NHER 66454 (Monument record) - Probable Bronze Age ring-ditch and potentially Iron Age/Roman enclosures and other remains

October 2020-March 2021. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of site on proposed route of Anglian Water Bexwell to Bury St Edmunds pipeline (Area 14).
This survey identified a dense group of archaeologically-significant linear anomalies that appear to represent at least one ring-ditch and a complex group of superimposed curvilinear and rectilinear enclosures. These clearly relate to a group of cropmarks noted on aerial photographs of this field, which have been interpreted as several possible Bronze Age ring-ditches and a number of undated trackways and enclosures (all recorded under NHER 16154).
The probable ring-ditch recorded by the geophysical survey is 20m in diameter and located at TF 6324 0068, suggesting it represents one of the potentially Bronze Age features visible as cropmarks. Although another of these features fell at least partially with the area surveyed (its centroidal grid reference being given as TF 6325 0059) no associated ring-ditch was identified at this location. Two of the more curvilinear probable enclosure ditches do though lie nearby so it is possible that a cropmark associated with one of these has been mistaken for a ring-ditch.
The majority of the probable enclosure ditches lie within a roughly north-to-south aligned block between TF 6324 0071 and TF 6322 0056 with a well-defined, more isolated enclosure identified immediately to the south. A series of weaker anomalies further south potentially define another small rectilinear enclosure, which is associated with a small possible interrupted ring-ditch.
The date of these enclosures is uncertain, although their forms and the fact they appear unrelated to the late post-medieval and modern field systems suggest an Iron Age to Roman date.
Other anomalies of potential archaeological interest include a series of east-to-west aligned linear anomalies thought to potentially represent the remnants of medieval or early post-medieval ridge and furrow cultivation.
A number of the discrete anomalies recorded in the vicinity of the enclosures are also regarded as potentially archaeologically-significant, as are a pair of small penannular linear anomalies to the south of the main group.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 13 April 2023.

July 2021. Desk-based Assessment.
Assessment of potentially impact of proposed Anglian Water Bexwell to Bury St Edmunds pipeline.
For further details see report (S2), which was submitted as part of the Environmental Statement for the scheme.
P. Watkins (HES), 13 April 2023.

September 2021. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of site on proposed route of Anglian Water Bexwell to Bury St Edmunds pipeline (Trenches 46-52).
The seven trenches excavated at this location were all placed to the west of the area examined by the preceding geophysical survey. Only a single north-to-south aligned ditch was recorded. Although this produced no finds it clearly coincided with a former field boundary depicted on the Ryston tithe map (S3).
It is possible that at least one of the trenches had coincided with a cropmark ring-ditch visible on aerial photographs, the centroidal grid reference of which is recorded as TF 6313 0042 (part of the extensive group of ring-ditches, enclosures and trackways recorded as NHER 16154).
Information from draft report. Final version awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 13 April 2023.