Site to the rear of the High Street, Newmarket, Suffolk

Oxford Archaeology East was commissioned by the Unex Group to undertake a desk-based assessment of land to the rear of the High Street, Newmarket, Suffolk. The aim of the assessment was to define the archaeological potential of the Site in advance of potential redevelopment. The desk-based assessment will be used by the Suffolk County Council Archaeological Officer to determine the archaeological potential of the site and subsequently the scope of any further archaeological investigation. The proposed development site lies just to the west of the Medieval core of the town and part of it is within a Conservation Area. There are no Scheduled Monuments or Listed Buildings.
Evidence for pre-medieval activity is not well attested in the record and, therefore, it remains difficult to estimate the likelihood of encountering any archaeological remains within the area of the development site. Its location next to the ancient routeway - The Icknield Way - may have attracted settlement from the prehistoric period onwards.
The development site is situated within the vicinity of the historic core of the town of Newmarket, a small market town dating from the early 13th century. It was located in what was the town's common field. The majority of the proposed development site appears to have been in agricultural use up until the early or mid 19th century and perhaps up until the beginning of the 20th century. From the mid 17th century, Newmarket's development was closely linked with horse racing. The undeveloped part of the site is adjacent to a stable and has been previously used as a paddock for horses.