NHER 65074 (Monument record) - Middle Saxon and medieval charcoal pits and other, undated remains

April 2014. Geophysical Survey.
Geophysical survey of part of large proposed development area (Field 10).
No potentially archaeologically-significant responses were recorded at this location.
Various weak discrete anomalies are thought to probably represent naturally silted hollows or variations in topsoil depth.
Information from report uploaded to OASIS. HER copy awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 8 June 2021.

April-May 2019. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site.
The 24 trenches excavated revealed a number of scattered pits and ditches.
The majority of the pits had heat scorched margins and/or charcoal-rich fills and had probably been associated with small-scale charcoal production. As expected, samples taken from two of these features produced charcoal but little else in the way of charred plant macrofossils. Examination of the charcoal itself demonstrated that the vast majority was oak, with a significant component of heartwood present. This evidence is consistent with that recovered from features excavated elsewhere that are thought to have been associated with charcoal production. The dominance of oak heartwood in particular can now be seen as a diagnostic characteristic - representing a collection strategy that would make little sense if these pits had contained open fires. Although dating evidence was limited there was clear evidence that these features represented at least two phases of activity, with Saxon radiocarbon dates obtained for two samples of charcoal from one and another producing four sherds of medieval pottery (the only finds recovered during this work). The radiocarbon dates were 582-660 cal AD at 95% probability (Beta-531071; 1420 +/- 30 BP) and 695-891 cal AD at 95% probability (Beta-531072; 1210 +/-30 BP). Given that we are dealing with oak it is likely that the disparity between the two dates reflects differences in the age of the wood at the time it was felled. None of these pits corresponded with the various discrete magnetic anomalies recorded by the preceding geophysical survey.
The small number of other discrete features included three small possible post-holes, all of which were adjacent to charcoal pits.
None of the ditches identified produced any dating evidence, although their varying alignments suggest they represented at least two district phases of activity. It is argued that the sterile, pale fills within a number of these features indicate they were potentially prehistoric.
The probable evidence for charcoal production, the sterile nature of the other features present and the lack of unstratified finds all suggest this was probably relatively marginal land for most of its history.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 9 June 2021. Amended 28 May 2024.