NHER 61132 (Negative evidence record) - Site with no evidence for surviving archaeological features

2004-2005. Desk-based Assessment.
Archaeological assessment of western route options for Norwich Northern Distributor Road.
See reports (S1) and (S2) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 4 July 2019.

2007. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of site on proposed line of Norwich Northern Distributor Road (Phase 1).
Three trenches were excavated at this location in order to investigate a previously identified cropmark enclosure (NHER 18126).
No archaeological features were identified.
Finds recovered from unstratified contexts included small irregular struck flints of probable Late Neolithic or Bronze Age date, two medieval pottery sherds and a medieval/post-medieval roof tile fragment.
See report (S3) for further details and NHER 61128 for details of unstratified finds recovered during this work. See also (S4).
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2017.362).
Previously recorded under NHER 18126.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 4 August 2015.

April 2012-April 2013. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of two areas within proposed footprint of Norwich Northern Distributor Road and associated junction works.
The southern of the two areas surveyed at this location was on the proposed line of the road itself and coincided with the cropmark enclosure investigated in 2007 (Block 17). Two linear anomalies were detected that whilst somewhat faint, clearly correspond with the northern and eastern sides of the enclosure. It is unclear why associated features were not identified during the trial trenching, although it may be that they were plough damaged to the extent that little survived beneath the soil deposits. This suggestion is certainly supported by the fragmentary nature of the anomalies, with an apparent break between the two sides of the enclosure which was not seen in the cropmark evidence. Although a range of other anomalies were identified these were not thought to be of archaeological significance, being most likely of agricultural or geological origin.

The second area examined at this time lay to the north and west of Drayton Lane (Block 50). This survey also revealed little evidence for sub-surface archaeological remains. As in the area to the south the majority of the anomalies detected were through to be the result of either modern agricultural practices or changes in the underlying geology. Discrete dipolar anomalies were probably caused by modern ferrous debris and a linear dipolar anomaly at the eastern edge of the field almost certainly represents a modern service pipe.
See report (S5) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 4 August 2015. Amended 13 May 2019.

May 2014-January 2015. Geophysical Survey.
Additional magnetometer surveys on updated proposed line of Norwich Northern Distributor Road. Two areas were surveyed at this location, a block of land between those examined in 2012/2013 (Area H9a) and a strip along the eastern edge of the field to the south of the main proposed road route (Area H9b).
Neither survey identified any anomalies of obvious archaeological significance. There was therefore no evidence for surviving sub-surface remains associated with the north-north-east to south-south-west aligned cropmarks that have been mapped in the northern survey area (NHER 53240).
As during the earlier survey the majority of the anomalies detected were likely to be the result of either modern agricultural practices, changes in the underlying geology or the presence of modern ferrous debris in the topsoil.
See report (S6) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 14 May 2019.