NHER 64433 (Monument record) - Middle Saxon fish trap

August 2012. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of widening of soke dyke as part of Broadland Flood Alleviation Project.
The site was monitored after workers noted pieces of wood in the base of the excavation.
The wood fragments included a 2m length of woven rods, to the east of which were 10 sails (5cm diameter). Together these would have formed a 5m long length of woven hurdle. Three poles (c. 10cm diameter) were also identified that would have presumably formed a supporting frame for the hurdle. It is thought that this hurdle waas most likely one side of a V-shaped fish trap, the other side of which had possible been destroyed by the initial excavation of the dyke in 2004/5. Seven wood samples recovered from the excavated spoil were identified as hazel, willow and ash, all of which had been cut following between three and seven years of growth. Radiocarbon dating of one of these wood samples returned a date of Cal AD 650 to 765 at 95% probability (Beta-451567; 1330 +/- 30 BP). This is one of three probable fish traps found in this area during the Broadland Flood Alleviation Project, all of which have been radiocarbon dated to the Middle Saxon period.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 29 August 2020.