NHER 64674 (Monument record) - Undated cremation burial and later, post-medieval remains

March 2012. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of site of proposed quarry extension (Trenches 7-24).
The 18 trenches excavated at this location revealed four linear features, most, if not all, of which were of probable post-medieval date. These included a particularly substantial north-to-south aligned ditch that produced a single fragment of post-medieval roof tile. No corresponding field boundary appears on any of the available 19th-century maps, suggesting this feature was associated with an earlier system of land division. Later work at a site to the east exposed a number of ditches of probable 18th-century date that had also been removed by the mid 19th century (NHER 64672).
The other linear features included a narrow ditch or gully running parallel to the large north-to-south aligned ditch and two east-to-west aligned ditches. One of the latter corresponds with a former field boundary depicted on the Watlington Tithe map of 1839 (S1).
No subsoil was present beneath the topsoil, which lay directly on natural sand and gravel deposits.
A Neolithic flint scraper was the only unstratified find recovered.
See report (S2) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 14 March 2021.

November 2015-November 2017. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of topsoil stripping ahead of mineral extraction.
The most notable feature exposed – and likely the earliest – was a small, badly truncated pit containing a much-disturbed un-urned cremation burial. Analysis of the bone fragments suggests they probably represent the remains of a single adult, most likely a male. Charcoal associated with the cremation deposit was predominantly oak with the limited number of other charred plant macrofossils present likely to represent material that had lain beneath the pyre, rather than deliberate inclusions.
There was evidence for extensive past quarrying at the western edge of the site, with the areas of disturbance ground recorded presumably representing the margins of a large quarry that gave its name to the adjacent ‘Ballast Hole Plantation’ (a name that has been associated with this plantation since at least the late 19th century).
The majority of the other features recorded were field boundary ditches and agricultural features of likely post-medieval date. The latter included two groups of east-to-west aligned plough furrows, which were similar to the remains of the post-medieval strip fields recorded during excavations to the south-east (NHER 39458).
Finds from the quarry pits included potentially medieval brick fragments, undatable iron nails and a range of post-medieval objects, including brick fragments, pieces of clay tobacco pipe, a coin weight, ferrule, mount, iron horseshoe and lead musket ball. The eastern edge of the quarrying coincided with a somewhat sinuous north-to-south aligned ditch that also appeared to define the western limits of the post-medieval fields. These fields were also associated with several east-to-west aligned ditches. A ditch on a different, west-north-west to east-south-east alignment probably represented a slightly later phase of activity, being the only feature with a corresponding boundary shown on the Watlington Tithe map (S1). The finds recovered from the various ditches include a very small medieval pottery sherd, potentially medieval brick fragments, post-medieval brick fragments and a post-medieval iron knife or scalpel blade.
The other features recorded included a small number of scattered natural features and possible pits. These produced few finds, the most notable exception being an undiagnostic prehistoric pottery sherd recovered from one of the former. The pits included a feature that contained post-medieval clay tobacco pipe fragments and a small amount of animal bone.
Unstratified finds were limited to two worked flints of probable Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age date, a prehistoric pottery sherd and undatable iron nails.
See reports (S3) and (S4) for further details.
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2017.331).
P. Watkins (HES), 27 July 2026.