NHER 39676 (Monument record) - Potentially archaeologically significant features and multi-period finds, Grange Farm Quarry

September-October 2003. Systematic Fieldwalking and Metal-detecting Survey.
Field survey of proposed mineral extraction site.
Recovered few archaeological artefacts. Prehistoric worked flints, two pieces of medieval pottery and small amounts of modern tile and metal objects were recorded.
See report (S1) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S2).
A. Cattermole (NLA), 24 May 2007.

June-July 2004. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of topsoil stripping prior to mineral extraction (Phase 1).
Recorded recent ditches, periglacial features and tree hollows.
See report (S3) for further details.
The archive associated with this phase of work has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2016.275).
A. Cattermole (NLA), 24 May 2007. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 27 April 2019.

June 2009. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of topsoil stripping prior to mineral extraction (Phase 2).
A number of recent ditches representing former field boundaries were observed during the stripping of the topsoil long with irregular features representing periglacial features and tree hollows suggesting fairly recent clearance of woodland on this site.
See report (S4) for further details.
The archive associated with this phase of work has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2016.275).
S. Howard (NLA), 30 April 2010. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 27 April 2019.

August 2011. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of topsoil stripping prior to mineral extraction (Phase 3 - eastern section).
More tree hollows were observed as seen in previous investigations but the field boundaries observed in phase 1 and 2 were not present in this area. No archaeological finds were recovered.
See report (S5) for further details.
The archive associated with this phase of work has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2016.275).
S. Howard (HES), 29 November 2011. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 27 April 2019.

August 2011. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometry survey of proposed quarry extension.
The survey revealed a number of weak positive anomalies in the centre and southern area of the site, which may be related to cut features such as pits and ditches. A large number of discrete positive anomalies throughout the survey area are likely to be tree boles or changes in geology, which could relate to the former extent of the landscape park to the north of the site.
See report (S6) for further details.
Previously recorded as NHER 56424.
S. Howard (HES), 29 December 2011. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 8 September 2015.

August 2012. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of topsoil stripping ahead of mineral extraction (Phase 3 – western sector).
This phase of work exposed a single north-west to south-east aligned ditch. This feature produced several post-medieval brick or tile fragments and is likely to have been of the same date as the similarly-aligned ditches previously exposed to the east. A number of probable tree throw hollows were also present in this part of the site, with the excavated examples producing a single sherd of medieval pottery, post-medieval roof tiles and a fragment of slag.
See report (S7) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 8 February 2018.

September 2015. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of topsoil stripping ahead of mineral extraction (Phase 4).
This phase of stripping exposed a number of features, the majority of which were irregular probable tree hollows. As with the previously excavated examples these remains are thought to have been the result of a relatively recent phase of land clearance. A single fragment of daub was the only find recovered from these features. The only other features exposed were a single post-hole and a short length of truncated ditch or gully, neither of which produced any finds.
A prehistoric flint blade was the only unstratified find recovered.
See report (S7) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 8 February 2018.

December 2015. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of topsoil stripping from narrow strip prior to mineral extraction.
Report awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 17 July 2017.

June 2016. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of topsoil stripping ahead of mineral extraction (Phase 5).
This phase of work identified three ditches, two of which were roughly parallel and may have bounded some form of drove way and possibly the corner of an associated enclosure. Although no finds were recovered both features were cut by a ditch with the same north-west to south-east alignment as the ditches of probable post-medieval date identified to the north.
As elsewhere on the site a number of probable tree throw hollows were also identified, these features producing several prehistoric worked flints (including a potentially Early Neolithic blade core fragment) and a single sherd of Neolithic or Bronze Age pottery.
See report (S7) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 8 February 2018.