NHER 58263 (Monument record) - Post-medieval ditches and undated features

September-October 2010. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of proposed development area (Field 7).
This survey revealed no anomalies of obvious archaeological significance.
Two extensive, parallel north-east to south-west aligned linear anomalies both clearly correspond with former field boundaries depicted on the Wymondham tithe map of 1839 (S1), as do a several perpendicular anomalies.
The only other anomalies recorded were a series of closely spaced, parallel linear anomalies in the southernmost part of the field that are likely to represent land drains.
See report (S2) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S3).
P. Watkins (HES), 10 February 2021.

June 2011. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation in advance of residential development.
The 86 trenches excavated revealed fourteen ditches, six pits and two post holes, the majority of which remain undated. A small assemblage of unstratified Early Neolithic worked flints including three scrapers was recovered from the southern half of the site, but no finds of this date could be associated with any features.
It is suggested that three pits with charcoal-rich fills are potentially prehistoric although it should be noted that radiocarbon dating elsewhere has now shown that such features are just as likely to be associated with later periods of activity (representing the traces of marginal industrial activities such as charcoal production). One of the ditches is also suggested as potential prehistoric on morphological grounds, although this is actually one of a number of features that appear to correspond with the former field boundaries depicted on the Wymondham tithe map of 1839 (S1). Two of these ditches produced finds of medieval to post-medieval date and pottery of a similar age was also recovered from a third ditch. No earlier dating evidence was recovered from any of the excavated features.
See report (S4) for further details.
The archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2017.137).
H. Hamilton (HES), 13 November 2012. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 18 May 2019.

October 2013. Excavation.
Excavation of relatively small area at TG 1278 0271, centred on the ditch recorded during the preceding evaluation that was suggested as a potentially early feature. This ditch had also been detected by the initial geophysical survey and, as noted above, appears to correspond with a boundary depicted on the 1839 tithe map.
Three features were exposed - the main ditch, an adjoining, perpendicular ditch and a short length of gully that also ran perpendicular to the main ditch. The small number of finds recovered from the ditches were all post-medieval in date, confirming that these features were associated with relatively recent field boundaries.
See report (S5) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 10 February 2021. Amended 15 March 2021.