NHER 65291 (Monument record) - Medieval to post-medieval and undated features

February 2020. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site.
The four trenches excavated revealed a number of ditches on varying alignments, and a small number of discrete features.
Although the ditches produced few finds it is thought that many were probably medieval in date. Organic, peaty silts at the base of these features suggest that they had contained standing water for long periods before silting up. In a number of these ditches a clean fluvial sand was also noted which may have been the result of localised flooding events.
A well-preserved horse burial discovered above one of the ditches had no discernible cut, suggesting the animal had possibly been placed directly in the top of the feature after it had largely silted up. Although a horseshoe was associated with the burial this can only be broadly dated as late medieval to post-medieval.
Features that could be conclusively identified as more recent in date included a north-north-east to south-south-west aligned ditch that corresponds with a former field boundary depicted on the Whissonsett tithe map (S1). Fragments of post-medieval brick and tile were recovered from this feature and a roughly perpendicular ditch to the east.
The small number of discrete features recorded included two small pits or post-holes in the south-west corner of the site that both contained early medieval pottery. What appeared to be two or more intercutting pits in the south-east corner of the site contained pig bones and fragments of mussel shell but unfortunately nothing in the way of dating evidence.
Unstratified finds recovered included small number of Late Saxon, medieval and post-medieval pottery sherds, a lead spindle whorl of Roman to medieval date, a decorated lead ball that may be a Late Saxon or early medieval gaming counter, a terminal from a late medieval/early post-medieval purse bar, a post-medieval coin and two post-medieval buckles.
See report (S2) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 10 February 2022.