NHER 64157 (Monument record) - Probable Roman settlement or farmstead and other, medieval to post-medieval and undated remains

October 2017-March 2018. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of site on proposed route of onshore cable for Norfolk Vanguard and Boreas Offshore Wind Farms (Area F50).
The most notable response was a fragmentary curvilinear anomaly at TG 1107 2384.
Although a number of other, straighter and more extensive linear anomalies were also recorded, the majority correspond with former field boundaries depicted on the Reepham tithe map of 1846 (S1). The position and orientation of the one exception suggests it probably represents a ditch associated with an earlier element of the same post-medieval field system.
One of the anomalies associated with a boundary on (S1) also coincides with a linear cropmark that had been noted on aerial photographs of this location (part of a group of fragmentary probable field boundary ditches recorded as NHER 69642).
An area of magnetic disturbance close to the southern edge of the site is thought to potentially represent an area of former quarrying, although no corresponding features can be seen at this location on the available historic maps.
The majority of the remaining discrete anomalies are regarded as natural in origin.
Scattered small dipolar anomalies were probably caused by ferrous material on or close to the surface – most likely modern debris.
Information from draft report. Final version awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 3 December 2025.

May 2018. Desk-based Assessment.
Environmental Impact Assessment of the potential impacts of the proposed Hornsea Project Three offshore wind farm on the historic environment. This study incorporated the results of an initial walkover survey and the first phases of geophysical survey.
See relevant chapter of Environmental Statement and associated appendices for further detail (S5).
P. Watkins (HES), 24 March 2026.

October 2020-June 2021. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of site on proposed route of onshore cable for Norfolk Vanguard and Boreas Offshore Wind Farms (Area F194; Trench 147).
The single trench excavated at this location was positioned to target the curvilinear geophysical anomaly identified at TG 1107 2384 by the preceding survey. No corresponding sub-surface remains were encountered, although several other features were recorded. These included a pit or ditch terminus that produced a single Roman pottery sherd. A large undated pit at the western end of the trench was probably an extraction pit of some kind – particularly as it was close to the area of magnetic disturbance identified by the preceding geophysical survey (and thought to potentially represent an area of quarrying).
A north-north-east to south-south-west aligned ditch was also undated, although its orientation suggests it was almost certainly associated with the late post-medieval field system.
Information from draft report. Final version awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 3 December 2025.

September 2020. Geophysical Survey.
In September 2020 [1] the Salle Detecting Group commissioned Sedgeford Historical and Archaeological Research Project to undertake a magnetometry survey of an area measuring 120m by 120m. The area was centred over a dense scatter of Roman finds, including coins, metalwork, pottery, roof tile and other building material, which had been recovered during a metal-detecting rally by Salle Detecting Group in November 2019. These finds are recorded under NHER 40435.
The magnetometry survey identified several linear, curvilinear and pit-like anomalies. These include a series of east-west aligned linear features running from a single north-south linear, interpreted as undated boundary ditches; a number of pit-like features and in the north-east corner of the study area a large positive anomaly, thought to be a modern cable or pipe trench. The large positive anomaly appears to correspond with or run parallel to an approximately north-west to south-east aligned field boundary shown on the Ordnance Survey 1st Edition map (S2), which can also be seen as a linear parchmark on the 2006 Google Earth aerial image (S3). A pair of almost concentric curvilinear anomalies was recorded at the centre of the study area but the survey report (S4) gives no interpretation of these features. A very large spread of positive readings was noted in the south-east portion of the surveyed area and this feature is clearly visible as cropmarks on a 2006 Google Earth aerial image (S3) and as a pit on the Ordnance Survey 1st Edition map (S2). The report (S4) proposes that this large anomaly of positive readings is a geological feature, perhaps a pingo or ognip, later infilled with material such as bricks or ash.
No dating of any of the features is suggested in the survey report (S4), but the concentration of Roman finds recovered in 2019 and recorded under NHER 40435, appears from the sketch distribution map in report (S4) to be concentrated towards the curvilinear features at the centre of the study area.
Information from unpublished report (S4).
A. Beckham (HES), 1 December 2020.

November 2021-March 2022. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of site on proposed route of Hornsea Project Three offshore wind farm onshore cable (Area 28).
This survey of the northern portion of the site identified extensive evidence for archaeologically-significant remains, with numerous linear and discrete anomalies recorded.
These include two groups of fragmentary linear anomalies, one centred at TG 1110 2419 and the other at TG 1116 2408. The ditches in both groups are mostly aligned either north-to-south or east-to-west and potentially represent elements of enclosures and associated field boundaries. The features within the southern group do though display a wider range of alignments and appear likely to represent at least two distinct phases of activity. Various discrete anomalies in the vicinity of these features potentially represent pit-type anomalies. A dispersed group of linear and discrete anomalies at the northern end of the site may also represent archaeologically-significant remains, although these are much more irregular.
Other responses are associated with features of relatively recent date. These include a large area of magnetic disturbance at TG 1113 2414, which coincides with a former quarry pit shown on the Ordnance Survey First Edition map (S2). Various linear anomalies at the southern end of the site correspond with former field boundaries depicted on the Reepham tithe map (S1), while a broad north-west to south-east aligned linear response in the northernmost part of the site coincides with the line of the Reepham/Salle parish boundary (which is shown as an actual field boundary on the 19th-century maps).
Information from draft report. Final version awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 24 March 2026.

February-June 2022. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of site on proposed route of Hornsea Project Three offshore wind farm onshore cable (P3TT17; Trenches 1154-1167).
The 14 trenches excavated at this location revealed evidence for significant Roman-period activity, with the two main groups of linear and discrete anomalies identified by the preceding geophysical survey both shown to be primarily associated with this phase of activity. In both cases it appears that the ditches aligned roughly north-to-south and east-to-west are Roman in date, with the largest individual assemblage of Roman pottery recovered from a ditch that coincided with one of the more extensive north-to-south aligned probable enclosure ditches in the southern group. Other features of likely Roman date included pits, post-holes and two clay-lined kiln/oven-type structures. The two kiln/oven-type structures lay in close proximity within the southern group of features, suggesting that various strong discrete geophysical anomalies identified in the vicinity may represent additional similar structures. The first of the excavated examples comprised a partially-exposed clay-lined flue or chamber with an adjacent stoke pit. This contained a small amount of early (mid-1st- to 2nd-second) Roman pottery, while samples from its fills produced only charcoal and small numbers of carbonised cereal grain, legumes and grass seeds. The second structure consisted of a partially-exposed clay-lined linear flue which contained Roman pottery of a potentially later (mid-2nd to 4th-century) date. A sample from its fill produced frequent carbonised wheat grains, a spelt/emmer glume base and charred weed seeds, suggesting this structure was most likely associated with agricultural production (although crop processing debris was also used as kindling and fuel in a range of activities). Fragments of a plate-like fired clay object found in an adjacent pit were potentially associated with this structure.
Features of likely Roman date in the northern group included east-to-west and north-to-south aligned ditches associated with geophysical anomalies and a cluster of post-holes. It is notable that a number of these features contained Roman tile fragments, indicating the presence of a substantial structure somewhere in the vicinity. One of these features also contained late Roman pottery of mid-3rd- to 4th-century date, suggesting the demolition of this structure occurred towards the end of the period.
A Roman pit was also present in the northernmost part of the site, suggesting at least some of the anomalies in this area also potentially represent Roman features.
There was also some evidence for medieval activity in this area, with pottery of this date recovered from several features within what appeared to be a complex group of intercutting pits, post-holes and ditches in one of the northernmost trenches. Medieval pottery was also recovered from several features in the central part of the site, including a ditch the geophysical survey suggests formed two sides of an enclosure with a markedly different alignment to those of the Roman ditches.
Two adjacent north-east to south-west aligned ditches at the southern end of the site produced no dating evidence but can be seen to coincide with a former field boundary shown on the Reepham tithe map (S1).
Information from draft report. Final version awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 24 March 2026.