NHER 64839 (Monument record) - Medieval to post-medieval and undated remains

May 2017. Desk-based Assessment.
Assessment of large proposed development area close to White House Farm.
This study concluded that this land had a low/moderate potential to contain archaeological remains of Late Prehistoric to modern date.
The available cartographic sources suggest that this site has been arable land since at least the late post-medieval period.
No archaeologically- or historically-significant features were noted during a brief site visit.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 7 April 2021.

March 2018. Geophysical Survey.
Detailed magnetometer survey of proposed development site (Field 3).
Potentially archaeologically-significant responses included various somewhat sinuous linear anomalies that may represent infilled ditches (although they don’t appear to form any discernible pattern). Several of the discrete anomalies were also regarded as potentially representing infilled pits.
Other responses included various linear anomalies of probable agricultural origin. Scattered discrete dipolar anomalies most likely represent ferrous objects in the topsoil, although it is noted that these can also indicate the presence of thermoremnant features such as kilns or furnaces. Discrete, amorphous patches of magnetic disturbance scattered across the site were of uncertain origins (having many possible causes).
A strong linear anomaly running along the northern edge of the field was caused by a known gas pipe.
Information from report uploaded to OASIS. HER copy awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 7 April 2021.

November 2018. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site (Area C).
The twenty trenches excavated at this site (Trenches 21-40) revealed four ditches and a number of pits.
The most interesting of the ditches was a north-to-south aligned feature at the southern end of the site that had been backfilled with a mix of crushed ceramic building material and numerous larger fragments of brick. At least some of the bricks were of probable early post-medieval date and may therefore represent debris from nearby Sprowston Hall (NHER 8159), which was built of red brick during the 16th century and known to have been rebuilt during the late 19th century. Dumps of similar material were also found within features at the two sites to west (NHERs 64837 and 64838).
Two ditches in the central part of the site appeared to correspond with a pair of somewhat sinuous linear geophysical anomalies. One of these features produced post-medieval pottery, a small amount of animal bone and a lump of coal (the latter suggesting a relatively recent date for this feature). None of the other linear anomalies investigated were found to be associated with archaeologically-significant remains.
The pits included a number of sub-circular features with scorched margins and charcoal-rich fills, the majority of which were exposed in a trench at the southern end of the site. These are similar to features exposed at the site to the west (NHER 64838) and were potentially associated with charcoal production on the margins of Mousehold Heath. This interpretation is supported by the fact that samples from these features produced abundant charcoal but little else in the way of charred plant macrofossils. The charcoal assemblages were also very similar, with mature oak heartwood predominating. This is a pattern that has now been observed with similar features at a number of sites in the vicinity of Norwich and suggests a high degree of labour intensive selection that wouldn’t be expected if these features had been, say, simple fire pits. The absence of cultural material is also a typical characteristic of these possible charcoal pits.
The other pits investigated were all undated and fairly unremarkable features.
This site produced a small assemblage of post-medieval and undatable iron objects, including nails, staples, a bolt and unidentifiable fragments.
See report (S2) for further details.
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2021.12).
P. Watkins (HES), 7 April 2021. Amended 8 December 2022.

March-April 2022. Excavation.
This final phase of archaeological mitigation saw the excavation of a single 50m square area at this location (Area 1), which targeted the more notable of the remains uncovered during the preceding evaluation. This work revealed a small number of features, the majority of which were of probable medieval to early post-medieval date.
The limited evidence for earlier activity included a small number of prehistoric worked flints, all of which were either unstratified or residual in later features. The assemblage comprises two blade fragments of probable Mesolithic/Early Neolithic date and several undiagnostic pieces that can only be ascribed a broad prehistoric date.
The later remains uncovered included a group of north-north-west to south-south-east and east-north-east to west-south-west aligned linear features, adjacent to which were two large areas of scorched natural. The linear features were almost certainty closely related, with all containing deposits of brick rubble. Distinct charcoal-rich deposits were also present within all but one of the features. The exact age of these remains is uncertain as the brick fragments can only be broadly dated as medieval to early post-medieval and other finds were limited to two presumably residual Roman pottery sherds and a number of iron nails. A sample taken from one of the charcoal-rich deposits produced a modest assemblage of charred plant macrofossils, including a number of cereal grains. It had initially been thought that the linear features represented the robbed out remains of walls, although after excavation this was only seen a plausible interpretation for the shallowest of these features. The amount of brick rubble present suggests some form of structure had been present in the vicinity, particularly as a retired farm worker reported that ploughing had frequently brought up brick fragments in this part of the field. The scorched areas were potentially the result of a building fire, although they were most likely caused by some form of industrial activity taking place at this location. It is possible that these remains had been associated with brick making.
The small number of other unstratified finds recovered included several late post-medieval pottery sherds, a medieval/post-medieval lead token, a post-medieval coin and various other, post-medieval to modern and undated metal objects.
See report (S3) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 7 January 2024.