NHER 65584 (Monument record) - Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age, potentially prehistoric and undated features

July-August 2019. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of site of proposed reservoir.
The 11 trenches excavated revealed a number of ditches, at least three pits and a probable post-hole, all of which lay in the south-eastern portion of the site. Most were undated, the exceptions being a relatively small pit and a ditch that both produced sherds of Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age Beaker pottery.
The most notable of the undated features was what appeared to be a substantial west-north-west to east-south-east aligned ditch with a narrow, steep-sided, 'U'-shaped base. If indeed a ditch, its form suggests it was potentially of some antiquity. The other ditches displayed a variety of alignments and were therefore probably associated with more than one phase of activity. A north-north-east to south-south-west aligned ditch at the southern end of the side was adjacent to a similarly-aligned former boundary shown on the Attlebridge tithe map of 1837 (S1), suggesting this feature at least was potentially of a more recent date.
The undated discrete features included a post-hole with a fairly distinct post-pipe, a pit of similar size to that containing the Beaker pottery and a shallow feature with a fill of blackened (presumably charcoal-rich) sand and burnt flint. Given the absence of later material all must be regarded as at least potentially prehistoric.
No unstratified finds were recovered.
See report (S2) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 20 May 2022.