NHER 39794 (Monument record) - Undated earthwork mound and Late Saxon to post-medieval finds

August 2003. Watching Brief.
Work undertaken during construction of new flood defences along the western bank of the River Yare (Broadland Flood Alleviation Project - Compartment 11).
Two large shallow mounds (this site and NHER 39606) situated along the west bank of the Yare were examined in detail and appeared to be of a similar construction. Both were built in two phases and consisted of dumps of re-deposited natural clays. At the centre of both mounds were the probable remains of hearths associated with the first phase of construction. This could indicate that the mounds were simply raised platforms, possibly for stock during times of serious flooding. The features observed beneath both mounds consisted of the probable remains of post holes possibly associated with drainage.
The circular ditch observed beneath this mound may represent the remains of an earlier, much smaller mound.
Finds recovered during work at this site included a small number of worked flints, 274 pottery sherds, animal bone, shell and clay tobacco pipe. The bulk of the pottery was medieval, although a small amount of Late Saxon Thetford-type ware was also present.

In the vinicity of this mound a number of post-medieval pottery sherds were recovered during the excavation of an earlier soke dyke that was apparently associated with a derelict brick-built drainage mill. The exact location of these finds in unclear although it is noted that they were found near Chainage 3200 (TG 44760372). The "drainage mill" is possibly a refence to a nearby structure that once housed a scoopwheel (NHER 55964).
These finds were previously recorded under NHER 39254.

See report (S1) for further details.
The archive associated with this work has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2017.129).
J. Allen (NLA), 6 June 2007. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 3 June 2015 and 18 May 2019.