NHER 67579 (Monument record) - Medieval to post-medieval remains

September 2021. Trial Trench.
Evaluation of proposed development site.
The single trench excavated revealed several walls and foundations associated with two post-medieval houses that had previously occupied the site. These buildings can be seen on historic maps and were demolished in the mid 20th century. Several phases of construction appeared to be represented, with the earliest walls constructed of red brick with flint rubble and lime mortar cores. The bricks are of probable mid-18th- to 19th-century date.
In the northern half of the trench two cellars were also exposed, which had been filled with demolition rubble from the former houses. A bricked-up door reportedly present in the cellar of a neighbouring property presumably led into the infilled cellars exposed by this work.
Beyond the cellars, in the southern half of the trench an undisturbed sequence of earlier features and deposits survived. Natural deposits were not encountered, with augering demonstrating that archaeological layers potentially continued for at least another 2m beneath the level reached by hand excavation. Notably, the earliest of the layers exposed contained a number of large, unabraded sherds of late medieval pottery. This deposit and an overlying layer were truncated by a pit containing pottery of 16th- and 17th-century date, along with residual high medieval and late medieval/early post-medieval sherds. This feature also contained peg tiles of probable late medieval or early post-medieval date, post-medieval brick fragments, animal bone and oyster shells. A sample taken from its fill contained a range of waste material, including charred wheat grains, fish bones and metal-working debris. This feature was overlain by a sequence of probable occupation and made-ground deposits containing further pottery of 16th- to 17th-century date. Other notable finds from these deposits included a pair of post-medieval balance pans.
See report (S1) for further details.
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2021.163).
P. Watkins (HES), 21 November 2023.