NHER 62694 (Monument record) - Prehistoric, Roman and Late Saxon to medieval remains

September 2016. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of part of large proposed development area.
The survey of these two fields revealed a number of potentially archaeologically significant anomalies. These included several linear anomalies in the southern half of the site that may represent the remains of rectilinear enclosures.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 20 April 2018. Amended 18 April 2023.

June 2017. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development area.
Twenty-one of the 25 trenches excavated revealed archaeologically-significant features, the majority of which were probably ditches. Many of the excavated linear features appear to correspond with geophysical anomalies, although a number had clearly not been detected by the earlier survey. It is also notable that the densest concentrations of features were present in the southern half of the site, in the vicinity of the probable enclosures identified by the geophysical survey. It was also observed that the distribution of the archaeological remains appeared, at least in part, to reflect the underlying geology; remains being most prevalent on the sands and gravels present in the southern half of the site and scarcer on the silty clay that predominates to the north (where the ground also slopes downward towards the former watercourse known as St Catherine’s Creek).
Although dating evidence was somewhat limited there was nevertheless at least some evidence for activity during multiple periods, with the finds recovered including pottery of Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age, Roman, medieval and post-medieval date. Several prehistoric worked flints and a small assemblage of medieval and post-medieval brick fragments were also recovered, along with several other post-medieval objects. The diverse alignments of the various ditches also indicates that they are likely to represent several distinct phases of land division. There were however no features that could be even tentatively suggested as either prehistoric or Roman, with the majority of the finds of this date recovered singularly from what were most likely later deposits. It therefore remains probable that the most of the excavated features were associated with medieval to post-medieval phases of activity, although it should be noted that finds of this date were also far from numerous.
Unfortunately although a number of the excavated ditches are likely to have been associated with the probable enclosures identified by the geophysical survey these also produced little in the way of dating evidence. All that can really be said is that the general lack of finds and cultural debris associated with these and the other excavated features suggests that they are unlikely to have been directly associated with (or in close proximity to) any area of contemporary settlement. This suggestion is supported by the samples that were taken from the fills of various features, the majority of which produced only small assemblages of charred plant macrofossils.
The limited number of discrete features identified during this work included several fairly unremarkable possible pits and two large, amorphous intercutting probable quarry pits - none of which produced any finds.
In the northernmost part of the site a series of alluvial flood deposits were exposed, adjacent to a substantial linear feature likely to represent a former watercourse associated with Catherine’s Creek.
See report (S2) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 20 April 2018. Amended 10 April 2023.

August-October 2022. Excavation.
This final phase of archaeological mitigation prior to development saw the excavation of a reasonably large area at the southern end of the site – where the preceding phases of evaluation had suggested the presence of several sub-rectangular enclosures. However, further investigation of these linear features determined that the majority were actually of natural, periglacial origin. There was though again evidence for at least some degree of activity during multiple periods.
A small number of Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age Beaker pottery sherds were recovered, with the largest single assemblage (12 sherds) coming from a sub-circular pit which also contained relatively undiagnostic but potentially contemporary worked flints. A sample from the fill of this feature contained charcoal and a small number of other charred plant macrofossils, including an indeterminate wheat grain and a fragment of hazel nutshell. Two additional sherds of Beaker pottery were recovered from another pit approximately 70m to the south-west, which also contained a number of worked flints. Six post-holes in the vicinity of this pit are regarded as being potentially Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age in date, although none produced any dating evidence.
Middle Bronze Age pottery was also recovered from a number of features, including a linear alignment of three widely-spaced pits. The vast majority of this pottery came from middle feature in this group of pits - which contained 600 sherds all likely to be from a single large bucket-shaped urn. To the east of these pits and on the same linear alignment was a group of four possible post-holes, one of which contained a sherd of Middle Bronze Age pottery. The arrangement of these features suggests they potentially represented the remains of a simple four-post structure. A small quantity of Middle Bronze Age was also recovered from a pit to the north of the possible pit alignment, along with fragments of a cylindrical fired clay object (possibly a loomweight). An adjacent pit produced not finds but was potentially of a similar age. Samples taken from the fill of two of the Middle Bronze Age features produced rich assemblages of wood charcoal (mostly oak) but little else in the way of charred plant macrofossils.
Prehistoric worked flints were recovered from various other features, although this material was largely undiagnostic and probably mostly residual.
There was also clear evidence for Roman activity on the site, with a number of features of this date recorded. These included a pit in the central part of the excavated area that contained numerous fragments of Roman tile, including pieces of flanged tegula, box flue tile and a possible bipedalis (a type of large floor tile that are also associated with hypocaust systems). Three additional fragments of Roman tile were recovered from a pit to the south, which contained the largest single assemblage of Roman pottery (18 sherds suggestive of a 4th-century date), along with a single piece of iron slag and an iron nail. A large post-built structure immediately to the west was also potentially Roman in date although the associated features produced little in the way of dating evidence. These remains included three linear arrangements of post-holes that clearly formed the northern, southern and eastern sides of a rectilinear structure measuring approximately 18m by 16m. Its western side appears to have been more open, although a cluster of discrete features in this area was also potentially associated with this structure, as were a number of features immediately adjacent to its other sides. Finds were limited to a single sherd of Roman pottery recovered from a pit or post-hole what was one of two potentially forming the south-west corner of the structure. A sample from this feature was found to contain a large quantity of charcoal. No associated internal features were noted and the relatively ephemeral nature of many of the probable post-holes suggests this structure was most likely some form of stock enclosure or corral.
The site appears to have again seen at least some degree of activity between the 11th and 12th centuries, with pits at several locations producing small quantities of Late Saxon and/or early medieval pottery. Similar pottery was also present in two adjacent north-north-west to south-south-east linear features in the south-west corner of the site, although the more substantial of these also contained a pottery sherd of later, high medieval date. Medieval pottery was also recovered from a ring of seven small post-holes that lay adjacent to one of the clusters of earlier pits. Another pit at this location was the only potentially post-medieval feature identified.
Undated remains included a north-west to south-east ditch in the south-west corner of the site and various discrete features. The later included a roughly north-to-south linear arrangement of pits and possible post-holes close to the western edge of the site (the orientation of which suggests it was potentially contemporary with the post-built structure of possible Roman date).
The small number of finds recovered from natural features and unstratified contexts included recovered included a number of worked flints; Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age Beaker and Middle Bronze Age pottery sherds; Roman and post-Roman pottery sherds, post-medieval brick fragments and undatable pieces of fired clay.
See report (S3) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 3 December 2024.