NHER 65669 (Monument record) - Prehistoric, medieval to post-medieval and undated features

October 2020. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of proposed development site (Area 2).
This survey identified a number of potentially archaeologically-significant linear anomalies, including two that possibly form partial enclosures. Although the orientations of these possible enclosure ditches differ it is noted that they are associated with a similar level of magnetic enhancement.
A number of roughly east-to-west and north-to-south aligned linear anomalies in the south-east part of the site correspond with former field boundaries depicted on the Swainsthorpe tithe map (S1) and the Ordnance Survey First Edition Six Inch map (S2).
Several other linear anomalies are thought to represent drains, including a north-north-east to south-south-west aligned response that coincides with another former field boundary depicted on the tithe map.
A small number of discrete dipolar anomalies are likely to represent metallic objects within the soil, most likely modern debris.
The majority of the other anomalies identified are of probable natural origin.
The was no evidence for surviving sub-surface remains associated with a cluster of cropmarks visible on aerial photographs at the northern edge of the site and thought to represent an enclosure of medieval to post-medieval date (NHER 52161). It should though be noted that these cropmarks coincide with an area of fairly noisy magnetic background.
See report (S3) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 27 May 2022.

January-February 2021. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of part of large proposed development site (Trenches 21-38).
The 18 trenches excavated revealed a number of scattered linear and discrete features. Finds was generally fairly scarce, although there was evidence for at least limited activity during multiple periods.
The earliest find was a sherd of probable Early Bronze Age pottery that was found along with several scraps of undatable prehistoric pottery in a ditch in the south-east corner of the site. This ditch was though most likely post-medieval in date.
One feature that was probably prehistoric was a pit containing seven sherds of Early Iron Age pottery.
Another of the features to produce dating evidence was a north-to-south aligned ditch at the southern edge of the site that corresponds with a short linear anomaly identified by the geophysical survey. This contained pottery sherds of possible Late Saxon and medieval date.
Several other ditches coincided with the two possible partial enclosures that had been identified by the geophysical survey, one of which contained a post-medieval pantile.
A number of ditches exposed in the south-east corner of the site also related to previously identified geophysical anomalies. As noted above these correspond with former field boundaries depicted on 19th-century maps, although their reasonably substantial nature suggests that they might have been surviving elements of an earlier system of land division. Several fragments of medieval and post-medieval roof tile were recovered from one of these ditches.
A much narrower north-north-east to south-south-west aligned ditch corresponds with another of the boundaries shown on the tithe map (this being the feature the geophysical survey identified as a possible drain).
Various undated pits were also recorded, including one particularly large example in the north-west corner of the site that was probably a quarry of some kind.
There was again no evidence for sub-surface remains associated with the cluster of linear cropmarks visible on aerial photographs at the northern edge of the site (NHER 52161).
See report (S4) for further details.
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2021.11).
P. Watkins (HES), 27 May 2022.