NHER 50209 (Monument record) - Early Iron Age enclosures, pits and cremations and a medieval pit

June-October 2007. Systematic Fieldwalking Survey and Strip Map and Sample Excavation.
Initial field survey and subsequent excavation of site of new water treatment works. From Context 1.
The excavation revealed a complex multi-phase series of interlinked Early Iron Age stock enclosures. Several Early Iron Age pit groups were also identified as well as a variety of more isolated pits and postholes. Several un-urned cremations were recorded in this area.
See assessment report (S1) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S2).
It is has been proposed that this site will be published in a volume detailing a number of Norfolk Iron Age site. See outline publication synopsis (S3) for further details.
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2017.18).
A. Cattermole (NLA), 10 February 2009. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 11 August 2015.

November 2007. Watching Brief
Towards the eastern part of the site was a northeast-southwest ditch over 7m long. Two flint flakes were recovered from the fill. 40m to the west of this ditch was a second ditch over 6.5m long. A flint flake and burnt stones were retrieved from the fill. These ditches remain undated as the flint recovered was in insufficent quanties to confirm a definite date. A sub-circular pit was located to the northwest of the site, which produced a single sherd of 13th-15th century pottery as well as residual flint flakes. This probably represents casual waste disposal.
See report (S4) for further details.
H. White (NLA), 1 December 2008.

June 2023. Watching Brief.
Maintained during programme of borehole drilling as part of installation of solar power array to south-east of Little Melton Water Treatment Works.
A subsoil deposit was noted in all five of the boreholes monitored. In two of the boreholes this sealed potentially archaeologically-significant deposits, one of which contained flecks of undated pottery. Given the nature of the remains previously uncovered nearby it is possible these boreholes had encountered prehistoric features.
Information from draft report. Final version awaited.
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2023.214).
P. Watkins (HES), 12 March 2024. Amended 7 January 2024.