NHER 63460 (Monument record) - Prehistoric and undated remains including Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age pit cluster, Early Bronze Age pit and potentially prehistoric ditches

September 2010. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of proposed development.
A north-west to south-east aligned anomaly almost certainly represents a ditch associated with a former field boundary that is marked at this location on 19th-century maps. This boundary corresponded with a section of what is still the Taverham/Felthorpe parish boundary and was removed at some point during the 20th century.
No anomalies of obvious archaeological significance were identified, with no evidence for surviving sub-surface remains associated with the three linear cropmarks previously mapped at this location (NHER 52379). It was though noted that these cropmarks were still visible on Google Earth images taken less than five years before this work took place - suggesting that remains may well survive that can not be detected by conventional geophysical prospection methods.
Although a number of sinuous linear anomalies were detected these were all though to be of geological or agricultural origin. These include a number that clear correspond with a network of ice-wedge polygons clearly visible as cropmarks on the 2006 Google Earth Images.
A south-south-west to north-north-east aligned linear anomaly is likely to represent a pipe buried within the last few years.
Numerous isolated dipolar anomalies identified across the site were probably caused by ferrous debris within the topsoil.
See report (S1) for further details.
Previously recorded under NHER 52379.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 4 July 2019.

December 2010. Desk-based Assessment.
Assessment of proposed development site.
See report (S2) for the results of this review of the available archaeological and cartographic evidence.
Previously recorded under NHER 52379.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 4 July 2019.

June-July 2011. Excavation.
Excavation of site of new biogas plant and associated new roadway.
The main excavation area exposed several ditches and a number of scattered discrete features, at least some of which were associated with prehistoric phases of activity. These included a cluster of three or four sub-circular pits of probable Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age date at the northern edge of the site. Three of these features produced Beaker pottery, including a fragment from of long-necked vessel with small triangular stabbed impressions and sherds from what was potentially a single vessel decorated with comb-impressed bands. A small assemblage of probably contemporary worked flint were also recovered from these pits, including scrapers, retouched flakes, cores, flakes and other, miscellaneous debitage. Samples taken from their fills were found to contain charcoal along with small numbers of charred cereal grains and fragments of hazel nutshell.
Also of probable prehistoric date was an apparently isolated pit in the south-west corner of the excavated area that produced five sherds of grog-tempered pottery likely to be from an undecorated Early Bronze Age urn. A sample from this feature was found to contained charcoal but little else of note.
Although various other possible pits and post-holes were recorded these produced few finds and appear to have been fairly unremarkable. The lack of evidence for later activity on the site does though mean that at least some were probably prehistoric in date.
Two parallel north-east to south-west aligned ditches were also exposed, one of which coincided with a previously recorded linear cropmark (part of a group of potentially Iron Age to Roman remains recorded as NHER 52379). These ditches were approximately 8m apart and almost certainly bounded some form of trackway or droveway. A slightly sinuous north-west to south-east aligned ditch that terminated adjacent to the eastern trackway ditch was probably associated with a broadly contemporary field boundary. The date of these features is uncertain as finds were limited to a several small, undiagnostic prehistoric pottery sherds.
The excavation of a narrow strip along the route of the access road revealed several additional ditches, including a north-west to south-east aligned feature that coincided with the line of the Felthorpe/Taverham parish boundary. This ditch produced a post-medieval pottery sherd and several fragments of late post-medieval/early modern ceramic building material. Adjoining north-west to south-east and north-east to south-west aligned ditches at the northern end of this area were of uncertain date, as was an adjacent pit.
Information from assessment report uploaded to OASIS. Final report awaited.
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2011.561).
P. Watkins (HES), 30 January 2023. Amended 24 August 2025.