NHER 68426 (Monument record) - Post-medieval and undated remains

December 2019. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of proposed development site.
No potentially archaeologically-significant anomalies were identified. It is though suggested that a number of closely spaced north-to-south aligned weakly positive linear anomalies may represent the traces of ridge and furrow cultivation.
Numerous discrete, ferrous-like dipolar anomalies were probably caused by metal objects on or close to the surface (most likely modern debris).
Information from draft report. Final version awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 4 August 2024.

June 2020. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site.
The 18 trenches revealed a small number of scattered ditches and possible pits, the majority of which produced little or no dating evidence.
The most notable of the ditches were a pair of perpendicular and likely contemporary north-north-east to south-south-west and west-north-west to east-south-east aligned features at the northern end of the site (shown by an extension to the trench to meet at a 'T' junction). These both contained sherds of medieval pottery, although the north-north-east to south-south-west aligned ditch also produced fragments of post-medieval roof tile and a sherd of post-medieval pottery was recovered from a possible continuation of this feature recorded some distance to the south. A parallel ditch to the east coincided with the edge of a north-north-east to south-south-east aligned hollow that potentially represented the route of a former trackway leading to Rokeles Hall (NHER 8788) – particularly as this feature corresponds with a line of trees shown on the Ordnance Survey First Edition Six-inch map (S1) (within what was then an area of parkland). This hollow is clearly visible on LiDAR imagery of the site, as are the similarly-aligned probable cultivation features identified by the preceding geophysical survey. Other linear features within this hollow contained ceramic drains.
The small number of other finds recovered from the excavated ditches included a flint scraper of probable Middle Bronze Age/Iron Age date, a burnt flint, fragments of animal bone and an iron nail.
The majority of the discrete features investigated proved to be of probable natural origin and even those that were potentially deliberately dug pits were all fairly unremarkable, with no finds recovered.
The only other deposit of note was a band of stones identified towards the western edge of the site that was tentatively interpreted as the remnant of another trackway.
Unstratified finds were limited to two undiagnostic prehistoric flint flakes.
See report (S2) for further details.
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2020.93).
P. Watkins (HES), 4 August 2024.