NHER 63597 (Monument record) - Saxon pit and undated ditches

May 2018. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed route of Lound to Gorleston Water Pipeline (Trenches 8-11).
The four trenches excavated at this location revealed a number of ditches, the majority of which produced little in the way of dating evidence. There features included an east-north-east to south-south-west aligned ditch at TG 5025 0198 that corresponded with one of the numerous similarly-aligned linear cropmarks recorded in this area that are thought to represent former field boundaries of probable post-medieval date (NHER 45154). This feature produced the only finds recovered at this site - a tiny scrap of Late Prehistoric pottery and small fragments of undiagnostic flint debitage. A group of parallel east-north-east to west-south-west aligned ditches at TG 5021 0221 also appear to have potentially continued the line of a substantial cropmark in the same group (mapped as running between TG 5047 0225 and TG 5083 0235). This particular cropmark also coincides with a former field boundary depicted on the Belton tithe map of 1838 (S1), so the excavated evidence potentially demonstrates that this at least probably represents a surviving element of an earlier arrangement.
A pair of adjacent north-east to south-west aligned ditches at TG 5023 0210 potentially corresponded with a series of extensive linear cropmarks likely to represent the remains of a former trackway depicted on Faden’s map of 1797 (S2) (NHER 45152).
A medieval to post-medieval date can also be tentatively suggested for several other ditches based on the similarity of their orientations to those of nearby former field boundaries depicted on 19th-century maps.
Discrete features were limited to a single pit with a charcoal-flecked fill and a probable tree-throw hollow.
Information from report uploaded to OASIS, HER copy awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 1 October 2019.

June to September 2018. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of topsoil stripping along route of Lound to Gorleston Water Pipeline.
A number of ditches were recorded during this phase of work, the majority of which were likely to correspond with previously recorded cropmarks. Unfortunately none of the excavated ditches produced any dating evidence.
A north-to-south aligned ditch that curved to the west at its northern end was almost certain associated with one of a dispersed group of undated cropmarks recorded in this area (NHER 17226).
Four east-to-west and east-north-east to west-south-west aligned ditches at the southern end of the site were associated with a cropmarks thought to represent field boundaries of probable Roman date (NHER 45154). Two of these ditches intersected the north-to-south aligned feature but no relationship could be established. Another cropmark in this group was potentially associated with an adjacent ditch exposed in the middle part of the site.
There was no trace of the features recorded during the preceding trial trenching that had probably been associated with the former route way on Faden's map.
Of the small number of discrete features investigated the most notable was a small pit that produced six sherds of Early-Middle Saxon pottery. This pit was close to a somewhat ephemeral 'L'-shaped ditch that contained fragments of fired clay. The majority of the other discrete features were thought to be of probable natural origin.
Information from draft report. Final version awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 17 October 2019.