Colchester Archaeological Trust

CAT Report 636: summary

An archaeological excavation at the Hope Inn, 16 High Street, Tollesbury, Essex: October 2011
by Chris Lister (with contributions from -)

Date report completed: March 2012
Location: Hope Inn, 16 High Street, Tollesbury, Essex
Map reference(s): TL 9574 1048 (c)
File size: 5,754 kb
Project type: Excavation
Significance of the results: *
Keywords: medieval, clay floor, timber-framed

Summary. The Hope Inn is located on the north side of the High Street in the centre of the historic settlement of Tollesbury. Tollesbury is sited on small peninsula, bounded by the River Blackwater on the south and the Old Hall Marshes and Salcott Channel to the north and east. During the medieval period Tollesbury was one of the richest parishes in east Essex, with two manors (Tollesbury Hall and Bourchiers Hall) and two sub-manors (Medlycott 2004). The principal occupations at this time were agricultural but there were also many oyster fishermen. This is the report on an excavation in the car park to the west of the Hope Inn, which revealed the remains of medieval and post-medieval buildings. This took the form of compacted clay floors and evidence of a timber-framed building along the High Street frontage. Finds associated with these contexts date the building to the 12th to 14th centuries. This structure was subsequently replaced in the 17th to 18th centuries by two post-medieval buildings, which survived until their demolition in the mid 20th century.