NHER 5528 (Monument record) - Old East Sea Bank

Former bank of River Great Ouse until mid 19th century.

October 1967. Monitoring. Context 1 at TF 6265 2205.
The east bank of the old course of the River Ouse was cut by the Northern By-pass and revealed timber features which were recorded by E.J. Talbot (KLAS). There was no dating evidence recovered from the timber feature. Salterns exist behind the bank with a small sherd of early medieval pottery beneath one of them. The Sea Bank appears to post-date these mounds.
See (S1) for further information and information taken from (S6).
P. Watkins (HES), 23 February 2015.

Grid reference for this corrected from KLM 6in map.
E. Rose (NAU) 27 November 1980.

See copy of plan in file, made to survey the course of the river before the making of the Eau Brink and harbour cuts.

October 2002. Norfolk NMP.
The bank recorded as NHER 5528 is visible for a total length of over 4km, and has a width of 10m to 20m. The bank is visible on Faden's map running from the north edge of King’s Lynn northwards across the saltmarsh through South Wootton and up to North Wootton. The bank continues up the coast to the Babingly River, where it is recorded as NHER 27104 and NHER 36882. It was known as the ‘Old East Sea Bank’, as it formed the eastern side of the River Great Ouse, prior to its diversion. The bank was probably constructed during the seventeenth century, although an early eighteenth century date cannot be ruled out. The course of the bank is not depicted on a map of 1588 (S3), but does appear to be depicted on a map of 1732 (S4).
M. Brennand (NMP) 23 October 2002.

March 2011. Watching Brief.
No finds, features or deposits of archaeological significance were present, and no information relating to the 'Old East Sea Bank' was gained, although it is possible that a clay bank encountered beneath modern deposits may relate to the bank, though no datable finds were present.
See report (S5) for details.
E. Bales (HES), 30 July 2012.

May and August 2021. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of part of large proposed development area to east of Estuary Farm.
This survey identified no clear evidence for the section of bank running between TF 6258 2333 and TF 6269 2219. It should though be noted that the results of this survey were potentially impaired by the presence of 'green waste' across the entire site, which created a dense spread of magnetic disturbance that may have masked archaeologically-significant anomalies. Visualised LiDAR data for the site (reproduced in a report for subsequent trial trenching) indicates that this section of bank is still likely to survive as a low earthwork.
Information from draft report. See NHERs 68891 and 68894 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 27 January 2025.

September-October 2023. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of part of large proposed development area to east of Estuary Farm.
This phase of work saw the partial investigation of a north-north-east to south-south-west aligned section of the bank at TF 6270 2252, at a point where it coincided with the remains of a medieval saltern. The bank itself was associated with a raised deposit of light yellowish-brown silt. On the western side of the bank this material was truncated by a small, square, clay-lined probable filtration tank. This is of particular interest as this bank had been thought to post-date the salterns lying to its east.
Information from draft report. See NHER 68894 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 27 January 2025.