NHER 51465 (Monument record) - Multi-period finds and features

The results of a field survey undertaken in March-April 2008 are now recorded under NHER 63428.
P. Watkins (HES), 10 June 2019.

September-November 2008. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of site on proposed route of Sheringham Shoals Offshore Windfarm Grid Connection cable (Trenches 100-108).
The nine trenches excavated at this site revealed a range of features including ditches, pits and post-holes, although finds were generally scarce and as a result these remains were mostly undated. One ditch did however produce medieval pottery sherds and two others were of probable post-medieval to modern date. The pits were possibly associated with prehistoric activity.
The subsoil layer present in this field was seen as evidence for medieval open-field agriculture.
See reports (S1) and (S2) for further details. This work is also noted in (S3).
P. Watkins (HES), 10 June 2019.

September-November 2008. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of site on proposed route of Sheringham Shoals Offshore Windfarm Grid Connection cable (Area 8).
This survey identified a series of linear and curvilinear features on similar alignments to those seen in aerial photographs.
Report awaited. Information from (S1).
P. Watkins (HES), 13 June 2019.

April-May 2009 and 2009/2010. Excavation and Watching Brief.
The earliest phase of activity at the site is represented by four Early Iron Age pits, one Late Iron Age pit and one broadly late prehistoric pit. The excavation recovered 51 sherds of Iron Age pottery comprising an Early Iron Age assemblage of coarse flint-tempered fabric pottery and Middle Iron Age pottery including a slack-shouldered jar with fingertip impressed decoration along the rim. The charred plant remains from the Early Iron Age pits were large composed of cereal grains and hazel nutshell.
A ditch in the northern area of the site was found to be on a different alignment to other ditches in the vicinity contained Roman pottery. A small amount of Roman pottery was recovered.
A single piece of grey lava stone with a smoothed grinding surface was recovered which could be from a residual or reused Saxon quern.
The main phase of occupation at the site begins in the 10th to 11th centuries with a series of enclosures on the southern side of the valley with occupation expanding until the 14th century. On the northern side of the valley is a possible stock controlling feature composed of two parallel curved ditches. A large assemblage of iron smelting tap slag was recovered from six features but no furnace or structures associated with iron smelting were observed. The remains possibly represent the edge of a settlement and no structural remains were encountered which could suggest that the features relate to yards or paddocks with industrial activity taking place on the outskirts of the settlement. A medieval French copper alloy jetton was also recovered.
The post-medieval period is represented by field boundaries and drainage features.
Final report awaited. See assessment report (S2) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S3).
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2010.83 and NWHCM : 2017.361).
S. Howard (HES), 1 July 2011. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 10 June 2019.