NHER 58243 (Monument record) - Roman remains, including ditches, pits and probable clay-lined flue

May 2011. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site.
The two trenches excavated revealed several Roman features including ditches, a pit, a post hole, and a partially clay-lined flue as well as three undated ditches. Several of the ditches are very likely a continuation of the trackways and enclosures recorded closer to the Roman fort of Branodunum (NHER 1001). However, the quantities of pottery recovered were comparatively small and therefore this site appears to be on the periphery of Roman settlement. The clay-lined flue has been interpreted as a possible corn drier, indicating that this may have been an area of agricultural production or craft and light industrial activity.
The only Roman find aside from pottery was a bolt-head or missile-head from a catapult or ballista recovered from the fill of one of the ditches. Unstratified finds recovered during the excavations include Early Neolithic flint, a medieval silver halfpenny, medieval and post medieval pottery, a post medieval buckle and a post medieval cloth seal.
See report (S1) for further details.
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2011.385).
H. Hamilton (HES), 12 November 2012. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 16 May 2019.

December 2011-January 2012. Excavation.
Final phase of archaeological mitigation prior to construction of new residential dwelling.
The two areas excavated revealed a series of ditches of probable Roman date, many of which were aligned roughly north-to-south – matching the general orientation of the features associated with the Roman settlement and fort to the east (NHERs 1001 and 1004). A number of pits of uncertain function were also recorded.
The site produced more than 450 Roman pottery sherds. This assemblage includes a range of imported fine wares, including a small but notable group of samian sherds that potentially predates the main settlement adjacent to the fort. Also of particular interest is a white ware mortaria with makers stamps that had probably been produced at Brampton. Other Roman finds (some from unstratified contexts) include 10 coins, a spoon probe, iron hobnails, probable bessalis-type brick fragments, a flue tile fragment and abraded possible tegula tile fragments. The features of likely Roman date were also found to contain fragments of lava quern, pieces of fired clay, animal bones and oyster shells. The samples from these features mostly produced small assemblages of material likely to represent scattered or wind-blown debris. That most notable exception was a sample from a pit or post-hole that was found to contain a large number of grains, with barley predominant. It is possible that this material was accidentally charred during culinary preparation. Pollen samples were also taken from a Roman ditches, one of which revealed a peak in Umbelliferae pollen – a family of plants such as Chervil, Cow parsley and wild carrot that appear to have been important to the Roman diet.
The majority of the Roman features have been assigned to a single phase of activity, broadly dated to the 1st to 3rd centuries AD. Only one feature was likely to have post-dated the late 3rd century AD – a north-north-west to south-south-east aligned ditch in the north-west corner of the site. The complex nature of the ditches and their varying size suggests that while some likely represented fairly substantial boundaries, others probably defined smaller plots and paddocks. No potentially structural remains were identified.
Evidence for activity prior to the Roman period was limited to a small assemblage of Late Mesolithic to Early Neolithic worked flints. No features of likely post-Roman date were identified, with evidence for later activity restricted to a small group of finds recovered from topsoil and subsoil contexts. These unstratified finds include a medieval coin, medieval strap ends, a buckle, thimble and probable box or casket mount and a post-medieval buckle, button, picture mount, harness fitting, thimble, copper alloy nails, copper alloy vessel fragment, heel iron and iron possible harness ring. Various undated metal objects were also recovered.
See report (S2) for further details.
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2012.73).
P. Watkins (HES), 25 September 2024.