NHER 31127 (Monument record) - Probable medieval moated site and other, Roman, medieval to post-medieval and undated remains

Winter 1982 to 1983. Casual Observation and Stray Find.
Identified on ploughed field at [1]:
Rectangular raised platform, low and ill defined, 180m east to west x 100m north to south defined by ditch on north side, present field boundary on east, scarp on south and west. Three sherds of medieval pottery found, including one Grimston green-glazed sherd.
Details received from [2].
Compiled by A. Gregory (NAU), 26 October 1983. Information from record card (S1).
Previously recorded under NHER 19631.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 21 January 2025.

Cartographic evidence suggests that the features observed in this field (originally recorded under NHER 19631) are likely to have been the surviving traces of a medieval moated site. The probable western side of this moat is depicted on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map (S2) as a waterfilled linear feature, adjoining what was presumable a surviving section of its northern arm. The site is marked on (S3) as a 'moat', with the western side and part of the northern arm again shown as waterfilled. Some form of linear earthwork is shown extending eastwards from the northern arm with a corresponding scarp of some kind shown on its southern side. No eastern side is shown. By the middle of the 20th century the waterfilled features are no longer depicted on Ordnance Survey maps, although they must have continued to be visible landscape features as they clearly correspond with boundaries defining the north-west corner of a small field.
E. Rose (NAU), 28 July 1987. Amended and expanded by P. Watkins (HES), 21 January 2025.

27 March 1995. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of threatened area to north of existing workshops in western part of site.
One of the six trenches excavated encountered the northern ditch of the previously identified moat. Barbed wire at the base of this feature provided further evidence for its relatively recent infilling. Two further features were identified in the north-west corner of the area examined; a hollow or large shallow cut containing Roman pottery sherds and cow bones and an undated pit which produced only animal bone. Metal-detecting recovered a possible strap end and a possible broken key.
See summary report (S4) for further details (it appears a final report was never produced). The results of this work are also summarised in (S5).
A. Crowson (NAU) 28 March 1995. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 21 January 2025.

June 1995. Field Observation.
The north end of the north-westernmost trench of the March 1995 evaluation (Trench 4) and the area around the potentially Roman hollow has been enlarged untidily by machine. The owner has agreed to backfill and level, but the area has been significantly disturbed.
D. Gurney (NLA) 16 June 1995.

Whole field under arable. Features noted in winter 1982/83 on NHER now not visible. Possible slight rise in centre of field.
H. Paterson (A&E), 17 July 1996. Previously noted under NHER 31127.

December 2015. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of whole eastern field in response to its proposed development.
The twenty trenches excavated revealed a number of archaeologically significant features, the majority of which were located in the southern half of the site. The remains identified included several large linear features that are likely to have been related to the northern, southern and eastern sides of the previously identified moated enclosure. The position of these features suggests that the arrangement of the eastern side of the enclosure was more complex than expected. It appears that the northern arm may have extended beyond the line of the eastern side, the form of which remains somewhat unclear as the segments identified do not form a straight line. At one point close to the postulated north-east corner of the enclosure two parallel north-to-south aligned features were present in the vicinity of where the moat's eastern arm would be expected. A series of make-up or levelling layers were recorded between these two features, these deposits potentially representing the remains of some form of raised platform around which the eastern section of the moat had been diverted. It is unclear at present whether the two linear features were contemporary. A range of finds were recovered from the layers between the ditches, including medieval pottery sherds and a post-medieval brick fragment. A small assemblage of fired clay briquetage was also recovered from the uppermost of these layers, with further fragments found in one of the adjacent ditches. This material provides clear evidence for salt-making industry on the site, potentially during the medieval period. It is interesting to note that the molluscan remains in samples taken from the moat ditches suggest that brackish water was also periodically present. The plant macrofossils assemblages recovered from these samples were however small, providing little additional evidence for the nature of activity on the site.
Although none of the exposed ditch sections were fully excavated, augering suggested that they were between 1.2m and 2.9m deep, the deepest part appearing to be the central part of the northern arm. Inevitably as the lower fills of these ditches were not encountered they could not be closely dated. A mix of medieval, post-medieval and modern material was recovered from the uppermost deposits.
Although several of the trenches coincided with the raised platform within the moated enclosure only a small number of potentially medieval features were identified. The most notable of these was a linear band of medieval bricks identified close to what would have been the centre of the enclosure. A number of medieval pottery sherds were found in close association with this possible wall foundation. Several circular pits of varying size were also identified in this part of the site, one of which produced medieval pottery. It is quite possible that much surviving evidence has been lost since the significance of the site was first recognised during the 1980s. There was clear evidence for plough damage and it was reported that this part of the site had been regularly bulldozed in an attempt to level the field. Excess soil from other development sites has also apparently been used to fill any surviving depressions.
It was noted that the subsoil in the southern part of the site was markedly different to that present to the north, with distinct yellower, sandier patches that may represent material associated with building platforms. The subsoil present in the northern part of the site was a dark greyish brown silty clay that was interpreted as at least partially flood derived. Several roughly east-to-west aligned ditches were the only features identified in the area to the north of the moated enclosure. Although no dating evidence was recovered from these features they were parallel with the northern side of the enclosure and therefore probably of medieval or post-medieval date. Various irregular linear features in this part of the site were interpreted as nature features.
A medieval silver coin was the only unstratified metal object recovered during this work.
Information from draft report. Final version awaited.
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2017.330).
P. Watkins (HES), 21 January 2025.