NHER 35900 (Monument record) - Thetford Priory Wilderness Pond

January-February 2001. Trial Trenching and Auger Survey. Contexts 1-25.
Excavation of three trenches at the edge of the Victorian pond and augur survey just within the interior identified several details of the construction of the pond and surrounding landscaping. The pond is fed by a drain in the northeast corner and by two springs, one in the northeast corner and the other in the northwest. There is an outflow drain in the southwestern corner which channels water into an adjacent dyke. The rim of the pond was edged with chalk and flint and below this edge a timber revetment of closely set piles was inserted to support the sides. The timbers had survived in the southwestern corner of the pond and loose timbers seen elsewhere around the edges indicate that this most likely continued around the perimeter. However, no dating evidence was recovered for the revetment and it remains uncertain whether this was an original feature or a later insertion. Excavation of trial trenches at the edges of the pond verified that the slope around it was at least partially artificial, but it remains uncertain whether this soil was built-up from the initial construction of the pond or from later dredging. A gravel path with a flint and limestone kerb on the edge farthest from the pond was identified on both the eastern and western sides. Underneath the path, a possible buried post medieval land surface was identified which contained a sherd of 17th century pottery and two residual sherds of Late Saxon Thetford ware.
See report (S1) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S2).
J. Allen (NLA) 12 September 2002. Updated by H. Hamilton (NLA), 19 August 2008.

March 2001. Watching Brief. Context 26.
Monitoring of excavation of silt within the pond indicated that it was about 2m deep, with a base of natural sand and gravel. All silts accumulated on the gravel base appear to be Victorian or later, and modern material was prevalent. A stone plinth was found at the centre of the pond which likely would have supported a statue or fountain. This appeared to have been founded directly on the sand and gravel base and therefore is likely contemporary with the original construction of the pond.
See report (S1) for further details.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 19 August 2008.

February-April 2002. Watching Brief. Contexts 1001-1044.
Monitoring of the excavation of post holes around the circumference of the pond provided additional evidence for upcast and landscaping relating to the original creation of the pond, the surrounding cobble path, and the timber revetment previously identfied. The path was seen in all but three post holes, confirming that it was continuous around the pond, and a make-up layer for the path was identified in post hole 1a. Two definite timber revetment posts were observed and several other posts were machined out from the centre of the new post holes, while a post hole feature and a layer with frequent flint gravel, nodules and flakes seen in at the northern end of the pond are also thought to relate to the revetting.
The possible pre-Victorian buried topsoil previously identified was observed in about ten of the post holes, and below this a possible feature was identified in post hole 1. This feature contained a concentration of burnt flint and it is possible that it could be a Prehistoric burnt mound, but the presence of twigs indicates that the material was not burnt in situ.
A sherd of 13th century pottery, medieval lead window cames, and medieval dressed masonry related to the Priory (NHER 5748) including a chevron-moulded voussoir likely from and door and an engaged column shaft, were recovered from the topsoil.
Two post holes were also excavated for the insertion of a gate to the northwest of the pond. A metalled surface constructed of chalk fragments was identified in one of these and has been interpreted as a path. This was cut by a post hole and concrete setting for the existing fence. The path was likely that depicted as connecting the pond to the area of the gate on the 1885 Ordnance Survey map.
See report (S3) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S4).
J. Allen (NLA) 21 August 2002. Updated by H. Hamilton (NLA), 19 August 2008 and P. Watkins (HES), 5 May 2019.

Archives that probably comprise material from all three phases of work have been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2006.610 and NWHCM : 2013.315).
P. Watkins (HES), 17 May 2019.