NHER 25296 (Monument record) - Late Saxon town defences and medieval mint, Guildhall Street Co-op site

June 1989. Trial Trenching.
Excavation of two trial trenches revealed part of a large, v-shaped Late Saxon ditch, six 13th to 14th century pits, and a circular clay-lined hearth.
See published report (S1) for details. See also (S2)-(S3).
P. Andrews (NAU) September 1989.
Updated H. Hamilton (NLA), 01 July 2008.

July 1989. Excavation.
Excavation of two further trenches recorded additional Saxon and medieval features as well as a small, circular Iron Age pit which contained part of a small jar and approximately 40 crudely-struck flint flakes. The pit was cut by a Late Saxon ditch which in turn was cut by several medieval pits. In total, fourteen or fifteen pits, four possible post holes, and a shallow curvilinear gully were dated to the medieval period. Finds from the Saxon ditch were limited to a single sherd of Thetford ware, a small quantity of animal bone, and one sherd of early medieval pottery in the top fill. The medieval features yielded small assemblages of primarily 12th to 14th century pottery and animal bone fragments. However, one of the pits which cut into the Saxon ditch yielded silver refining debris, fragments of crucibles, and hearth lining. A nearby pit also yielded smithing slag and two whetstones, while smaller quantities of metallurgical debris was recorded elsewhere on the site. Five residual sherds of Late Iron Age pottery were found on the site.
See published report (S1) for details. See also (S2)-(S3). The results of this work are summarised in (S4).
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2017.467).
P. Andrews (NAU) September 1989. Updated H. Hamilton (NLA), 1 July 2008 and P. Watkins (HES), 27 May 2019.

The presence of Iron Age material at this site is not surprising, as it is located within 50m of the projected line of the western defenses of an Iron Age fort (NHER 5747). The Late Saxon ditch recorded here has been identified as part of the town ditch. It appears to have been part of a defensive circuit along the north bank of the river, likely positioned to link to the existing Iron Age fort defenses to the east. It has been suggested that this section of the ditch may have been an 11th century extension to existing 10th century defenses which are thought to have existed to the west, near modern Well Street. Such an extension may have been contemporary with the creation of a new street system south of the river. The medieval silver working debris recorded at the site indicates comparatively large-scale production, possibly representing a mint located on Guildhall Street in the 12th to 13th century.
Finds are NCM loan 1994.1.
See (S1) for further details.
E. Rose (NLA) 4 October 1999.
Updated H. Hamilton (NLA), 01 July 2008.