Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Location

Full description

THE WATCHING BRIEF PREVIOUSLY RECORDED UNDER THIS NUMBER (CHRIS BIRKS JUNE 2006) IS NOW RECORDED UNDER NHER 5940.

1983. Site Visit.
The house itself is a listed 19th century mansion (see NHER 40576). It has a single story Gothick grotto extension constructed of flint on the southwest.
The grounds contain some enigmatic mounds overgrown against the west boundary. The garden wall to the northeast of the house is 19th century brick and clunch, with some odd lumps of reused stone.
A number of carved stone fragments, and many more plain fragments, lie around the ground. Some are 14th-15th century in style but others are 12th-13th century, making it unlikely that they come from the adjacent Friary site (NHER 5912) as suggested by the council. They are more likely a general collection from the town. A location plan and description of some of these stones has been compiled (S1), and a photograph was taken of a 15th to 16th century pinnacle (S2).
Ford Place is currently an Old Peoples’ Home, and the grounds to the east are to be sold off for building. Some of the carved stone will be acquired by Thetford Museum.
E. Rose (NAU), 13 December 1983.
Updated H. Hamilton (NLA), 27 July 2008.

December 1985-February 1986. Excavation.
Three trenches were excavated in the grounds of Ford Place home for the elderly in order to determine if the Castle Hill earthworks (NHER 5747) extended into this area, looping to the south of Castle Hill. Two of the trenches were located within the walled kitched garden while the third and largest was located within the grounds, stretching approximately 21m south from the walled kitchen garden. Prehistoric and medieval features are described under NHER 5940. Post medieval features related to Ford Place are described below.
A post medieval to early modern chalk and mortar floor was encountered in the western portion of the southern garden trench, just below the topsoil. A north-south chalk block and flint wall was also observed within both trenches within the walled garden. This was likely a post medieval garden division contemporary with the mortar floor, which may have been an adjacent yard surface. In the northern trench the majority of the wall had been removed by later garden clearance, leaving only the chalk foundations. A chalk block well which was likely contemporaneous with the wall was identified in the centre of the northern trench. The well consisted of a narrow vertical shaft dressed with chalk, the upper lining having been robbed, and was capped by bricks and limestone slabs. It appears to have been levelled by later gardening activity and was backfilled with 18th to 19th century material.
South of the kitchen garden, post medieval activity was represented by an occupation layer containing late 16th to 17th century material. The end of an undated, unfaced chalk and flint wall protruded into the centre of the trench, cutting the earlier features, while an 18th to 19th century drain ran east-west across the north of the trench. The topsoil in this area contained medieval refuse and material associated with the construction of Ford Place (NHER 40576), including late medieval to modern pottery, clay pipe, a large quantity of animal bone including cattle, sheep, pig, deer, and birds, oyster shell, and numerous small lumps of undated iron slag. Large quantities of animal bone and oyster shell were also recovered from the topsoil within the walled garden.
See (S3) and (S4) for further details.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 16 October 2008.

Kitchen Garden Walls at Ford Place.
December 1993. Listed, Grade II.
Early C19. Flint and gault brick with some red brick. Brick coping. Walls front Ford Street between Ford Place (NHER 40576) and Friary House (not included) and then extend to rear and towards Ford Place. Included for group value.
Information from (S5).
H. Hamilton (NLA), 28 August 2008.

1996.
Ford Place meadow, which consists of the portion of land south of the River Thet incorporated into the grounds of Ford Place by 1846 (see below), was purchased by Thetford Town Council in order to preserve it as a public space.
See (S6) for further details.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 17 October 2008.

October 1997. Town Gardens Survey.
By 1789 a house stood at the northwest corner of the grounds, fronting on Nuns Bridge Road. At this time, the grounds of the house included a service yard and buildings to the east and a garden area (likely for produce) of uncertain extent beyond, while to the south there was an area of lawn and shrubbery which may have been walled to the road on the west and the south, where a road ran along the north bank of the River Thet. In 1789 the Nuns Bridge Road was moved further west and the grounds were extended north over a portion of the old market place.
By 1807, the gardens of Ford Place extended to the former north side of the market place and had incorporated a clump of trees at the southeast corner of this area. Burrell’s 1807 map (S7) depicts a house further east of the 1789 building (on the site of the former service buildings) maintaining an approach from the west and almost surrounded by pleasure grounds and shrubbery. A walled area with is depicted on the southwest corner of the grounds, while a rectangular building (likely stables) occupied the northeast corner and a further building existed in the southeast corner.
An 1837 town map reveals that the gardens had been extended south across former common ground to the river, the south road having been removed, as well as northeast over the site of the former Austin Friars church and churchyard. The walled garden and small outbuilding depicted on the 1807 map (S7) appear to have been removed, walkways had been extended over the grounds, and a walled kitchen garden and possible orchard had been constructed in the north corner. The former common land south of the river had been planted with belts of woodland but it is uncertain whether this remained common land. However, by 1846 this area had been incorporated into the grounds of Ford Place as well as a further area of land to the northeast.
Further alterations to the grounds are depicted on the 1885 Ordnance Survey map. The boundaries of the orchard had been altered and it may have been at this time that it was first walled. Several glasshouses were constructed in the orchard and the kitchen garden and a building was constructed in the northeast corner of the pleasure grounds. This building may be the gothic arch with flanking walls which remained during the site visit in 1997. The arch is located on or near the site of the former Austin Friars church and it was likely constructed with materials from this site.
The pleasure grounds and wider estate land was reduced in the late 20th century when the house was converted for use as a home for the elderly. By 1997 the glasshouses had been demolished and the kitchen garden and orchard had been amalgamated.
However, the grotto, the gothic arch noted above, and the paths edged with medieval stonework fragments survive along with remnants of planting and paths as examples of 19th century pleasure ground ornamentation. The drive to the stables/garage occupies the area of the former market place and the main entrance bordered by low flint walls is from the north.
See (S8) for further details.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 27 July 2008.

September 1998.
This area has been scheduled as part of Castle Hill (NHER 5747). Ford Place house (NHER 40576) and garden above ground features (NHER 45469) are not included in the scheduling, but the ground beneath them has.
See (S9) for further details.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 27 July 2008.

February 1999. Watching Brief. Contexts 334?-625.
Monitoring of groundworks for the construction of an extension to Ford Place nursing home recorded archaeological material dating from the Middle Saxon to the early modern period. Saxon and medieval features are described under NHER 5940. Post medieval features associated with Ford Place are described below.
One post medieval pit was identified. This pit contained 7 deposits, the earliest containing a broken rowel spur dated to the 14th to 17th century. The second fill contained two fragments of worked stone which may be from the Austin Friary (NHER 5912). Several bands of compact chalk were found to seal the Saxon and medieval deposits, indicating post medieval landscaping activity. The bands of chalk were interspersed with possible occupation layers, two of which produced 18th century pottery. These make-up layers were truncated by four pits, the largest of which contained mid 17th century pottery and may be a garden feature. A possible linear feature may also be dated to this period, but could not be firmly identified within the restriction of the excavations.
A cellar which had been back-filled was also encountered. Its fill contained large quantities of 19th century peg tiles and bricks and the cellar wall truncates layers containing 18th century finds. Above the cellar was a modern east-west wall. Also mentions building debris tips (seems to be fills of a pit but not on plans) and probable foundation trenches. A cobble and cinder yard or driveway was also identified and this feature closely corresponds to the position of the existing entrance driveway. The uppermost layers also included a leveling deposit laid prior to the construction of the present yard.
See (S10), (S11) and (S16) for further details.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 26 July 2008.

November 2001.
Restoration of Ford Place gardens has been on-going since 1999. In November 2001 work began to restore the orchard which was once in the kitchen garden. The gardens are now open to the public.
See (S12) and (S13) for further details.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 27 July 2008.

July 2004. Excavation. Contexts 1-126.
THIS EXCAVATION WAS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED UNDER NHER 40576.
Excavation recorded remains dating from the Iron Age to the post medieval period. Prehistoric, Saxon and medieval features are described under NHER 5940. Post medieval garden features related to Ford Place are described below.
Several large 18th to 19th garden features were recorded. These were laid out in a formal pattern of square blocks in the southern portion of the excavated area and cut into the natural chalk. Similar features were recorded in the north of the area, two of which were lined with clay. Two substantial north-south culverts were also dated to this period. These were constructed of chalk rubble. The northernmost was mostly intact and was floored with hand-made bricks. The garden features may have served an earlier house which is known to have stood in the north-west corner of the grounds prior to the construction of the current 19th century building.
See (S14) and (S17) for further details.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 17 July 2008.

August 2004.
SAM consent has been granted for construction of a Gazebo supported by small pegs.
See (S12) for further details. (consent form)
H. Hamilton (NLA), 27 July 2008.

June 2006. Watching brief. No contexts used.
THIS WATCHING BRIEF WAS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED UNDER NHER 45469.
No archaeological finds, features or deposits were recorded during monitoring of groundworks for the construction of a new garden room. The subsoil deposits disturbed by the work comprised made-up ground from the construction of the building to which the garden room is attached.
See (S15) for further details.
J. Allen (NLA) 7 March 2007.

Monument Types

• MOUND (Undated)
• FINDSPOT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• FINDSPOT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• FLOOR (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• FORMAL GARDEN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• GARDEN WALL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• ORCHARD (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• PIT (16th Century - 1540 AD to 1599 AD)
• PLEASANCE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• POST HOLE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• WALL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• WELL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• LINEAR FEATURE (17th Century - 1630 AD? to 1660 AD?)
• PIT (17th Century - 1630 AD to 1660 AD)
• CULVERT (17th Century to 19th Century - 1700 AD to 1900 AD)
• DRAIN (17th Century to 19th Century - 1700 AD to 1900 AD)
• CELLAR (18th Century to 19th Century - 1800 AD to 1900 AD)
• DRIVE (18th Century to Mid 20th Century - 1800 AD to 1950 AD?)
• KITCHEN GARDEN (18th Century to 21st Century - 1800 AD to 2100 AD)
• YARD? (18th Century to Mid 20th Century - 1800 AD to 1950 AD?)

Associated Finds

• ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• BOTTLE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• BUTTON (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• CAME (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• CLAY PIPE (SMOKING) (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• FLOOR TILE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• MOUNT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• NAIL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• PANTILE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• ROOF TILE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• SLAG (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• THIMBLE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• VESSEL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• BRICK (18th Century to 19th Century - 1800 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status

• Listed Building
• Scheduled Monument

Sources and further reading

Related records

Find out more...

• Parish Summary: Thetford (Parish Summary)
• Parish Summary: Thetford (post medieval to modern period) (Parish Summary)
• Parish Summary: Thetford (prehistoric to Roman period) (Parish Summary)
• Parish Summary: Thetford (prehistoric to Roman period) (Parish Summary)
• Parish Summary: Thetford (Saxon to medieval period) (Parish Summary)