NHER 67119 (Monument record) - ?Prehistoric, post-medieval and undated remains

November 2015. Desk-based Assessment.
Assessment of large proposed development site.
No features of archaeological or historic interest were noted during a brief walkover survey, although a prehistoric worked flint was recovered and a scatter of 19th- to 20th-century finds noted in the north-west corner of the site (recorded fully under NHER 40292).
See report (S1) for further details, including a detailed map regression.
P. Watkins (HES), 14 June 2023.

August 2021. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of part of large proposed development site (Areas 1 and 2; Trenches 1-22).
The 22 trenches excavated at this location revealed only a small number of scattered linear and discrete features, many of which produced little or no dating evidence. There was some limited evidence for prehistoric activity, with small numbers of worked flints recovered from several probable natural features. The majority of these objects are undiagnostic with the most notable pieces being several blades of possible Mesolithic or earlier date. A single sherd of probable Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age pottery was also recovered from a possible pit or natural feature.
The ditches included north-to-south and east-to-west aligned features that correspond with two former field boundaries depicted on the enclosure map of 1815 (S2). One contained a number of post-medieval finds including brick and roof tile fragments, a buckle and an unidentified iron object. Undated, but similarly-aligned ditches uncovered elsewhere in the field were probably also post-medieval in date (particularly given the complete absence of evidence for medieval activity at this location).
Undated features of note included a pit with evidence for in situ burning and a charcoal-rich upper fill. This was at least superficially similar to features recorded elsewhere that are now thought to have been associated with Saxon to medieval small-scale charcoal production. Samples from this feature did though produce a number of burnt cereal grains in addition to abundant charcoal so it is possible that it was a hearth (or similar) associated with an earlier phase of activity.
Also of some interest was a short, narrow, curvilinear feature with a charcoal-flecked fill that was exposed in one of the southernmost trenches.
See report (S3) for further details.
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2021.162).
P. Watkins (HES), 14 June 2023. Amended 28 July 2023.