Cartographic, Geophysical and Diver Surveys of the Medieval Town Site at Dunwich, Suffolk, England

Abstract

This paper presents the results of an integrated historical and geophysical survey of a medieval town lost through cliff recession and coastal inundation. Key objectives included evaluating historic maps in supporting the relocation and identification of major buildings, and applying integrated multibeam, side-scan and sub-bottom profiling to determine the location and extent of archaeological remains. The results demonstrate that cartographic sources from 1587 onwards can be a reliable source of data to guide geophysical survey. Integration of historical mapping with geophysical data enabled identification of the remains of two medieval structures, and the tentative identification of two others.

Survey Results from Lagos Bay, Portugal

“…The investigation of town development has been the scope of maritime archaeology, typically when there is coastal recession (Sear et al ., ), or submersion of remains (Hamilton, ). City development over previously coastal landscapes which has had an impact on cultural resources has traditionally been the concern of urban archaeology.…”

Review of periodical literature published in 2011

“…The catastrophic decline of Dunwich (Suffolk) due to coastal inundation is well known. The majority of the remains of Dunwich now lie beneath the sea, and Sear et al. use a geophysical survey alongside historical evidence in order to locate prominent features of this once prosperous borough. The 1381 poll tax assessment for New Romney provides Sweetinburgh with a means to examine the town's social structure, including its gender ratios.…”

Climate Change and Cultural Heritage: A Landscape Vulnerability Framework

“…Coastal erosion is known to have already destroyed over 150 documented settlements around the North Sea in the last millennium, such as Eccles, Clare, Foulness, Keswick, and Shipden (Custard 2017;Sear et al 2011). The town of Dunwich on the coast of Suffolk, with a current population of less than 200 (Office for National Statistics 2013), was once a large port.…”

“…In the 14th century it was similar in size to London at the time, and was an important centre for shipbuilding (Sear et al 2015). The local geology is particularly susceptible to coastal erosion, with large areas recorded to have been lost in single events over the last 1000 years (Sear et al 2011). The cultural heritage and historic character of the town has been destroyed due to erosion: Dunwich was unable to continue to act as a centre for trade following the loss of the market place and town hall in the 17th century, while the All Saints church, St James leper chapel, Maison Dieu hospital and Franciscan Friary were all damaged or destroyed in the 18th century (Sear et al 2011).…”

“…The local geology is particularly susceptible to coastal erosion, with large areas recorded to have been lost in single events over the last 1000 years (Sear et al 2011). The cultural heritage and historic character of the town has been destroyed due to erosion: Dunwich was unable to continue to act as a centre for trade following the loss of the market place and town hall in the 17th century, while the All Saints church, St James leper chapel, Maison Dieu hospital and Franciscan Friary were all damaged or destroyed in the 18th century (Sear et al 2011). The loss experienced at Dunwich does not relate just to the disappearance of individual buildings and sites in isolation, but also the loss of the heritage of the town and the historic character of the urban landscape.…”