NHER 63454 (Monument record) - Post-medieval and undated ditches

2004-2005. Desk-based Assessment.
Assessment of proposed line of Norwich Northern Distributor Road.
See reports (S1) and (S2) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 16 June 2019.

December 2006-January 2007. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey on proposed line of Norwich Northern Distributor Road (Area 9).
Several anomalies were noted, but these are not thought to be archaeological in origin.
See report (S3) for further details.
Previously recorded under NHER 50502.
A. Cattermole (NLA), 18 September 2009. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 16 June 2019.

March-June 2009. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey on proposed line of the Norwich Northern Distributor Road (Site G1).
This area was surveyed in order to investigate an area that appeared to be enclosured by an extensive linear cropmark feature (NHER 51933).
A range of anomalies were identified in this area, although most were probably not of archaeological significance. A group of linear and discrete positive anomalies detected in the central part of the survey area were of a somewhat uncertain nature, although they were most likely geological in origin. Weak linear anomalies to the east of these features may have been associated with a former palaeochannel that is known to pass through this area and which may be the linear feature marked as 'Black Dyke' on a late 16th-century map of Mousehold Heath (NHER 8152). It is however possible that these anomalies were simply the result of former agricultural practices.
Small discrete dipolar anomalies detected across the survey area were almost certainly caused by fired or ferrous debris in the topsoil. The railway line at the southern end of the survey area produced a strong dipolar anomaly that will have masked any weaker anomalies present in this area.
See report (S4) for further details.
Previously recorded under NHER 50502.
P. Watkins (HES), 3 August 2015. Amended 16 June 2019.

April-August 2015. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of site on proposed line of Norwich Northern Distributor Road (Field G1).
The 19 trenches excavated in this field revealed two ditches, one of which clearly corresponded with a former field boundary marked on 19th-century maps. This feature produced a range of post-medieval finds, including pottery sherds, a brick, fragments of bottle glass and clay tobacco pipe. The second ditch was an undated west-south-west to east-north-east aligned feature at the eastern edge of the site that was probably associated with one of the fragmentary linear cropmarks previously recorded at this location (NHER 52295).
See report (S5) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 16 June 2019.

June 2019. Desk-based Assessment.
Assessment of proposed development site to east of Norwich Northern Distributor Road (NDR).
See report (S7) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 26 September 2025.

October 2019. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of proposed development site to east of Norwich Northern Distributer Road (NDR).
This survey identified a number of potentially archaeologically-significant responses, including several that can be tentatively associated with previously identified cropmarks. These include a group of fragmentary north-to-south and east-to-west aligned linear anomalies that appear to correspond with cropmarks thought to represent probable enclosures of medieval to post-medieval date (NHER 51934). A somewhat sinuous east-north-east to west-south-west aligned linear anomaly to the north may represent a feature associated with an extensive cropmark (NHER 51933) that passes through this part of the site (which would not be surprising given that previous work immediately to the west had demonstrated the survival of an associated ditch - see NHER 63456).
A short east-to-west aligned linear anomaly identified at the southern edge of the site is likely to correspond with one of several cropmarks recorded at this location (NHER 52295). This is probably the same feature as a ditch exposed during the earlier trial trenching.
Potentially archaeologically-significant responses that aren’t associated with previously recorded cropmarks include a pair of adjacent, parallel north-north-east to south-south-west aligned linear anomalies running through the northern half of the area examined. A discrete cluster of perpendicular anomalies are of probable agricultural origin – being likely to represent ridge and furrow trends and an associated ploughing headland (the latter on roughly the same line as the parallel anomalies to the north).
A north-west to south-east aligned linear anomaly adjacent to the NDR clearly corresponds with a former field boundary visible on the Ordnance Survey First Edition Six-inch map (S6)
Modern interference was largely limited to the strip of land immediately adjacent to the former railway line.
It is though noted that the overall poor magnetic enhancement of site coupled with a speckled look caused by the sand and gravel geology complicated the identification of anomalies and that their interpretations were therefore tentative.
See report (S8) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 14 March 2021.

February 2023. Desk-based Assessment.
Report awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 26 September 2025.

October 2023. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development area at north-eastern end of site.
One of the four trenches excavated revealed two intercutting east-to-west aligned linear features. The earlier of these was fairly substantial with a 'V'-shaped profile, although the colour and composition of its compact, stoney fill suggested it was potentially natural in origin. The later feature was much shallower, with a rounded profile and a darker, more soil-like fill. No finds were recovered and samples taken from the fills of the later feature produced only scarce charcoal fragments (predominantly oak) and a small amount of unidentifiable bone. These features coincided with the line of a linear feature of possible medieval to post-medieval date visible as cropmarks on aerial imagery (NHER 51933). However, there was no trace of corresponding remains in the two adjacent trenches that also coincided with the mapped cropmarks. This would suggest that these were associated with the later, shallower feature, which was only surviving intermittently.
Unstratified finds were limited to a small assemblage of late post-medieval to modern pottery sherds and a number of other post-medieval objects, including bottle glass, brick fragments and a piece of clay tobacco pipe bowl.
Information from draft report. Final version awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 26 September 2025.