NHER 61874 (Monument record) - Multi-period remains including Early Iron Age pits and ditches and medieval enclosure

March 2014. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site.
Eight trenches were excavated, of which five revealed potentially archaeologically-significant features. These remains included a shallow pit that produced a group of prehistoric sherds from a single vessel - tentatively dated as Middle Bronze Age to Early Iron Age. This feature was interpreted as a 'fire pit' due to its dark, charcoal-rich fill and scorched margins. A sample taken from the fill of this pit produced charred grain and chaff, which are indicative of crop processing. Other potentially prehistoric features included a post-hole in another trench that produced a single sherd of probable Bronze Age pottery.
A trench in the south-eastern corner of the site revealed a pair of parallel north-west to south-east aligned ditches, one of which turned through 90 degree at its southern end. A single sherd of Late Iron Age pottery was recovered from this group of features.
A number of undated features were also excavated, including a group of unremarkable pits, a large pond or quarry pit, a north-east to south-west aligned ditch, another isolated post-hole and a poorly-defined linear feature interpreted as a former hedge line.
Other finds recovered during this work include a small assemblage of Neolithic to Bronze Age worked flints.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 24 October 2016.

June-July 2014. Strip Map and Sample Excavation.
This final phase of archaeological mitigation prior to the construction of a renewable energy facility saw the excavation three adjoining areas (Areas A-C). A number of Early Iron Age features were exposed, along with a ditched enclosure of medieval date and two post-medieval ditches.
Although a small number of Mesolithic/Early Neolithic worked flints were recovered no remains of this date were identified. Potentially the earliest prehistoric feature was a pit that produced a single sherd of Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age Beaker pottery. Another pit was found a contain a Middle Bronze Age socketed spearhead fragment that had possible been deliberately damaged and broken. The worked flint assemblage provides further evidence for at least limited Neolithic to Bronze Age activity on the site, with a significant proportion identifiable as being of either Late Neolithic/Bronze Age or Bronze Age date. Much of this material was though clear residual within later contexts.
The features of probable earlier Iron Age date included a number of scattered pits of varying size and shape, a fairly extensive north-north-west to south-south-east aligned ditch and at least two other more fragmentary ditches. These features produced more than 200 Early Iron Age pottery sherds, along with fragments of animal bone and small quantities of fired clay (including one roughly-shaped piece with sanded surfaces and some surface bleaching from exposure to sunlight or a chemical such as salt). Further investigation of the 'fire pit' encountered during the preceding trial trenching recovered additional pottery sherds that were identifiable as being Early Iron Age in date. Samples taken from the Early Iron Age features uncovered during this final phase of work produced small assemblages of charred plant macrofossils, including cereal grains (some identifiable as hulled wheat and hulled barley), hazel nut shell fragments and weed seeds, along with charcoal and fragments of animal bone. Pieces of burnt flint and burnt stone were also abundant in the samples from two of the pits.
Potentially later finds included a small number of possible Middle to Late Iron Age pottery sherds, an Iron Age/Roman sandstone quern fragment and a possible Roman brick fragment. There was though no evidence for significant subsequent activity on the site until the medieval period.
The medieval enclosure lay at the southern end of the site and comprised an adjoining pair of north-east to south-west and north-west to south-east aligned ditches that formed its northern and west sides respectively. The latter turned inwards at its southern end, suggesting this had been quite a small enclosure - although this possible southern side could only be traced for a short distance. These ditches produced a small number of medieval pottery sherds and additional medieval sherds were recovered from a pair of intercutting pits within the interior of the enclosure. The pottery assemblage consists entirely of early medieval handmade wares, suggesting an 11th- to 13th-century date for this remains. It is likely that this enclosure had been contemporary with the pair of parallel ditches recorded nearby during the trial trenching, with one shown to terminate where it met its northern side. The enclosure is recorded as post-dating an undated north-to-south aligned ditch, although the line of this feature clearly changed significant at the point where it coincided with the enclosure ditch, suggesting these features were most likely associated with the same period of activity.
High or late medieval finds were notably absent and post-medieval remains were limited to two ditches that related to former field boundaries depicted on the Kenninghall tithe map (S2).
Undated remains included a shallow feature with a charcoal-rich fill interpreted as a fire pit and a number of other pits. One of these pits was cut by an Early Iron Age pit and it is likely that the other undated pits were associated with one or more of the prehistoric phases of activity.
Information from report uploaded to OASIS. HER copy awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 7 February 2025.