NHER 66690 (Monument record) - Bronze Age cremation burials and other, Iron Age to Roman and post-medieval remains

June 2019 Desk-based Assessment.
Assessment of proposed development site.
A discrete hollow at the southern tip of the field noted during a site visit may represent an infilled quarry pit. Wide, faint west-to-west aligned ridges within the site (also visible on a LiDAR plot) are probably geological in origin.
Although the 2007 Coastal Zone and Broads Zone NMP project identified nothing of interest at this location it is noted that more recent aerial imagery shows a number of faint, potentially archaeologically-significant cropmarks at this location. These include a number of fragmentary possible ditches that potentially represent elements of at least one early field system. An pair of adjoining, more extensive, east-to-west and north-to-south aligned cropmarks correspond with former field boundaries depicted on a tithe map of 1838. A possible structure or small structure is also visible (measuring c.10m x 7m), although this is regarded as the least convincing of the cropmarks identified.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 4 September 2024.

December 2021. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of proposed development site.
This survey identified numerous linear anomalies, a significant number of which are thought to potentially represent archaeologically-significant remains. These possible ditches display a wide varies of alignments suggesting they probably represent remains associated with multiple phases of past activity. Anomalies that appear to form a coherent (and therefore potentially contemporary) group include an adjacent pair of north-west to south-east aligned features and a possible small rectilinear enclosure to the north. The line of the north-west to south-east aligned features is continued to the east by a single anomaly. A similarly-aligned anomaly to the south with a roughly perpendicular feature extending southwards from its western end may represent elements of the same field system. The age of these remains is uncertain, although finds recovered during previous fieldwalking at this location suggest they could well be associated with a Roman-period settlement (see NHER 21543 for further details).
An east-to-west aligned linear anomaly crossing the centre of the site coincides with a former field boundary shown on the Ordnance Survey First Edition Six-inch map (S2). A perpendicular linear anomaly extending to the north corresponds with a former field boundary shown on the 1838 tithe map (reproduced in (S1)).
A large positive anomaly at the western edge of the site may represent an infilled quarry pit.
A number of the other responses are regarded as being of undetermined origin, including two strong discrete anomalies and several fragmentary curvilinear anomalies.
See report (S3) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 26 February 2023. Amended 3 September 2024.

April-May 2023. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site.
The 37 trenches excavated revealed numerous ditches and discrete features, which are likely to represent multiple phases of past activity.
Evidence for prehistoric activity included a small assemblage of Mesolithic to Early Neolithic and Neolithic/Bronze Age worked flints, although the bulk of this material was most likely residual within later contexts. The one feature of definite prehistoric date was an isolated cremation burial in the central part of the site. This small pit contained cremated human bone from a single older sub-adult or adult individual – a sample of which produced an Early Bronze Age radiocarbon date of 1887‐1748 cal BC at 95.4% probability (SUERC‐110898; 3498±21 BP). A pit at the eastern edge of the site was potentially prehistoric, being found to contain a small number of worked flints and a single handmade pottery sherd of possible Bronze Age date. Middle Iron Age pottery was also recovered from a number of features (including one sherd with La Tène-style decoration), although the number of sherds found in each was small and several also contained Roman pottery. The feature most likely to be Iron Age in date was a short possible ditch or gully terminus in the north-east part of the site.
A significant number of the excavated ditches were of probable Roman date, including two north-west to south-east aligned features that corresponded with the more extensive linear anomalies identified by the preceding geophysical survey. A number of parallel and perpendicular ditches were probably of a similar age. Several north-to-south aligned ditches could also be dated fairly convincingly to the Roman period. The Roman pottery assemblage (which consists of more than 150 sherds) suggests that the site may have seen activity throughout much of the period, although there is a notable absence of both very early (mid to late 1st century) and late (3rd to 4th century) material. The site also produced a small assemblage of Roman tile and brick or tile fragments, including two pieces of flue tile – suggesting the presence of at least one substantial building of some status somewhere in the vicinity. The flue tiles were recovered from a north-to-south aligned ditch in the southern half of the site that also produced the largest assemblage of Roman pottery (with an overall 2nd- to 3rd-century spot date) Other finds recovered from this and other features of likely Roman date included fragments of lava quern, pieces of animal bone and an oyster shell. Unfortunately it appears the more convincingly dated Roman features we not amongst those sampled.
There was little evidence for significant post-Roman activity on the site. Two ditches corresponded with the north-to-south and east-to-west aligned former field boundaries shown on the tithe map of 1838 (reproduced in (S1). These contained post-medieval pottery sherds and fragments of medieval to post-medieval ceramic building material. Further medieval to post-medieval ceramic building material were also recovered from another north-to-south ditch, a pit and one of two probable quarry pits exposed along the southern edge of the site.
Although various pits and probable post-holes were recovered across the site the majority of these features produced little in the way of dating evidence.
Samples taken from a number of poorly-dated features produced hammerscale, indicating iron working had been taking place nearby at some point in the past. The fact that this material was also recovered from the Early Bronze Age cremation does though demonstrate the potential for these small particles of iron to be intrusive.
The small number of unstratified finds recovered included Roman pottery sherds, a piece of post-medieval clay tobacco pipe stem and several post-medieval iron objects.
See report (S4) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 4 September 2024.

September-November 2024. Excavation.
This final phase of archaeological mitigation prior to the development of the site saw the excavation of three separate areas.
This work uncovered three further cremation burials of probable Bronze Age date.
Various features of probable Iron Age date were also recorded across two of the excavation areas, including pits, post-holes and shallow gullies. These produced pottery sherds, fired caly and animal bones. A small ring-ditch with a central post-hole was also potentially associated with this phase of activity.
A number of substantial ditches likely to represent elements of a Roman field system were also recorded. Later remains included two post-medieval field boundary ditches and a large area of intercutting pits that also produced post-medieval finds.
Information from summary post-excavation assessment statement (S5). Final reports awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 28 July 2025.