NHER 64684 (Monument record) - Undated linear features and late post-medieval/modern rubbish pits

July 2010. Desk-based Assessment.
Assessment of proposed development site adjacent to Earlham Hall.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 21 March 2021.

July-August 2012. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site in grounds of Earlham Hall comprising former kitchen garden/plant nursery area, site of large glasshouse and former City Care works depot.
The southernmost two trenches excavated in the western half of the former works depot revealed several potentially archaeologically-significant linear features. These included two parallel, north-east to south-west aligned possible ditches and three more irregular, north-west to south-east and north-to-south aligned features. Unfortunately, the date of these remains is uncertain as no finds were recovered.
Other features of note included a pit adjacent to University Drive that contained large quantities of discarded late 19th-to early 20th-century material including bottles, jars, pottery and cooking equipment. It is suggested that this potentially represented material cleared out on one of the occasions the hall changed hands in the early 20th century. Pits filled with organic material to the south related to the recent used of this area for mulching.
A large pit containing what appeared to be early 20th-century pottery, glass and ceramic material was the only feature observed within the former plant nursery and glasshouse areas. It is also thought to have been dug to take rubbish from the hall.
See report (S2) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 21 March 2021.

November 2013-March 2014. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of groundworks associated with construction of University of East Anglia NRP Enterprise Centre building. The focus of this work was the area at the southern end of the site where potentially archaeologically-significant features had been recorded during the preceding trial trenching.
The stripping of topsoil and subsoil deposits revealed no archaeological remains, primarily as the formation level of the development was found to lie above the level at which features has previously been exposed. These were therefore presumed to be preserved in situ beneath the remaining subsoil.
Groundworks elsewhere on the site did however confirm there had been heavy disturbance in the eastern half of the former works depot area, which clearly extended below the level of the archaeological deposits.
Information from draft report. Final version awaited.
See NHER 64685 for details of a probable post-medieval brick kiln exposed in a service trench along University Drive and recorded by the same contractor shortly before the commencement of the main watching brief.
P. Watkins (HES), 21 March 2021.