NHER 63101 (Monument record) - Iron Age, Roman, post-medieval and undated features

October 1999. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site (Trenches 18 and 19).
The two trenches excavated in the western half of this field revealed a number of potentially archaeological significant features. The most notable of these was what appeared to be a north-east to south-west aligned linear feature that produced a small assemblage of abraded Iron Age pottery sherds. A single sherd of possible Iron Age pottery was also recovered from a nearby pit-like feature.
Other features included a north-to-south aligned ditch, a narrow irregular linear feature and two additional possible pits or post-holes; none of which produced any dating evidence.
See report (S1) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S2).
Previously recorded under NHER 25709.
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2017.455).
P. Watkins (HES), 20 November 2018. Amended 27 May 2019.

October 2012. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of proposed development site.
This survey identified a number positive linear anomalies that may relate to former ditched boundaries. The clearest of these were two perpendicular, adjoining north-east to south-west and north-west to south-east aligned anomalies in the easternmost part of the site. A broad linear dipolar response in the south-west corner of the field corresponds with the line of a field boundary and associated trackway visible on 19th century maps. Groups of discrete positive anomalies may also represent archaeologically significant sub-surface features, although some of the larger, more amorphous anomalies could be natural hollows.
Modern disturbance appeared to be largely restricted to the margins of the field.
Information from draft report, final copy awaited. The results of this work are summarised in (S3).
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2013.101).
P. Watkins (HES), 20 November 2018. Amended by 16 May 2019.

January 2013. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site.
The 14 trenches excavated revealed a range of linear and discrete features although unfortunately many produced little or no dating evidence.
Several Roman pottery sherds were recovered from a pit or ditch terminus in the central part of the site and small amounts of Roman pottery were also found in two large, otherwise undated features interpreted as possible quarry pits. Probable quarry pits were also identified in two other parts of the site, one of which produced a single sherd of medieval pottery. Several of these probable quarries correspond with anomalies identified by the geophysical survey. The largest of the amorphous discrete anomalies was found to be associated with a substantial feature interpreted as a probable infilled pond.
Two of the ditches identified corresponded with the perpendicular linear anomalies detected at the eastern edge of the site. One of these features produced a small but diverse assemblage of post-medieval finds suggesting both were probably field boundary ditches of relatively recent date. The other ditches excavated were scattered across the site and produced no dating evidence, although their varying alignments suggests that they could well have been associated with multiple phases of past activity.
See report (S4) for further details.
The archive associated with this work has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2017.168).
P. Watkins (HES), 20 November 2018. Amended 19 May 2019.