NHER 29745 (Monument record) - Possible Middle Saxon hearths at Church Lane

May 1993. Trial Trench.
Evaluation excavation in advance of building work. Contexts 1-24.
A north/south trench measuring 24m x 2m was laid out along the line of the proposed building with a 6m x 2m east/west extension from the northwest corner to examine a subsidiary wing. Topsoil overlay natural chalk, which was cut by numerous shallow pits. Dating evidence was rare but a single recent nail was recovered from one of the pits, indicating a very recent date for the pit group. Extensive metal detecting failed to recover anything of note.
Context 1 (topsoil) produced a single sherd of Roman greyware.
Context 12 (a fill of pit 10) produced a single unabraded sherd of Roman pottery.
See report (S1) for further details.
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2022.191).
M. Leah (NAU), 14 May 1993 and 17 May 1993. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 1 April 2015 and 5 December 2022.

April 1994.
[1] reports that in passing the site after topsoil removed for development he found one Roman bowl sherd and saw in the section at the side 'Pits containing burnt Middle Saxon material, not pottery'.
Further details awaited.
E. Rose (NLA), 2 May 1994.