NHER 69252 (Monument record) - Roman pits and ditches

March 2023. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of site on route of proposed West Winch Housing Access Road (Section 9).
This partial survey of the site identified a range of discrete and linear anomalies of uncertain origin that may potentially represent archaeologically-significant remains. These include two clusters of discrete anomalies, areas of enhancement and linear responses at then northern edge of the site and a partial sub-circular anomaly to the south.
An east-to-west aligned linear anomaly corresponds with a former field boundary depicted on the North Runcton Tithe map (S1) and a series of perpendicular linear anomalies are thought to be the result of recent agricultural activity.
See report (S2) for further details.
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2023.118).
P. Watkins (HES), 4 August 2025.

September 2023. Desk-based Assessment.
Assessment of potential impact of proposed West Winch Housing Access Road.
See report (S3) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 4 August 2025.

April-May 2025. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of site on route of proposed West Winch Housing Access Road (167-182, 184-192 and 196-199).
The 29 trenches excavated at this location revealed a notable concentration of linear and discrete features of probable Roman date in the eastern central part of the site.
There was evidence for at least limited Iron Age activity at this location, with small quantities Middle Iron Age pottery date recovered from a number of the excavated features, including two otherwise undated pits and several pits and ditches that also produced Roman pottery.
The northern limit of the Iron Age and Roman remains were seemingly marked by a substantial, slightly curving east-to-west aligned ditch seen in three trenches - the western end of which was potentially continued by the curvilinear anomaly identified by the preceding geophysical survey. A single Iron Age pottery sherd was recovered from one of the three slots excavated across this feature but the other two both produced small amounts of Roman pottery. Roman pottery was recovered from various pits and ditches to south of this feature, along with dumps of notably unabraded daub, less diagnostic fragments of fired clay, small quantities of iron slag and animal bone. Samples taken from the fills of several Roman features produced material likely to represent either small dumps of heath waste or wind-blown waste, including charred cereal grains and weed seed and fragments of charcoal. The dark, charcoal-rich upper fill of a ditch that produced the largest individual assemblage of Roman pottery (more than 100 sherds) was also subject to magnetic susceptibility analysis. This material produced unusually high susceptibility values, indicating it had been exposed to temperatures exceeding 200°C prior to deposition. Burnt flints were also recovered from a number of these features, with the largest single assemblage (129 fragments) coming from the upper fill of the outer ditch.
The Roman pottery recovered suggests that activity at this location was taking place primary between the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. It is noted that almost half of the assemblage consists of locally-produced Nar Valley coarse wares, with a number of these sherds appearing to be from seconds and wasters – suggesting these vessels potentially came from kilns operating nearby. Four pieces of fired clay are also thought to potentially represent fragments of kiln plate.
Interestingly, one of the ditches in this group also produced two adjoining sherds of Early Saxon pottery from a stamped vessel, although the exact significance of these is uncertain as no other finds of this date were recovered.
The small number of features recorded across the remainder of the site included two east-to-west aligned ditches that correspond with former field boundaries shown on the North Runcton tithe map (S1). Three perpendicular north-to-south aligned ditch in the northernmost part of the site were potentially of a broadly similar age, although no corresponding boundaries are shown on the available 19th-century maps. One also produced a single Roman pottery sherd, although it is quite possible this was residual.
Unfortunately, due to the presence of a public right of way none of the excavated trenches coincided with the two clusters of discrete anomalies identified at the northern edge of the site by the preceding geophysical survey.
Information from draft report. Final version awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 4 August 2025.