Record Details

NHER Number:831
Type of record:Monument
Name:Former brewery site, King Street

Summary

An evaluation in 1998 noted evidence for a possible Late Saxon town ditch, as well as medieval postholes, wall, and pits. Further work in 2000 to 2001 recorded Late Saxon, medieval and early post medieval frontage onto the western side of King Street. These remains included a 12th century stone building and a 16th century building range. The site was cut up by cellars in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TG 2348 0818
Map Sheet:TG20NW
Parish:NORWICH, NORWICH, NORFOLK

Full description

August 1988. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of excavation of six test pits by contractor.
Natural level exposed at 2.8m - 2.9m nearest King Street, and at 0.5m (with post medieval truncation) elsewhere.
See report (S1) for further details.
Compiled by J. E. Bown (NAU) 27 March 1991.

1989. Opposite St Ann Lane.
Negative evidence from Brewery Buildings being renovated for Norwich Union.
Compiled by W. Milligan (NCM) 7 March 1989.

July-August 1998. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site.
Four trenches excavated, three of which were at this location (Trenches 1-3). See NHER 26577 for details of Trench 4.
Possible Late Saxon town ditch found; medieval postholes, wall, pits etc.
Also undated prehistoric worked flints.
See report (S2) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S3).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 27 January 2017.

October 2000-January 2001. Excavation.
Three areas were excavated, two of which were at this location: Area 1 (Contexts 1001-1531) and Area 2 (Contexts 5000-5501). See NHER 26577 for details of Area 3.
Late Saxon, medieval and early post medieval frontage onto western side of King Street. Remains include a 12th century stone building and a 16th century building range. Site cut up by cellars in 18th and 19th centuries. High levels of residuality from medieval period onwards.
See assessment report (S4) and final report (S5) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S6).
The associated archive has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2010.126).
Compiled by J. Allen (NLA), 31 January 2007. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 27 January 2017 and 27 April 2019.

NIAS records:
Morgan's brewery, King St. Norwich. The site was bought by Morgan in 1845, who grew the brewery and in 1887 turned it into a limited company supplying 178 pubs. The building suffered bomb damage in 1942 and beer had to be brewed at other major sites in Norwich while Morgan's site was rebuilt throughout the 1940s. Morgan's was bought out in 1961 by the two other major brewers in Norwich, Bullard's and Stewart & Patteson, who split possession of the company's pubs and sold the brewery to Watney Mann. Watney Mann started brewing here in 1962 and later bought out Bullard's and Stewart & Patteson in 1968 making them the only major brewer in Norwich. Watney Mann closed in 1986 and by 1989 all buildings were demolished and the site bought up by Norwich Union for redevelopment.
Extensive pre-demolition photographic record in NIAS file.
See (S7)
W. Arnold (HES), 09 Febuary 2011.

Monument Types

  • FINDSPOT (Prehistoric - 1000000 BC to 42 AD?)
  • FINDSPOT (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
  • ANTLER WORKING SITE (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • BEAM SLOT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • DITCH (Late Saxon to Medieval - 851 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • GULLY (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • PIT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • POST HOLE (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • STRUCTURE (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • TOWN DEFENCES (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • BUILDING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • CESS PIT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • DRAIN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FENCE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FLOOR (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • GARDEROBE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • HEARTH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • HORN WORKING SITE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • MIDDEN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • PIT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POST HOLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • RUBBISH PIT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • WALL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • CELLAR (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

  • KEY (LOCKING) (Unknown date)
  • LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Unknown date)
  • NAIL (Undated)
  • PADLOCK (Unknown date)
  • PIN (Undated)
  • LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD?)
  • POT (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
  • CARDING COMB? (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • COMB (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • CORE (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • HORSESHOE (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • HUMAN REMAINS (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • NAIL (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • PIN (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • POT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • WEAVING COMB? (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • ANIMAL REMAINS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BIRD REMAINS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BRICK (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BUZZ BONE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • CLENCH NAIL (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • FLOOR TILE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • HINGE (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • KEY (LOCKING) (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • METAL WORKING DEBRIS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • MOLLUSCA REMAINS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • NAIL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • QUERN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • ROOF TILE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • SPINDLE WHORL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • STATUE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • TILE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • TOGGLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • TOY? (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • WINDOW GLASS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • CLAY PIPE (SMOKING) (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • NAIL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • WINDOW GLASS (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---Record Card: NCM Staff. 1973-1989. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card - Norwich.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Fiche: Exists.
<S1>Unpublished Contractor Report: Penn, K. 1988. Test Pit Report, Rouen Road/King Street Redevelopment - Norwich Union. Norfolk Archaeological Unit.
<S2>Unpublished Contractor Report: Penn, K. 1999. Results of an Archaeological Evaluation at the former Brewery Site, King Street, Norwich. Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 342.
<S3>Article in Serial: Gurney, D. and Penn, K. (eds). 1999. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk 1998. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLIII Pt II pp 369-387. p 379.
<S4>Unpublished Contractor Report: Lloyd, R., Holmes, M. and Soden, I. 2002. Excavations at King Street, Norwich. Assessment and Updated Project Design. Northamptonshire Archaeology.
<S5>Unpublished Contractor Report: Soden, I. 2005. Excavations at the former Morgans Brewery, King Street, Norwich, 2000-2001. Northamptonshire Archaeology. 05/60.
<S6>Article in Serial: Gurney, D. and Penn, K. (eds). 2001. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk 2000. Norfolk Archaeology. XLIII Pt IV pp 707-728. p 721.
<S7>Archive: NIAS. Norfolk Industrial Archaeology Society Records.

Related records

Site 1737Parent of: Corner of King Street, Rouen Road (Monument)
Mon 1305Parent of: Former Brewery site, King Street (Monument)
Site 2012Parent of: Former Brewery Site, King Street (Monument)
Mon 1240Parent of: Rouen Road (North of Thorn Lane) (Monument)
Mon 1341Parent of: Thorn Lane (North Side, east end) (Monument)

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