NHER 62523 (Monument record) - Medieval to post-medieval ditches

May 2009. Desk-based Assessment.
Assessment of large possible development area.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 2 February 2017.

June 2016. Desk-based Assessment.
Assessment of proposed development area.
A walkover survey undertaken as part of this work identified a number of features in the eastern field, including a large hollow that appears to be the remains of a pond feature depicted on the 1815 Enclosure map.
Information from (S2), report awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 2 February 2017.

May 2017. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site.
Six of the nine trenches excavated revealed archaeologically significant features, the majority of which were ditches of probable medieval or post-medieval date.
The site was crossed by a series of roughly parallel west-north-west to east-south-east aligned ditches, none of which correspond with previously identified remains. Although dating evidence was limited, a number of medieval sherds were recovered and there was a notable absence of any later material. One of the ditches also produced fragments of fired clay of a type often associated with the domes of medieval ovens. Notably samples taken from this and an adjacent ditch were both found to contain frequent charred cereal grains, providing clear evidence for either crop processing or food preparation in the vicinity.
In the eastern part of the site two of the trenches exposed several intercut parallel north-east to south-west aligned ditches that clearly correspond with the cropmark features previously mapped at this location (NHER 57495). These ditches were substantial, being up to 1.4m deep and all at least 3m wide. In one of these trenches the lower fills of the ditches were waterlogged. The absence of any remains in a trench to the north confirms that these features turn to the west before reaching the northern edge of the field. The original date of these features remains unclear as no finds were recovered from any of their primary fills. Finds from upper deposits were limited to a single medieval pottery sherd, two post-medieval sherds, two post-medieval brick fragments and a fragment of clay tobacco pipe. Although this material demonstrates that these feature were open to some extent during the late post-medieval period it remain possible that they were originally dug much earlier. It is notable that whilst the 1st Edition O.S map shows no related features or boundaries these ditches nevertheless appear to correspond with a patch of open ground within the trees depicted in this parcel of land. In one of the trenches the uppermost part of the ditches had been deliberately infilled with material containing tin cans and other modern debris.
The single pit identified produced no dating evidence but appeared to have been cut by one of the potentially medieval ditches.
See report (S2) for further details.
The archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2018.49).
P. Watkins (HES), 2 February 2017. Amended 20 June 2020.