Medieval activity around Leiston Abbey: insights from excavations at Sizewell C
Large-scale archaeological excavations at Sizewell C in Suffolk are revealing new evidence of medieval activity connected with Leiston Abbey, offering fresh insights into how its estate and surrounding landscape were used and organised.
Wednesday 29th April 2026 7:00pm
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Archaeological excavations associated with the Sizewell C development are providing an unprecedented opportunity to investigate a large area of Suffolk’s historic landscape.
While remains from many periods of human activity have been discovered, the excavations are particularly significant for the medieval period. Several excavation areas lie close to the first and second sites of Leiston Abbey or within their wider hinterland. The abbey’s community of ‘White Canons’ held a relatively compact estate in northeast Suffolk, and many of the archaeological remains discovered across the site are likely to reflect their influence on the surrounding landscape.
This talk will present some of the medieval evidence and finds identified so far and explore emerging themes as analysis continues. These include the character of the estate granted to the abbey in the twelfth century, how landscape resources were used over time, changes in land organisation, and the impact of climate and coastal change on the medieval landscape.
Presented by: Abby Antrobus, Oxford Cotswold Archaeology
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