NHER 50501 (Monument record) - Medieval, post-medieval and undated features

2004-2005. Desk-based Assessment.
Assessment of proposed line of Norwich Northern Distributor Road.
See reports (S1) and (S2) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 5 August 2015.

February 2007. Systematic Fieldwalking and Metal-detecting Survey.
Field survey on proposed line of Norwich Northern Distributor Road (Field 58).
The small number of finds recovered in this field included:
1 post-medieval copper alloy coin.
1 undatable ?buckle and 1 lead waste/rod fragment.
See reports (S3) and (S4) for further details.
A. Cattermole (NLA), 17 September 2009. Amended 16 June 2019.

March-June 2009. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey on proposed line of the Norwich Northern Distributor Road (Site R4). One of three adjacent areas investigated due to their probable proximity to the deserted medieval settlement of Little Rackheath.
A range of anomalies were identified in this area, although most are unlikely to be of any archaeological significance.
Significant areas of magnetic disturbance were identified in this area, including a number of strong dipolar anomalies that are probably due to the presence of ferrous material in the topsoil. Three strong linear dipolar anomalies in the northern part of this area were almost certainly due to the presence of modern services or water pipes. A number of weak linear positive anomalies were also identified, the nature of which is uncertain. It is possible that these anomalies correspond with soil-filled features, although it is equally likely that they are the result of cultivation practices.
See report (S5) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 3 August 2015.

February 2010. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of site on proposed line of Norwich Northern Distributor Road (Site R4).
All seven of the trenches excavated at this site revealed archaeologically significant features. The identified features included ditches, a ditch terminus, probable post-holes, a number of pits, (one of which showed evidence of burning) and natural features. All but one of these features produced no dating evidence, the exception being a ditch that contained two medieval pottery sherds and a single (presumably residual) Early Saxon sherd. It is possible that these features were associated with the medieval village of Little Rackheath (NHER 12639), although their comparatively sterile nature suggest that they were the result of activity on the margins of the settlement.
Dipolar magnetic anomalies identified during the earlier geophysical survey were found to correspond with features that were most likely natural in origin.
See report (S6) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S7).
P. Watkins (HES), 30 July 2015.

December 2015. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey undertaken in order to investigate claims by local aircraft enthusiasts that this was the site where an American P-51 Mustang had crashed on 22 April 1945, killing the pilot.
Although it was not possible to conclusively confirm the site of the crash, a spread of ferrous debris in the southern half of the field is likely to indicate its approximate position.
See report (S8) and NHER 63457 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 17 June 2019.

May-June 2016. Metal-detecting Survey and Excavation.
Investigation of probable aircraft crash site ahead of main phase of excavation.
Report awaited. See NHER 63457 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 17 June 2019.

June-September 2016. Strip Map and Sample Excavation.
Main excavation on route of Norwich Northern Distributor Road (Area 13).
A cluster of north-north-west to south-south-east and east-north-east to west-south-west aligned ditches was exposed at the southern end of the area investigated, which appeared to represent two separate (but probably broadly contemporary) groups of interlinked enclosures. As during the preceding evaluation finds were extremely scarce, although the small number of pottery sherds recovered suggest these enclosures were probably medieval. The presence of several early medieval sherds and the lack of late medieval material suggests they were most likely of a broadly similar date to the enclosures exposed to the north (although unlike at this site there was no Late Saxon material present). Other finds recovered from these features included fragments of fired clay and lava quern.
The northern group of enclosures was truncated by a pair of later ditches, one aligned north-east to south-west and the other east-north-east to west-south-west. These were linked be a short perpendicular feature suggesting they were contemporary. One produced what was presumably residual medieval pottery along with a floor tile and bricks of late medieval/early post-medieval date.
Undated features included several north-west to south-east and north-east to south-west aligned ditches in the northern half of the site and a number of scattered pits. The latter include five features with charcoal-rich fills that are believed to have been associated with charcoal production. Similar pits, including several that could be dated to the Middle to Late Saxon period have been identified at number of sites to the north. Many of these features were on or near sites where there was evidence for a medieval iron smelting industry, but there was no evidence for such activity at this location (or the site immediately the north). Samples from the fills of these features produced significant quantities of charcoal but little else in the way of plant macrofossils.
At this site evidence for activity prior to the medieval period was limited to a single sherd of probable Early to Middle Bronze Age pottery (residual in a later feature) and a small assemblage of worked flints that includes a crude end scraper of probable Middle Bronze Age or later date.
A small assemblage of unstratified metal objects was recovered during metal-detecting at this site. This includes post-medieval coins, button, copper alloy stud and lead shot and an undated lead weight.
Information from draft assessment report. Final version awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 5 April 2021.

May 2017. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of proposed development site immediately to east of Norwich Northern Distributor Road (Area 3).
A single north-north-west to south-south-east aligned linear trend was the only potentially archaeologically-significant anomaly detected. The alignment of this possible features suggests that it may represent a ditch associated with a former field boundary of relatively recent date.
Linear anomalies likely to represent buried service pipes were identified at the northern end of the area examined.
See report (S9) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 18 June 2019.

May 2017. Desk-based Assessment.
Assessment of proposed development area.
Details awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 16 June 2019.