NHER 64513 (Monument record) - Prehistoric and undated remains

December 2008-January 2009. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of groundworks associated with installation of Anglian Water pipeline along eastern edge of site (Area B south).
The removal of subsoil from a narrow strip along the eastern edge of the easement revealed five ditches in the northern part of this site, none of which could be convincingly dated.
A north-north-west to south-south-east aligned feature at the northern end of the site produced two sherds of Iron Age pottery but was most likely of medieval to post-medieval date; its orientation being identical to that of adjacent former field boundaries shown on 19th-century maps.
Five worked flints recovered from a north-east to south-west aligned ditch were the only other finds recovered at this location. These included a blade of probable Early Neolithic date and a number of later, possible Middle to Late Bronze Age pieces. It is noted that a perpendicular north-west to south-east aligned ditch to the south had a similar form and it is therefore tentatively suggested that these two features may have represented elements of a single enclosure.
The other two ditches exposed were north-west to south-east aligned features, one of which appeared to cut through the subsoil layer and was therefore probably of relatively recent date.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 29 April 2021.

August-September 2017. Geophysical Survey.
Detailed magnetometer survey of large proposed development area.
Although a number of linear anomalies were detected only a small number of relatively faint, fragmentary responses were thought to be of uncertain origin and therefore potentially associated with archaeologically-significant remains. A number of discrete, isolated anomalies were also of uncertain nature, although it is thought that most were probably natural in origin.
The other linear anomalies were either associated with underground pipes or services or the result of modern agricultural activity.
Interestingly this survey revealed no evidence of the possible World War Two aircraft crash site recorded at the northern edge of the field (NHER 27477). This suggests either the disturbance observed on contemporary aerial photographs had a different cause or that the crash did not result in the distribution of unrecoverable metal debris generally associated with the more dramatic impacts.
Information from report uploaded to OASIS. HER copy awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 18 January 2021.

February-March 2023. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of land to be affected by proposed development in field to south (Trenches 1-5).
The line of five trenches excavated revealed a number of linear and discrete features.
The most notable remains were a pair of adjacent small pits that both had dark, charcoal-rich fills likely to represent fire debris (although there was no evidence for in-situ burning). Both contained several sherds of Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age pottery and a number of burnt flints, all of which were recovered from samples (along with at least one sherd of presumably residual Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age pottery). Plant macrofossil were largely limited to abundant charcoal fragments, with no charred seeds or cereals present. The other discrete remains included an additional pit, two possible post-holes and several probable natural features. None produced any dating evidence. Three ditches and two possible ditch termini were also recorded, although these were all also undated, finds being linked to a prehistoric flint flake and a fragment of undiagnostic ceramic building material.
Unstratified finds were limited to a flint chopping tool or core of Bronze Age date.
See report (S2) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 23 July 2023.

January-February 2026. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of part of large proposed development area (Trenches 14-15 and 19-55).
This second phase of work saw the examination of the remainder of the site and recorded various additional ditches and pits, a number of which were prehistoric or potentially prehistoric in date. The most notable of these was an elongated ovoid pit in the south-east corner of the site that produced 18 Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age Beaker pottery sherds. These were all derived from a charcoal-rich dump of material in the upper portion of the feature that also contained numerous fragments of fired clay, a notable amount of burnt flint and a small, mixed assemblage of worked flints. A sample from this deposit produced frequent charcoal and occasional charred nutshells and indeterminate grains. Another pit was found to contain a small amount of Early or Middle Bronze Age pottery. Similarly undiagnostic prehistoric pottery sherds that could only be assigned a broad Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age to Middle Iron Age date were recovered from one of the excavated ditches.
Several of the ditches recorded produced small amounts of Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age pottery. These were potentially part of a prehistoric field system that extended into the site to the north (NHER 52659), given that ditches containing similar pottery were also recorded at this location.
The small number of features that could be identified as being Roman or later in date included a pair of adjacent north-to-south aligned ditches in the southern half of the site. One produced a small number of pottery sherds tentatively identified as Late Saxon and early medieval, although it is noted that all are potentially Roman. An nearby north-north-east to south-south-west aligned ditch produced a possible Roman tile fragment.
The majority of the ditches recorded were undated. These displayed a wide range of alignments, suggesting that multiple phases of past land division are likely represented. A number of north-north-west to south-south-east aligned features were potentially post-medieval – their orientation being identical to that of a former field boundary shown crossing this land on 19th-century maps.
There was no trace of any remains associated with the possible World War Two aircraft crash represented by an area of disturbed ground on contemporary aerial photographs at TG 5108 1356 (NHER 27477). It should though be noted that the main area of disturbance seen on the aerial photographs appears to have lain between two of the excavated trenches.
Information from draft report. Final version awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 30 September 2026.