NHER 33981 (Monument record) - Iron Age ring ditch, possible enclosure and multi-period finds, Bacton to Great Yarmouth pipeline project

January-April 1997. Systematic Fieldwalking and Metal-detecting Survey.
Field survey on proposed route of Bacton to Great Yarmouth pipeline (Field/Location RDX 12.6).
Three burnt flints, flint flakes, one sherd each of Iron Age and Roman pottery, 11 sherds medieval pottery and five sherds post medieval pottery were recovered.
See report (S1) for further details.
The archive associated with this work has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2011.55 and NWHCM : 2017.395).
E. Rose (NLA) November 1998. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 12 May 2019.

November 1998. Systematic Fieldwalking Survey.
Additional field survey on proposed route of Bacton to Great Yarmouth pipeline (RDX 12.6; Site 3).
This area was selected for further, more detailed, fieldwalking but cropping regimes prevented access.
See (S2) for further details.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 2 June 2008.

March-May 1999. Excavation.
Excavation on route of Bacton to Great Yarmouth pipeline (Site 3 Central).
An Iron Age ring gully measuring 12m in diameter with a 4.2m wide entrance to the south-east was situated in the southern half of Site 3 (C). A number of possible postholes were recorded within the gully that may have related to a structure. Deposits containing charcoal, worked and burnt flint and Iron Age pottery were recovered from the southern terminus of the entrance. The gully may have been a drip gully surrounding a building with the burnt debris, flint and pottery representing an accumulation of rubbish to one side of the entrance. The environmental samples taken from the gully contained grains of barley, rye and wheat with several common weed species. Two shallow pits were located near to the gap or 'entrance', which truncated the gully and blocked the gap. These pits contained a high density of Middle Iron Age pottery and appear to post-date the use of the structure or represent its abandonment. In the northern part of Site 3 (C) a ditch containing Iron Age or Romano-british pottery possibly forming part of an early field was cut by a ditch of possible Romano-British date. A narrow gully in the eastern part of the excavated area contained a sherd of Romano-British pottery of 2nd - 3rd century date and was replaced by a more substantial ditch containing with three fragments of early Roman pottery. The area also contained a possible medieval field system and/or enclosure but no datable material was recovered. A posible post-medieval trackway between fields was represented by two sets of east-west parallel ditches c. 50m apart and post-medieval pottery was recovered from the ditches.
See publication draft (S3) and assessment report (S4) for further details. The results of this work are summarised in (S5). See also (S6).
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2011.55 and NWHCM : 2017.395).
S. Howard (NLA), 1 Fabruary 2010. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 12 May 2019.

October 1999. Metal detecting and fieldwalking. Remainder of field to west of pipeline.
Medieval sherds.
Late medieval/transitional body sherd.
Post medieval sherd and fragment of crotal bell, 17th to 19th century.
Undated iron nails.
K. Hinds (NLA), 3 March 2000.

October 1999. Kendalls Hut RHS. Metal detecting and fieldwalking, field to east of pipeline.
Medieval sherds.

January to February 2000. Metal detecting.
Medieval/early post medieval fragment of rim from a cast bronze cooking vessel, polished on the inside and heavily sooted on the outside.
K. Hinds (NLA), 3 March 2000.