NHER 26594 (Monument record) - Late Saxon, medieval and post medieval remains, 2 Millennium Plain

October 2001. Excavation. From Context 1.
The excavation uncovered some evidence for the use of the site in the Late Saxon and post-Conquest periods. The only Late Saxon feature identified during the excavation was a ditch running almost parallel to St Peter's Street. It is interpreted as the southernmost continuation of one of two ditches excavated at the Forum, which probably drained a Late Saxon track. On the site of the Forum, to the north, this ditch appears to have been backfilled in the post-Conquest period. The southern part of this ditch was then re-cut and presumably thereafter acted as the rear boundary to properties on the St Peter's Street frontage. This re-cut ditch was not backfilled until the 12th century at the earliest. Five plots were identified on this site (largely extrapolated from the first edition Ordnance Survey map), and all five may have originated in the post-Conquest period, although only the boundary between Plots 2 and 3 was evident in the archaeological record. A patchy and much truncated metal surface interpreted as a road or a track probably developed in this period. From the 11th century a timber building stood on Plot 3, but nothing remained to indicate its function. Its plan and character are comparable with examples seen at 51-55 King Street (NHER 26460) and Castle Mall (NHER 777). The north side of the building formed a boundary between Plots 2 and 3. This structure appears to have continued in use until at least the early 1200s.
By the 13th century a series of plots had been laid out beside St Peter's Street. These supported a variety of uses, including mineral extraction, and acted as yards, roads or lanes. The earliest features from this period were two pits, one of which may have been a small quarry, and the other contained a substantial quantity of 12th to 14th century pottery. These pits were sealed by a dumb-bell shaped oven. In the 14th or 15th centuries this oven was replaced by a clay-filled hearth, Surrounding post-holes may have supported a protective screen or hood. The oven and hearth are presumed to have been remote features which served a building on the St Peter's Street frontage.
The southern half of this site was intensively quarried during the 13th century. Thirteen quarry pits were identified, most of which had an irregular shape and were often large and extremely deep, the largest being up to 9.8m long.
After large-scale quarrying ceased in the early 1300s a gravelled surface was laid over the backfilled quarry at the eastern end of Plot 4. This was subsequently cut by the footings of a substantial building consisting of banded layers of clay, mortar, loam, gravel and flints. This building had a chalk floor and an internal flint and mortar wall. A second, larger building projected from the rear of this structure, and although it may have been contemporary, it was of a very different nature. It was built on shallow masonry foundations, presumably with a timber or timber-framed superstructure, and had a compacted chalk and clay floor. A masonry-lined well was probably a contemporary internal feature. There was no evidence to indicate the function or use of this building but its location at the rear of the plot and its rather insubstantial nature may suggest that it was a store or workshop.
In the 15th to 17th centuries, Plot 2 continued to be used as a road, and Plot 3 as a yard. The yard contained a number of small post-holes and two pits, one of which was near-circular and may have been used for the disposal of cess and domestic waste. The other was a 16th century rubbish pit which contained large artefactual and faunal assemblages including part of a copper alloy skimmer, a small Cologne/Frechen decorated drinking jug and a sherd from a small globular money box in Surrey/Hampshire border ware. Plot 4 continued to be occupied by the two 14th century buildings described above. The more substantial of the two was destroyed by fire in the late 16th or early 17th century and was subsequently demolished. A number of quarry pits were excavated within the possible store or workshop in the 16th century, which had clearly fallen out of use by this time. This structure was at least partly rebuilt during the 16th century but appears to have retained a relatively utilitarian function. A timber-framed building was erected on Plot 5, possibly in the 16th century. This structure was also relatively insubstantial, suggesting it was used as an ancillary building such as a store.
During the 17th century a new building was constructed on Plot 4, but only its cellar had survived. This was formed from a large quantity of reused late medieval limestone blocks and architectural fragments within a brick, flint and mortar build. The quantity of reused decorative building materials suggested that the stone was taken from a single building, probably of ecclesiastical nature. The cellar had been backfilled by the early 18th century and the nature of this fill is of some interest. Large quantities of 17th to 18th century ceramics were recovered, including a wide range of domestic wares and several imported vessels. Other finds from this fill include two padlocks, vessel glass fragments, a millstone fragment, four William III halfpennies, an ivory comb, a bone handle, 83 cast copper alloy studs, a slate pencil and a writing lead. The faunal remains were of great interest and included a wide variety of species. Many of the bones showed evidence of skinning, and this assemblage may indicate a resident taxidermist or the manufacture of unusual items using pelts and horns.
By the start of the 20th century, much of the site was the yard to the White Hart Inn, which formed the northern edge of the excavation.
See published article (S1), publication draft (S2) and assessment report (S3) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S4).
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2011.236). Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 16 May 2019.
A. Cattermole (NLA), 18 March 2008.