NHER 51717 (Monument record) - Undated gullies and pits

September 2008. Trial Trenching.
Trench 1 was oriented east- west along the north of the surveyed area. A gully was recorded in the south- western corner of the trench, and extended beyond the trench limits. A pit was recorded at the eastern end of the trench, its form suggesting that it may have been the terminus of a gully. The fill contained iron slag which is not closely dateable. The southern edge of a large feature was recorded exteding into the northern portion of the trench. One edge of the feature was exposed and recorded as straight , with fairly steep sides and rounded corners at both ends. It is not possible to be certain of the complete form of fuction of these features. All features were filled with one deposit which is thought to have developed naturally, suggesting that the gully was open for some time. Two sherds of Bronze Age pottery were recovered.
Trench 2 was again orientated east- west in the north of the surveyed area. A gully ran north-east south- west across the western end of the trench and extended beyond the northern and southern limits. The similarity in form, orientation, size and fill of this gully and the gully in trench 1 suggests they were probably contemporary and had the same function. They may have been small drainage channels.
Trench 3, located in the southern part of the site revealed an oval pit, with no indication of its former funtion.
No further finds or features were recorded.
The lack of artefacts means that most of the features discovered are undatable, however it is possible that the two gullies relate to the Roman villa complex to the south-west of the site. Bronze age pottery discovered by the stright- sided feature suggests a Bronze Age date.
See (S1) for further information.
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2016.106).
H. White (NLA) 20 November 2008. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 21 June 2019.