NHER 64698 (Monument record) - Medieval enclosure and associated features, and post-medieval field boundaries

October 2018. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of large proposed development area.
This survey identified two sides of a probable rectilinear enclosure adjacent to the Hingham Road at TM 0184 9777. An east-to-west aligned linear trend within the enclosure may represent an internal subdivision and a number of small discrete anomalies may represent soil-filled pits. It is suggested these features may have been an extension of the medieval settlement that appears to have lain adjacent to the moated site approximately 200m to the east (see NHER 34571 for details of the moated site and NHER 57408 for the surrounding features visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs).
The majority of the anomalies identified across the remainder of the site appear to correspond with features extant during the late post-medieval period. These include an arrangement of adjoining north-north-east to south-south-west and west-north-west to east-south-east aligned linear anomalies, all but one of which coincide with former field boundaries depicted on the Ordnance Survey First Edition Six-inch map (S1). Two large discrete areas of magnetic disturbance correspond with former ponds marked on this map and a third similar anomaly at the junction of several field boundaries may represent another that was already infilled by this time.
Numerous smaller discrete ferrous responses are likely to be the results of debris in the topsoil.
Information from report uploaded to OASIS. HER copy awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 25 March 2021.

November-December 2019. Trial Trenching,
Evaluation of proposed development site.
Although many of the 48 trenches excavated revealed archaeological features these were mostly ditches that clearly corresponded with field boundaries marked on 19th-century maps. This is consistent with the initial geophysical survey, which identified little other than these ditches across much of the site. The archaeological significance of the probable enclosure detected at the eastern edge of the site was however confirmed, being shown to coincide with a concentration of remains of probable medieval date. The enclosure ditch itself was shown to be a substantial feature, although unfortunately due to waterlogging it was only possible to excavate a single slot which produced no dating evidence. A number of features revealed within the interior of the enclosure did however produce medieval pottery, including ditches and several pits. The bulk of the medieval pottery assemblage is of high medieval date with only a small number of early medieval and late medieval sherds present. Earlier finds from this part of the site were limited to a small number of Middle and Late Saxon pottery sherds, all of which were probably residual in later contexts.
The one potentially significant feature identified elsewhere was a large pond or hollow in the north-west corner of the site that produced several pottery sherds of late 10th- to 11th-century date, as well as a small assemblage of animal bone.
The small number of ditches beyond the enclosure that did not obviously correspond with known former field boundaries were nevertheless similarly aligned and therefore likely to be of broadly the same date. A number of parallel linear features observed in the eastern part of the site were interpreted as probable post-medieval plough furrows (including several features that clearly corresponded with a number of parallel anomalies identified by the geophysical survey). The various slots excavated across the ditches associated with the late post-medieval field system revealed little of interest, other than the presence of ceramic drainage pipes at the base of several (possibly lain prior to the boundaries being removed).
Information from report uploaded to OASIS. HER copy awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 27 January 2021.

March-May 2020. Excavation.
This final phase of archaeological work saw the excavation of a relatively small area at the eastern edge of the site (adjacent to Hingham Road), where the preceding trial trenching had identified a concentration of medieval ditches and pits. This revealed medieval ditches that clearly defined a sub-rectangular enclosure, the interior of which contained numerous contemporary features.
None of the excavated features appeared to predate the medieval period, with evidence for earlier activity limited to a small number of finds, the majority of which were clearly residual in later features. These objects included a single undiagnostic prehistoric pottery sherd, several flint flakes of probable Neolithic or later date, a single possible Roman pottery sherd, several Roman tile fragments and four Late Saxon pottery sherds.
A continuous ‘L’-shaped length of ditch defined the western and southern sides of the medieval enclosure. The eastern side of the enclosure probably lay on the opposite side of the Hingham Road, where its south-eastern corner is possibly represented by an ‘L’-shaped cropmark visible on aerial photographs at TM 0190 9772 (part of a large group of probable medieval to post-medieval remains recorded as NHER 57408). The western side of the enclosure did not appear to continue to the north of an east-to-west aligned post-medieval field boundary, suggesting the northern side of the enclosure was fossilised in the line of this later feature. Recuts to the main enclosure ditch and a number of intercut features within its interior point to a reasonably sustained period of medieval activity on the site. The pottery recovered also includes a notable early medieval component, although the bulk is of high medieval date. Only a small number of late medieval sherds were recovered, and post-medieval pottery is entirely absent. Overall, it appears that the main phase of activity probably occurred between the 12th and 14th centuries, with little evidence for occupation after this period.
A pair of parallel, east-to-west aligned ditches appear to have acted as internal partitions of the main enclosure, with few features lying between them and distinct concentrations of remains present in the adjacent areas. In the northern part of the enclosure a dense cluster of linear features and post holes probably represented the remains of some form of post-built structure (measuring c.13m by 11m). Pottery of 12th- to 13th-century date was recovered from several of the features that appear to have functioned as post trenches. The exact nature of this structure is uncertain, although it is notable that the site produced no medieval brick or tile suggesting that any roof it had was probably thatch. It is suggested it may have served as an animal shelter or store, although a domestic function cannot be excluded given that the presence of a reasonably large pottery assemblage, as well as other material likely to represent settlement waste, such as lava quern fragments and animal bone.
To the south of the central division was a neatly constructed metalled surface of undressed flint pebbles and stones, surrounded on three sides by clusters of potentially associated small pits and post-holes. The function of these remains is not entirely clear, although it is argued that the lack of any particularly coherent pattern suggests they are unlikely to represent a substantial structure. The metalled surface was sealed by deposits containing pottery of 14th-century date, indicating this material had accumulated towards the end of the site’s occupation.
A number of pits were also present in both parts of the enclosure, several of which were regular, substantial, steep-sided features that had possibly been dug to provide or hold water (being deep enough to extend beneath the current water table).
Samples taken from the fills of various medieval features produced only small assemblages of charred plant macrofossils, although cereal grains were present in low to moderate densities in all but one. The condition and nature of the material was more indicative of hearth waste, rather than primary waste from agricultural or domestic activities.
As noted above there was little evidence for significant post-medieval activity on the site, with finds of this date limited to single pantile fragment, a jetton and a copper alloy thimble.
Information from draft assessment report. Final version awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 27 January 2021.

An archive comprising material associated with both phases of fieldwork undertaken between 2019 and 2020 has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2019.323).
P. Watkins (HES), 24 August 2025.