medieval cemetery has been discovered (possibly 11th century) and graves dating back to Saxon times (6th-7th centuries). Rubbish pits will also reveal a good deal of evidence about how people lived.

When built this will be a development of new homes (280 flats, 25 town houses and an extra-care home with 79 beds) with basement car parking (which will also serve as a flood defence measure) and some commercial accommodation. Our Newsletter of April 2011 (Issue 183) described the plans which we welcomed in general, even though it is big and "will over-power Stoke and its Conservation Area considerably."