NHER 52973 (Find Spot record) - Post-medieval to modern finds

June 2009. Test Pit.
Excavation of single test pit by local school children as part of the Higher Education Field Academy (HEFA) programme run by Access Cambridge Archaeology.
This test pit (ACL/09/5) was located at [1] and excavated to a depth of 0.8m. Natural deposits were not encountered - work being halted at this point due to time constraints. Finds recovered included:
2 post-medieval pottery sherds and a clay tobacco pipe stem fragment.
22 late post-medieval/modern pottery sherds.
Other finds retained but not subject to specialist examination include 3 possible prehistoric worked flints, 18 unidentified ceramic building material fragments, 3 slate fragments, pieces of bottle, vessel and window glass, a metal ring from a pocket watch or similar object, an iron nail, various pieces of scrap metal and a single animal bone fragment.
The test pit also produced a wide range of obviously modern finds, suggesting this location had been a dumping ground for rubbish at some point during the 20th century.
For further details, including a wider discussion of the results of the HEFA test pitting surveys undertaken in Acle between 2009 and 2014 see report (S1), which incorporates information from pottery report (S2). See also local press article (S3).
P. Watkins (HES), 7 May 2026.