NHER 62776 (Monument record) - Post-medieval and undated ditches and World War Two spigot mortar base

November 2017. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of groundworks associated with construction of new residential dwellings.
Two ditches were exposed, one of which was probably post-medieval and the other undated.
The post-medieval ditch was aligned north-to-south and produced examples of late brick, suggesting it probably represented an 18th- or 19th-century boundary.
The second ditch was aligned roughly east-to-west and may correspond with a similarly aligned linear cropmark identified on aerial photographs of this area (NHER 49196). Although it has been suggested that this and other cropmarks in this area probably represent post-medieval boundaries it was noted that the fill of the excavated ditch was completely sterile and sealed beneath the subsoil layer, suggesting it was potentially of greater antiquity.
Other features observed included two machine-dug modern waste pits.
The excavation of a trench for a drainage run also exposed the concrete pedestal base for a World War Two spigot mortar. This had apparently been deliberately pushed into a machine-excavated pit approximately five years previously. It was reburied following the completion of the drainage works.
Unstratified finds included flint scrapers of possible Bronze Age date, single sherds of Roman and Late Saxon pottery and several medieval sherds.
See report (S1) for further details.
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2024.6).
P. Watkins (HES), 23 May 2018. Amended 27 April 2024.