Archaeology of the Newland

From February 2003 to March 2005, Oxford Archaeology (OA) carried out a programme of archaeological work in King's Lynn comprising evaluation, strip and map, excavation and watching brief integrated with the redevelopment of the Vancouver Centre and the construction of the Clough Lane multi-storey car park. The work was carried out on behalf of Alfred McAlpine Capital Projects. Despite extensive modern construction, archaeological features, structures and deposits of medieval date (12th-15th centuries) were recorded along the existing frontages of Broad Street and New Conduit Street. Archaeological deposits, building foundations and yard surfaces of late medieval/post-medieval date (15th and 16th-18th centuries) were recorded in localised areas in the car parks to the rear of Sainsburys, the rear of Broad Street and to the south west of New Conduit Street. Piezometers were installed in order to carry out a two-year monitoring programme on the physical and chemical effects of the development's piled construction on the underlying, and otherwise unexposed, reclaimed marine and estuarine sediments. Evaluation of the Clough Lane car park site revealed an intact marine sediment sequence underlying all of the development area as well as localised medieval structures and features.