NHER 58025 (Monument record) - Potentially prehistoric, Roman and post-Roman features

September 2011. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of proposed development site.
This survey identified a number of linear anomalies, a number of which may represent a continuation of the potentially Roman field systems previously identified to the north-west of the site.
An irregular trackway were also identified that appeared to respect a building visible on a map of 1715. Significant anomalies were also present at the site of the building itself.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 10 September 2015.

November 2011. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site.
The ten trenches excavated were positioned in order to test the results of the preceding geophysical survey. All but one of these trenches revealed archaeologically significant remains, the majority of which were ditches. Dating evidence was generally scarce.
Two flint flakes of probable Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age date were the only prehistoric finds recovered and both were probably residual.
The various ditches are likely to represent several phases of activity, the earliest being a series of north-east to south-west and north-west to south-east aligned features in the western half of the site that correspond with linear anomalies detected by the geophysical survey. These features may have defined some form of enclosure or may represent part of a more extensive rectilinear field system. Although no finds were recovered from these features an Iron Age or Roman date was tentatively suggested.
The remaining ditches were considered to be of post-Roman date, although their interpretation is hindered by the general lack of dating evidence. Pottery sherds recovered provide limited evidence for activity in the vicinity of the site from the 11th century onwards, so it is possible that some of these features are of medieval date. It is however believed that the major of the north-to-south and east-to-west aligned ditches represent a post-medieval field system, particularly as some correspond with boundaries marked on the 19th-century maps.
Large discrete features identified in two of the trenches were either quarry pits or natural solution features.
See report (S2) for further details.
The archive associated with this work has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2011.722).
E. Bales (HES), 17 September 2012. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 21 May 2017 and 16 May 2019.

October 2012-January 2013. Strip Map and Sample Excavation.
Excavation of site of new biomass renewable energy facility. The majority of the site was stripped, exposing all of the features investigated during the earlier evaluation as well as a range of previously unidentified remains.
The excavation produced evidence for at least limited activity during several prehistoric periods. The small assemblage of worked flints recovered includes pieces of probable Early Neolithic and Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age date, although none of the excavated features appear to have dated to these periods. Later prehistoric activity was also represented by two sherds of Middle-Late Bronze Age pottery and a small assemblage of Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age sherds. The later were recovered from a ditch, pits and a probable natural feature in the north-westernmost part of the site and it is possible that the pits at least were associated with this period of activity.
As suggested by the evaluation the majority of the feature present on this site were ditches, which appear to have represented at least three distinct phases of activity. The north-west to south-east and north-east to south-west aligned features identified during the earlier work were shown to form at least two adjacent rectangular fields or enclosures, one of which was associated with two trackways or drove ways that extended from its northern side. It is possible that these were elements of a much more extensive coaxial field system, potentially a continuation of a similarly aligned field system visible as a series of fragmentary cropmarks to the south-east and south-west of the site (NHER 57991). As previously suggested it appears that these features represent the earliest of the field systems revealed, although unfortunately dating evidence was again extremely scarce. A Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age date has been tentatively proposed for these ditches, based on the small number of finds recovered and their spatial relationship to the potentially prehistoric pits.
A west-north-west to east-south-east ditch fragment in the north-east corner of the site was found to contain a largely complete Roman pottery vessel and can therefore be securely dated to this period. A perpendicular ditch identified to the south was potentially of a similar date, although no dating evidence was recovered. The majority of the other Roman finds (including a single abraded tegula fragment) appear to have been residual within later features. It should however be noted that the two potentially Roman ditches possibly respect part of the early field system, raising the possibility that all of these features were actually of Roman date. A possible Roman date has also previously been suggested for the cropmarks recorded as NHER 57991.
The bulk of the excavated features are of probable post-Roman date, the majority being medieval or post-medieval ditches present in the eastern part of the site. Notable exceptions include a cluster of three potentially Early Saxon pits in the north-western corner of the site. These somewhat amorphous features had similar charcoal-flecked fills that produced sherds of Early Saxon pottery and a lump of fired clay that may represent a remnant of oven or heath lining.
The relatively small assemblage of medieval pottery recovered during this work suggests that the site saw activity primarily between the 11th and 14th centuries, with no late medieval/transitional material present. Four of the ditches in the easternmost part of the site have been dated to this period - two that appear to have formed the sides of a field or enclosure and two parallel ditches extending from its north-western corner. A range of discrete pits within the bounds of this enclosure are also of probable medieval date, including a cluster of relatively shallow features interpreted as rubbish pits and a series of more substantial probable extraction pits. It is possible that these medieval remains were associated with dwellings lying on what would have been the road from Scottow to North Walsham (and therefore possibly precursors of a cluster of structures depicted to the north of the site on maps produced during the first half of the 19th century).
As during the earlier evaluation the bulk of the ditches in the eastern part of the site were north-to-south and east-to-west aligned features of probable late post-medieval date. Finds recovered suggest that many are likely to date to the 18th century, this being consistent with the cartographic evidence, which suggests these features related to boundaries that had been lost by the 19th century (most likely as a result of Parliamentary enclosure). It appears that a significant proportion of the discrete features identified in the south-east corner of the site were also associated with this late post-medieval phase of activity, including several refuse pits, a group of large probable extraction pits and two clusters of post holes. The post holes were probably associated with ephemeral structures such as stock shelters or storage sheds. A range of post-medieval finds were recovered including pottery, brick and tile fragments, vessel or bottle glass and several nails. Features of probably post-medieval date also produced two fragments of ironworking slag and an assemblage of animal bone, the bulk of which comprised the incomplete remains of a small adult equid that had been deposited in a pit.
Other features identified during this work included ten probable tree-throw hollows and several natural solution features.
See assessment report (S3) for further details. Final reports awaited.
The archive associated with this work has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2017.163).
P. Watkins (HES), 21 May 2017. Amended 19 May 2019.