NHER 40920 (Monument record) - Medieval and later features, St Michael's Hospital

October 2004. Desk-based Assessment.
Air photographs of the site reveal former trackways and field boundaries around the area. The building was constructed in 1849 and later became a hospital which was enlarged in recent decades by wings and outbuildings.
The cropmarks and trackways are now recorded under NHER 65618 along with further features identified as part of the Aylsham and Brampton Aerial Investigation and Mapping (AIM) Project.
See report (S1) for further details.
M. Dennis (NLA), 29 September 2005. Amended H. Hamilton (HES), 22 February 2024.

November 2004. Trial Trenching.
Excavation of 54 evaluation trenches. Contexts 1-324.
Revealed the presence of post medieval plough soil sealing probable medieval ditches and trackways. These represent a complex series of field systems and enclosure boundaries on the periphery of the medieval town of Aylsham. Two pits containing burnt material may be indicative of nearby medieval occupation. Within the grounds of the hospital most archaeology had been removed or obscured by construction of the workhouse and later hospital buildings. To the south were a series of 19th century rubbish disposal pits relating to the workhouse and later pits relating to the hospital. A small number of ditches were excavated suggesting that the medieval field systems seen to the north continue here.
See report (S2) for further details. See also (S3). The results of this work are summarised in (S4).
M. Dennis (NLA), 5th October 2005.

January 2008. Strip Map and Sample Excavation.
Excavation of large area in field to north of hospital.
This work revealed a number of ditches and gullies forming part of a medieval field system and a large medieval enclosure, which may have been used for holding stock. The remains of a possible medieval oven were found at the centre of the enclosure. The quality of the pottery suggests a high-status household was located within the vicinity during the 15th century. There was also a segment of Roman/Saxon ditch and post-hole and a possible Iron Age pit.
Final report awaited. See assessment report (S5) for further details. See also (S6)-(S8).
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2010.275).
S. Howard (NLA), 18 November 2009.