NHER 56536 (Monument record) - Medieval and post-medieval linear features

September 2010. Desk-based Assessment.
Assessment of large proposed development area to south-east of Downham Market.
See report (S1) for further details, including detailed plot of former field boundaries depicted on 19th-century maps.
P. Watkins (HES), 29 May 2022.

May 2011. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometry survey of proposed development area (Field 5).
A number of discrete positive anomalies probably indicate infilled pits. A group of discrete anomalies in the western half of the field are of a similar magnetic intensity but more elongated in form, suggesting they represent trenches or short ditches.
Five equally spaced linear anomalies may represent trace of ridge and furrow, although they are more likely to be associated with modern field drains.
A thin and discontinuos anomaly that bisects the field from north to south marks the line of a 19th-century field boundary.
See report (S2) for further details.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 8 September 2015.

June 2011. Systematic Fieldwalking Survey.
Field survey of proposed development area.
This site was one of several areas examined and unfortunately it is not possible to determine exactly which objects were recovered in which fields.
See report (S3) and NHER 61169 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 8 September 2015.

December 2014. Desk-based Assessment.
Assessment of large proposed development area to south-east of Downham Market.
See report (S4) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 29 May 2022.

September 2015. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of part of large proposed development area (Trenches 16-21).
The six trenches excavated at this location revealed only two linear features, which lay at the western edge of the site and coincided with two of the geophysical anomalies recorded in this area. One of these north-to-south aligned features produced a number of medieval pottery sherds but the other apparently contained finds of late post-medieval date (these were not retained). Although recorded as ditches the exact nature of these remains is somewhat uncertain due to the highly fragmentary, irregular nature of the associated geophysical anomalies.
None of the discrete geophysical anomalies investigated were found to have any corresponding sub-surface remains, indicating they were most likely of natural origin.
Information from report uploaded to OASIS. HER copy awaited.
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2017.608).
P. Watkins (HES), 25 May 2022.