NHER 26535 (Monument record) - Late Saxon and medieval remains, 12 Oak Street

July to August 2000. Trial Trenching. Contexts 1 to 475.
Excavations revealed Late Saxon features including pits and gullies, sealed by surfaces laid down in the 11th and 12th centuries. From the finds recovered, these surfaces appear to have been used for intensive industrial activity including ironworking, smelting and smithing. This phase of industrial activity appears to have drawn to a close in the late 14th century.
A trench inside the standing building to the north of St Miles' Alley revealed post holes and linear features, indicating the presence of 11th century timber buildings. These buildings formed a frontage which respected the pre-Conquest church of St Michael's. A clay floor and post holes indicated later, 14th century, occupation in this location, cut through by a post medieval building.
A large shallow pit dating to the 11th or 12th century and located on the Rosemary Street frontage was interpreted as a gravel extraction pit or evidence of prospection for iron pan. Domestic debris from this feature may indicate contemporary occupation nearby. A 14th century pit was located to the west of this area, and an 18th century pit in the same area of the site had been used for the disposal of horse remains. A prehistoric worked flint was also recovered from this area of the site.
Attempts were made to consolidate or raise the ground level in this area in the 13th to 15th centuries.
See report (S1) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S2).
D. Gurney (NLA), 3 January 2001.

April 2001. Excavation. From Context 2000.
Excavations revealed a sequence of 10th to 12th century timber structures fronting St Miles' Alley. During the 13th and 14th centuries the area appears to have become more industrialised, marked by several pits possibly associated with tanning. These pits appear to have been reused as rubbish pits, resulting in much of the southern part of the site being quarried away. The area was abandoned during the 14th to 15th centuries, and reoccupied during the 15th to 16th centuries, when timber structures associated with tanning and fronting St Miles' Alley were erected. By the 17th century these structures had been replaced by flint and brick buildings.
See published article (S3) and reports (S4)-(S6) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S7). Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 30 March 2015.
A. Cattermole (NLA), 13 February 2006.

Material from both phases of work at this site has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2005.9).
P. Watkins (HES), 15 August 2019.