The Evolution of a Norman French Borough in Norwich Excavations between Theatre Street and Bethel Street, 1998–9 (Paperback)

Open-area excavation was undertaken between 1998 and 1999 on a site west of the church of St Peter Mancroft in Norwich city centre. The work was occasioned following the destruction by fire of Norwich Central Library in 1994 and excavation was conducted ahead of redevelopment for the Forum complex incorporating a new library. The work occupied an area bounded to the south by Theatre Street, to the west by the basement of the destroyed library and to the north by Bethel Street. To the east work had to be conducted away from the frontage of St Peter’s Street in order to avoid any adverse impact on the west tower of St Peter Mancroft church. The excavation provided data on occupation from the early Neolithic to the post-medieval period. Prehistoric deposits included post-holes tentatively interpreted as representing a rectangular early Neolithic building. Late prehistoric and Romano-British material was also recovered including possible evidence for field boundaries. Occupation in the first millennium CE continued to reflect likely agricultural use of the area, although occasional Anglo-Scandinavian finds illustrated contacts between the growing urban settlement of Norwich and localities both elsewhere in England and northern Europe. The earliest evidence for urban occupation dated to the late 11th century and was associated with Norman French development of the site following the Norman Conquest of 1066. Pre-urban routeways across the site were supplemented by other lanes, one of which — Lady Lane — could be seen to have been moved westward, probably in the 13th century, from its previous 11th-century alignment. Initial timber buildings at the Bethel Street frontage were replaced by stone structures in the 12th century, the substantial footings of which suggest houses of two or more stories. The southern part of the site passed into the control of the College of St Mary in the Fields in the 13th century. A large lime kiln dug into the closed alignment of Lady Lane was probably associated with construction of the college. Craft industries were also present, notable evidence being that for gold and possible silver working which, as well as crucibles, moulds and a litharge cake, included a Viking Age ingot, perhaps lost from inherited stock in the later 13th century. Household goods showed little variance from finds elsewhere within Norwich but the remains of foodstuffs, notably birds, indicate affluent tables in the locality. Post-medieval occupation proved more difficult to characterise due to truncation of upper deposits. There were, nevertheless, useful finds assemblages including high status goods such as Venetian glassware. The discovery of a distal humerus of a Barbary ape hinted at exotic contacts. Post-medieval pastimes were illustrated by two 18th-century wooden and weighted lawn bowling balls as well as bird pathologies which imply cock-fighting. Documentary evidence for both activities in the White Swan Inn (demolished in 1961) survives.