Jesus College Porter's lodge, University of Cambridge. An Archaeological Desk Based Assessment

Abstract

This archaeological desk based assessment was commissioned by Jesus College to assess the potential impact of a proposed development areaincorporating the Grade I listed South Range and Gatetower, the Grade II listed west wall of ‘The Chimney’, and the existing Porter’s Lodge, all broadly centred upon TL 4522 5887. Jesus College was founded in 1497 on the site of the former Benedictine nunnery of St. Radegund, founded in the 1130s. The proposed development will have a direct impact upon buildings of the College phase, with possible archaeological features and deposits also surviving there for both the Nunnery and College phases. Added to this is the distinct possibility of encountering cemetery deposits, including disarticulated human bone and inhumations. Significant pre-monastic activity is registered in the vicinity to the Romano-British period, with settlement, fieldsystems, and later inhumation cemeteries. And low-level prehistoric activity has been identified within the College grounds, most notably of the Middle to Late Iron Age. The PDA is situated within an area known for its archaeological and historical significance at a local, regional and national scale.