Fifth and final season of excavation by Rob Poulton of SCAU for SCC, SyAS and others. A section across the early bailey ditch confirmed that it was infilled in the late 12th century; 13th century walls were found built over the northern edge of the ditch. The building known as Lord Edward’s Chamber (built in 1246) was examined and the finely moulded jambs of a doorway uncovered. The Chamber was found to be earlier in date than the adjoining building, which cannot, therefore, be the Almonry.

Report by Mary Alexander on a piece of green porphyry recovered from a securely dated mid-late 13th century layer during excavation by the Guildford Group of the SyAS, in 1981. Porphyry is only known from two medieval contexts in England: Westminster Abbey and Canterbury Cathedral. This piece must be a discard from work being carried out at the castle, possibly associated with a chapel known to have been constructed in 1268 for Eleanor of Castile. (291)

Evaluation by Rob Poulton of SCAU for S K Kuntze & Associates, of the area of a new extension to the rear of the hotel, revealed two large pits, interpreted as cesspits. The pits were infilled with rubbish in the mid-13th century, making them roughly contemporaneous with the undercroft at the front of the hotel. A watching brief on the works was subsequently carried out by J Robertson of SCAU and GMVEU also kept an eye on the development. Six pits dating to between the late 12th and 14th centuries were identified. Four pits contained no dating evidence but are likely to be medieval.

A watching brief by R Poulton of SCAU for the Project Design Partnership on works within the medieval undercroft, found that the rear wall of the undercroft was built directly against natural chalk. Chalk-block foundations relating to both the undercroft and later features were noted.

Evaluation by R Poulton of SCAU for W H Smith Ltd as part of redevelopment of the shop site. The work took the form of observation of clearance and groundworks, with recording of the archaeology uncovered. SCAU were assisted by the GMVEU. Much of the site had been disturbed by modern development and the High Street frontage was found to have essentially been removed by modern basementing. Elsewhere no occupation levels earlier than the post-medieval period survived; the only pre-19th century wall foundations recorded probably relate to the House of Correction, built soon after 1767.

Examination of the cellars by GMVEU led to the discovery of an infilled chamber which, when excavated, was found to be a small room built of dressed chalk of which a little over a metre in height survived above floor level. The remains of what appeared to be blind arcading above a ledge survived, with doorways at the north west and south east corners of the chamber. Stylistically the room appears late 12th century in date. The rubble infilling the room contained material no earlier than the 1270s. (300)

Evaluation by GMVEU to the rear of the standing buildings recorded chalk-block walls and chalk quarrying pits, all of 13th to 14th century date. (292)

Excavation by GMVEU within the standing building, built c1600, revealed a thick black layer containing material of mid-12th to mid-14th century date. Several features cut into the natural chalk below this layer were also investigated. (292)

Report by D J Turner on the re-appraisal of the barn by Dave Stenning. The barn, which is mid-late 14th century in date, contains three re-used posts, a tiebeam and remnants of aisle-ties from a 13th century barn (as well as two octagonal posts from a 13th century domestic aisled hall). The earlier barn would have been larger than the present one, comparable in size to the Cressing Barley Barn. (294)

Evaluation and watching brief by R Poulton of SCAU for Cenargo Ltd on a small scale development adjacent to the church. Although no features of interest were noted, a number of sherds of pottery were recovered, including part of a rim of a late 11th/early 12th century cooking pot, fragments of grey-brown sandy wares of 12th-13th century date and fragments of late 13th-early 14th century whitewares.