NHER 54133 (Monument record) - Possible Iron age timber structure

June 2010. Watching Brief.
Awaiting report.
The results of this work are summarised in (S1).
See also newspaper articles (S2)-(S4).
S. Howard (NLA), 23 June 2010. Updated A. Cattermole (HES), 17 August 2011.

June 2010. Site visit.
The exposed part of the structure comprises groups of three timber posts running in an alignment perpendicular to the present course of the river. The form is similar to the Iron Age trackway discovered just downstream at Beccles in 2006 and it is possible that this is a similar type of trackway/causeway. However additional horizontal timberwork on its western side, extending beyond the exposed area, may indicate that this is only the eastern side of a wider structure. It is located close to where another Iron Age structure (interpreted as a revetment) was discovered on the opposite bank of the Waveney in Barsham Marshes and it has been suggested that these two structures might be related. However, their exact spatial relationship has yet to be confirmed.
A 15 - 20m section has been revealed during the excavation of the proposed dyke, with approximately 20 posts exposed (some were displaced by the machine at the time of discovery). A limited programme of excavation and recording is currently being undertaken by Heather Wallis, with sampling for environmental remains and dendrochronology dating. The structure lies mainly in the western bank of the dyke section (right hand side on the photos). The area will be backfilled once recording is complete and the proposed dyke will be moved to a new location to ensure that the rest of the structure can be preserved in situ.
See photographs of excavation in associated files.
J. Albone (NLA), 23 June 2010.