NHER 58021 (Monument record) - Possible Romano-British settlement and at least one field system

February 2012. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of proposed development site.
This survey identified anomalies in the south of the study area which are characteristic of Romano-British settlement, a set of anomalies to the east which may be of prehistoric origin, in line with the cropmark identification in the area (NHER 38518), and definitely one but possibly two former field systems.
See report (S1) for further details.
E. Bales (HES), 17 September 2012.

September 2012. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site.
The 20 trenches recorded 37 ditches, 31 pits, 8 gullies, 7 post holes, and a possible hearth. While every trench contained archaeological features, finds were relatively sparse and very few features could be dated. The majority of the features were concentrated in the east and south of the investigated area. One pit in the northwest of the site contained 37 sherds of Early Iron Age pottery, possibly all from a single small bowl. One residual sherd of Early Iron Age pottery was recovered from a ditch in the northeast located within the vicinity of a possible Prehistoric enclosure previously identified as a cropmark (NHER 38518). The only other prehistoric finds were a residual Early Neolithic blade and flint debitage recovered from ditches to the south of the cropmark enclosure.
A concentration of pits, ditches, gullies, and post holes in the extreme southeast of the investigated area contained small quantities of medieval pottery and Roman ceramic building material. Several of these features probably date to the medieval period. A possible hearth was recorded in this area, but could not be dated. These features are located within an area of rectangular anomalies previously identified by geophysical survey and believed to be characteristic of Romano-British settlement. The paucity of Roman finds and the proximity to the medieval features indicates that these anomalies are probably medieval and that the medieval settlement of Stalham extended further than previously thought.
The large north-south and east-west ditches identified within the geophysical survey were evident in several trenches and may represent a field system, but none of these features could be dated.
See report (S2) for further information. The results of this work are also summarised in (S8).
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2013.24).
H. Hamilton (HES), 30 November 2012. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 16 May 2019.

The large north-south and east-west ditches identified in the geophysical survey and the excavation in 2012 are depicted in 19th century maps (S3) and (S4) and are visible in 1946 aerial photography (S5). These field boundaries may be of medieval or post-medieval date.
H. Hamilton (HES), 30 November 2012.

July-August 2013. Strip Map and Sample Excavation.
Targeted excavation of four areas prior to development of site.
The earliest features encountered were a series of pits dating from the late Bronze Age to early Iron Age. They occurred in two distinct groups, and their clustering may suggest differing functions. A pair of parallel ditches running north-east to south-west could not be securely dated, but the only pottery it contained was of late Bronze Age or early Iron Age date but later ceramic building material was also present, perhaps indicating a later date. Only a single feature, a ditch running on a west-north-west to east-south-east alignment, was recorded. It contained 13 sherds of greyware, probably all from the same vessel. Similarly, Anglo-Saxon activity was limited to a single ditch containing a single sherd of Thetford-type pottery.
Medieval features were concentrated in the southern part of the site. Two sides of a rectangular enclosure were identified. Within the enclosure was as line of elongated pits running parallel and adjacent to the eastern boundary ditch. Narrow linear features may represent internal division of the enclosure, but it is thought more likely that they formed part of a smaller enclosure of slightly earlier date. A deep feature with steep sides was tentatively interpreted as a well. The largest medieval feature measured over 17m long by 7.2m wide, and extended beyond the limits of excavation. It may relate to extraction of sand.
Later features suggest a post-medieval field system and more modern boundary ditches, a small pit and a possible quarry pit as well as two zig-zagged ditches which may be anti-glider trenches.
See draft publication report (S6) and archive report (S7) for further details.
A. Cattermole (HES), 2 June 2015.

Photographs taken in c.1915 show a tented soldiers' camp at the southern end of this site, adjacent to Yarmouth Road (NHER 65418). The discovery of these photographs prompted a reconsideration of the 'zig-zagged' ditches that were discovered during the 2013 excavation and recorded as possible anti-glider trenches. It was clear that the they were much more likely to have been World War One practice trenches, being identical to the features of this type now documented at numerous sites around the country. One was crenulated and thus would have served as a replica of a front-line trench, whereas the second, parallel feature had a much more gently zig-zagged form - of the kind typically associated with communication trenches.
See NHER 65418 for further discussion of the soldiers' camp and its probable location.
P. Watkins (HES), 22 February 2022.