NHER 1004 (Monument record) - Roman vicus and possible early Roman fort

Field north of Romano-British fort

1939 to 1945.
Roman building and coins located.

1974.
Possible early fort located by aerial photography, Roman material on surface. Area includes Creek Farm, built with reused Roman material. See details and (S1) in file. For schedule see file for NHER 1001.
E. Rose (NLA), 29 January 1991

August 1992. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site within the area of the western vicus.
This work revealed Roman ditches and pits with pottery and bone.
See report (S2) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S8).
The finds recovered have been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 1995.65).
E. Rose (NLA), 12 October 1992. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 24 January 2017.

March 2001. NMP.
A number of linear features can be seen around TF 7813 4418, on the 1945 aerial photographs (S3) and 1976 aerial photographs (S4 and S5). A crescent-shaped 'ditch' cropmark can be seen to the immediate north of Brancaster Roman fort (TF 7816 4415) and it seems likely that these linear features and ditches are contemporary, or possibly earlier.
At TF 7809 4418, a double ditched linear feature, with a rounded corner is visible as a cropmark on 1974 aerial photographs (S6 and S7). It is possible that this may represent an earlier fort at this site, although it is difficult to be sure of an exact date from the aerial photographs.
A. Hunt (NMP), 21 March 2001.

Casual finds, May - June 2007.
Romano-British sherds and tile found during building work.
See list and sketch plan in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 9 July 2007.

August 2012. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey undertaken for Channel 4's Time Team.
The results of this survey were broadly consistent with the cropmark evidence. The more notable responses included the double-ditched feature with the rounded corner that potentially represents an earlier fort. The area between this feature and the later fort to the south appears relatively blank, although it is noted that this may be due to the masking effects of post-Roman alluvial deposits. An unusual crescentic response in this area is also associated with a cropmark feature.
A complex group of linear anomalies at the western end of the site are similar to those seen in the main vicus area to the east of the later fort (NHER 1003).
See report (S10) for further details.
Although assigned a Norwich Castle Museum accession number (NWHCM : 2012.240), the archive associated with this work was actually deposited with the National Trust.
P. Watkins (HES), 15 March 2026.

September 2013. Stray Find. [1].
1 Roman pottery sherd.
Information from PAS import.
P. Watkins (HES), 2 October 2013.

November 2015. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of cable trench excavated to west of residential access road running north from Cross Lane.
No archaeologically significant features or deposits were observed in this narrow trench. It should be noted that the trench was relatively shallow and did not penetrate beneath a subsoil deposit that lay beneath the topsoil along its whole run.
A small number of unstratified finds were recovered including Roman, medieval and post-medieval pottery sherds, Roman tile fragments, a medieval lock hasp, post-medieval brick and tile fragments and several undatable iron nails.
See report (S9) for further details.
The archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2017.328).
P. Watkins (HES), 29 January 2018. Amended 27 May 2019.