NHER 63581 (Monument record) - Prehistoric pits and undated ditches

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Summary

Trial trenching at this site in 2009 revealed a small number of features, including a Late Bronze Age pit and a second pit of potentially the same age. Two ditches were also identified, one of which corresponds with a former post-medieval field boundary shown on a map drawn in 1841. A subsequent geophysical survey of an adjacent strip revealed no evidence for additional archaeologically-significant remains, the only anomaly of note corresponding with the previously identified post-medieval ditch.

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Location

Map sheet TG21SW
Civil Parish HORSHAM ST FAITH AND NEWTON ST FAITH, BROADLAND, NORFOLK

Map

2004-2005. Desk-based Assessment.
Archaeological assessment of eastern route options for Norwich Northern Distributor Road.
See reports (S1) and (S2) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 12 July 2019.

October 2009-February 2010. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of site on proposed line of Norwich Northern Distributor Road (Site HF10).
The fifteen trenches excavated in the field revealed only a small number of archaeologically-significant features. The most notable was a sub-circular pit with a charcoal-rich fill that produced a number of Late Bronze Age pottery sherds. A second pit with a similar fill was identified in a nearby trench, although no dating evidence was recovered from this feature.
Two ditch were excavated, one of which produced a single sherd of post-medieval pottery and appears to correspond with a former field boundary marked on the Horsham St Faith with Newton St Faith tithe map (S5). The second ditch was an undated north-west to south-east aligned feature at the southern end of the field.
See report (S3) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S4).
Previously recorded under NHER 35668.
A. Cattermole (NLA), 4 November 2009. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 12 July 2019.

May 2014-January 2015. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey on proposed line of the Norwich Northern Distributor Road (Area HF7).
This survey of a strip adjacent to the previously evaluated area revealed little evidence for archaeologically-significant remains.
A north-east to south-west aligned linear anomaly was the post-medieval ditch identified during the earlier trial trenching. This feature corresponds with a former field boundary marked on an 1841 tithe map.
The other linear anomalies were all probably the result of agriculatural practices and the various discrete anomalies identified were all probably caused by either variations in the underlying geology or ferrous debris in the topsoil.
See report (S5) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 12 July 2019.

  • <S1> Unpublished Contractor Report: Penn, K. 2004. A Desk-based Assessment for a Stage 2 Environmental Assessment Norwich Northern Distributor Road (eastern routes). Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 932.
  • <S2> Unpublished Contractor Report: Bates, S. 1994. Report of a Watching Brief on the Brundall to Whitlingham Rising Main. Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 84.
  • <S3> Unpublished Contractor Report: Ames, J. and Sillwood, R. 2012. Archaeological Trial Trench Evaluation of the Norwich Northern Distributor Route. NAU Archaeology. 2073.
  • <S4> Article in Serial: Gurney, D. and Hoggett, R. 2010. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk in 2009. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLVI Pt I pp 135-147. p 143.
  • <S5> Map: 1841. Horsham St Faith with Newton St Faith Tithe Map.
  • <S6> Unpublished Contractor Report: Harrison, D. 2015. Norwich Northern Distributor Road, Norwich, Norfolk. Additional Geophysical Survey. Archaeological Services WYAS. 2731.
  • POT (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 701 BC)
  • POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Related NHER Records (0)

Record last edited

Sep 4 2025 11:00AM

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