NHER 51575 (Monument record) - Undated ditch

March 2008. Desk-based Assesment.
Assessment of proposed development site.
A soilmark or cropmark observed in the northwestern corner of the development area has been interpreted as the possible remains of a former medieval saltern (NHER 27897). A site visit confirmed that this is no longer a raised feature on the ground, but the southern edge is bounded by a former water course.
See report (S1) for further information.
H. Hamilton (HES), 2 January 2013.

June 2008. Watching Brief and Trial Trenching.
Monitoring of groundworks associated with industrial development.
A single ditch was located in the north-western corner of the site and ran north-north-west to south-south-east for 20m before turning 90 degrees to the north. The basal fill produced no finds but included a large quantity of aquatic snail shells, caddis fly larva cases and preserved plant remains, which suggests that the fill was laid down in standing water. The next fill also contained snail shells and larva cases and contained post-medieval finds. The upper fill contained post-medieval pottery, animal bone and shell and probably represents the Victorian backfilling of the ditch. It appears to show the canalisation of a meandering stream to form a field boundary.
Two trial trenches were also excavated across the courses of two purported streams not revealed immediately beneath the topsoil. The results of this work were largely negative.
See report (S2) for further information.
The archive associated with this work has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2010.76).
H. White (NLA), 27 January 2009. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 19 August 2015 and 11 May 2019.