NHER 55941 (Monument record) - Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age pits and prehistoric ring-ditch with associated Early Saxon burials

January-May 2010. Geophysical survey.
Magnetometer survey of proposed development site (Area 18).
A reasonably distinct, unbroken sub-circular anomaly at TL 8926 8455 clearly corresponded with the previously recorded cropmark ring ditch at this location (NHER 12167).
No other anomalies of obvious archaeological significance were identified across the rest of the site.
It is though noted that, like those to the west, this area exhibited a high level of background magnetic noise, suggesting the plough soil is heavily contaminated with ferrous debris, brick rubble, slag or other magnetic debris. Weak geological 'patterned ground' anomalies are also present, though rendered somewhat indistinct by the background noise.
See report (S1) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S2).
P. Watkins (HES), 25 March 2021.

August-September 2010. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of part of large proposed development area (Trenches 30-36).
The two trenches place across the previously identified ring-ditch (NHER 12167) found it to be associated with four Saxon inhumations and a cremation burial.
The ditch itself was between 3.80m and 3.60m wide and between 0.78m and 0.85m deep. Roman pottery was recovered from its upper fills.
Three of the burials were located within the circuit of the ring ditch and has suffered heavy degradation from ploughing with one burial remaining intact due to its location in the backfilled southern ditch.
The burial located at the centre of the barrow was in very poor condition with only fragments of leg and arm bones present due to heavy modern ploughing and is likely to represent two individuals. Finds recovered from the graves included a bronze bracelet, brooch, bead and iron objects dating to the 6th century AD.
A second grave aligned east to west had been cut through the infilled southern ditch. The profile of the grave was sub-rectangular with near vertical sides to a flat base. The articulated skeleton had been undisturbed by ploughing. Finds from the grave included two brooches, one knife and two unidentified metal objects dating to the 6th century
A possible double burial of a male and female were orientated east to west with no clear relationship between the two. 6th century AD finds were scattered across the two burials with the male burial also having the remains of an iron shield boss placed over the abdomen area.
A shallow pit 0.58m wide and 0.08m deep contained a mixed fill of black sand clay with charcoal, burnt flint, burnt bone and two sherds of burnt grass-tempered pottery possibly dating to the Iron Age. A sharp depression in the base of the pit may represent a possible posthole. It is possible that this cremation burial could date to the Iron Age or possibly Early Saxon period due to its proximity to the other inhumation burials dating to this period.
Features revealed to the south of the ring-ditch included a group of oval and circular pits containing Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age Beaker pottery. These features also produced a small assemblage of potentially contemporary worked flints comprising flakes, a blade and two scrapers. The pits were steep sided, between 0.36 and 0.52m deep and all contained typically dark, charcoal or ash-stained fills. Samples taken from these deposits were found to contain charred nutshells. These pits were previously recorded separately as NHER 55954.
See report (S3) for further details.
S. Howard (HES), 10 August 2011. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 26 March 2021.