NHER 57850 (Monument record) - Undated double-ditched enclosure and post-medieval and undated ditches

October 2011. Geophysical Survey.
Detailed gradiometry survey of large proposed development site.
This survey identified a series of positive linear anomalies in the easternmost part of the site that indicate the presence of a rectilinear double-ditch feature; possibly an enclosure. Pairs of roughly north-to-south aligned anomalies appear to represent ditches forming the enclosures longer western and southern sides, with two pairs of east-to-west aligned features appear to represent its southern side and a possible internal division (or possibly its original southern side if it had been extended).
Several positive linear anomalies identified nearby may also be of archaeological interest. Responses associated with historic field boundaries were also present, along with further weak positive and negative responses that may be of archaeological origin. It has subsequently been suggested that the double-ditch enclosure could be Bronze Age, although a Roman or post-Roman date is also possible.
See report (S1) for further details.
E. Bales (HES), 28 May 2012. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 3 June 2013.

September 2011 and February 2012. Fieldwalking and Metal-detecting Survey.
Field survey of proposed development area.
See HERs 29209, 29210 and 30822 for further details.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 18 August 2020.

September 2012. Trial Trenching.
Partial evaluation of proposed development site.
Three trial trenches were excavated in the central part of the site, along the eastern boundary of the western field. These were dug to establish whether the archaeological remains identified by the geophysical survey of the field to the east extented into this area. This would appear not to be the case as two ditches (one undated and one post-medieval) and a natural feature were the only archaeologically significant features identified. The small finds assemblage recovered comprised two flint flakes, two sherds of late medieval/post-medieval pottery and eight fragments of post-medieval ceramic building material.
See report (S2) for further details.
The archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2013.36).
H. Hamilton (HES), 22 October 2012. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 16 May 2019.

May 2016. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of eastern part of site, with the majority of the 12 trenches excavated placed to target the probable double-ditched enclosure and other anomalies identified by the earlier geophysical survey.
The ditches forming the western, southern and eastern sides of the enclosure were all shown to be substantial features, being between 2.60m and 3.60m wide and between 1.05m and 1.40m in depth. All had broadly 'V'-shaped profiles and multiple fills, with no consistent differences in form or size between the inner and outer ditches. The northernmost of the two ditches that appear to have formed an internal subdivision of the enclosure was shown to be of equivalent size to the outer ditches at 3.8m wide and 1.40m deep and had a similar ‘V’-shaped profile. Although the morphology of the enclosure is suggestive of a Middle to Late Bronze Age date, the small pottery assemblage recovered from the excavated ditches consists largely of handmade sherds identified as being of Late Iron Age date, along with a group of sherds recorded as being from a 'Romanising' vessel of mid- to late 1st-century date made on a slow wheel. There is though some uncertainty around these identifications as the only report seen to date also refers to this pottery variously as Middle/Late Bronze Age, Late Bronze Age and Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age. There was though clearly some form of activity on the site around the Roman period as part of an Iron Age/Roman triangular loomweight and a single Roman pottery sherd were also recovered from the enclosure ditches. Other finds from the ditches included fragments of animal bone, a number of worked and burnt flints and a fragment of post-medieval clay tobacco pipe (from an upper fill and almost certainly intrusive). Samples taken from various ditch fill contexts produced little in the way of charred plant macrofossils or other debris, suggesting the enclosure had possibly been situated away from the mains areas of domestic and agricultural activity. The only potentially contemporary features recorded withing the enclosure were two pits, both of which were undated.
A number of what were almost certainly later ditches were also recorded, including a north-west to south-west aligned feature in the northernmost part of the site that contained medieval pottery. Several others appeared to coincide with linear geophysical anomalies, although the only one to produce any dating evidence was an east-north-east to west-south-west aligned feature that contained a fragment of late post-medieval/modern pantile.
The prehistoric worked flints recovered include a mix of blades and blade-like flakes of Mesolithic to Early Neolithic date and a smaller number of broad, squat flakes of likely Late Neolithic to Bronze Age. Two flake implements - a side scraper and a combination tool - were both probably associated with the later industry.
Unstratified finds include post-medieval and late post-medieval/modern pottery sherds and fragments of various unidentifiable iron objects.
Information from draft report. Final version awaited.
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2016.393).
P. Watkins (HES), 7 April 2026.

October 2018-February 2019. Excavation.
Excavation of easternmost part of site.