NHER 65549 (Monument record) - Undated and medieval to post-medieval features, including former road

May 2015. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of proposed development site.
This survey identified no anomalies of obvious archaeological significance. It did however record a number of scattered linear and curvilinear anomalies that potentially represented sub-surface features. An intermittent east-north-east to west-south-west aligned linear anomaly at the northern end of the eastern field corresponds with a former field boundary depicted on the Ordnance Survey First Edition Six Inch map (S1).
Various discrete positive responses were also identified that were of uncertain origin. These included two relatively large anomalies in the western field that might represent infilled features or more deeply buried ferrous/fired objects. A concentration of discrete anomalies was also recorded close to the northern edge of the adjacent field, although it is thought these are most likely the result of relatively modern activity. The remaining anomalies were all probably either geological in origin or the result of agricultural activity.
Information from draft report. HER copy awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 13 April 2022.

December 2019. Trial Trenching and Excavation.
Evaluation of proposed development site, followed by further targeted excavation at two locations where significant remains had been identified.
A total of 30 trenches were excavated in the initial phase of work, which exposed a range of linear and discrete features.
Evidence for prehistoric activity included a small assemblage of worked flints. This material appears to be primarily of Late Neolithic/Early Bronze date, although four Mesolithic/Early Neolithic prismatic blades are also present, along with several cruder flakes of probable Middle Bronze Age to Iron Age date. An otherwise undated east-to-west aligned ditch and two pits in the eastern field all produced more than 10 flints. One of the pits did also produce an abraded sherd of Late Saxon pottery but the second at least was potentially prehistoric as the knapping waste it contained came from the same core. Two features also contained prehistoric pottery, the first of which was a small pit in the western field that produced four sherds of Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age pottery, along with a notable amount of burnt flint and two worked flints. A sample taken from this feature was found to contain fairly abundant charcoal fragments, along with charred seeds, fragments of hazelnut shell and wheat grains. Another small pit in this field with a charcoal-rich fill was also regarded as a potentially prehistoric feature, although finds were limited to a small quantity of burnt flint.
Two trenches at the northern end of the eastern field revealed traces of an east-north-east to west-south-west aligned road, including a surviving area of its metalled stone surface. This was almost certainly the former section of road shown at this location of Faden’s map of 1797 (S2), which had disappeared by the time that (S1) was produced in the late 19th century (although its line is fossilised by the former field boundary recorded by the geophysical survey). A number of post-medieval finds were recovered from material overlying the road surface and the fills of what were probably road-side ditches. Several ditches aligned perpendicular to the road were also recorded in this field, one of which corresponds with another field boundary depicted on (S1). The other ditches were of more uncertain date but were probably associated with medieval to post-medieval field or plot boundaries. One did produce a small assemblage of Iron Age pottery but this was potentially redeposited, particularly as an apparent recut of this feature contained post-medieval objects. A sample from the earlier feature was though found to contain abundant charcoal and quite a large, diverse assemblage of charred plant macrofossils including barley grains and the seeds from weeds associated with cultivation. The majority of the discrete features recorded in this part of the site were large probable extraction pits. Two of these produced small assemblages of high medieval pottery, although it is suggested that they may well have been associated with a later phase of activity.
The remaining, undated features included a small number of east-to-west, north-east to south-west and west-north-west to east-south-east aligned ditches, the majority of which lay in the western field.
A final phase of work (undertaken soon after the completion of the trenching) saw the excavation of two 10m x 10m areas, which targeted the two potentially pits with charcoal-rich fills in the western field. Neither revealed any additional remains.
As part of this final phase of mitigation material from the pit containing the Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age pottery was submitted for radiocarbon dating. This produced an unexpected Middle Saxon date of 661-739 AD at 95.4% probability (SUERC-92105; 1303 +/- 24 BP). It is uncertain whether the dated material was intrusive or the prehistoric pottery residual (although the abraded condition of the pottery suggests the latter may be more likely).
See report (S3) for further details.
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2020.55).
P. Watkins (HES), 13 April 2022.