NHER 65113 (Monument record) - Middle Neolithic and Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age pits and other, potentially prehistoric and undated features

July 2014. Desk-based Assessment.
Assessment of Weston Park Golf Club ahead of its proposed expansion and improvement.
This study concluded that there was a moderate to high potential for archaeologically-significant remains within the proposed development area. It was also deemed likely that any remains present would be in a good state of preservation.
No archaeological or historical features of interest were noted during a brief site visit.
See report (S1) for further details, including a summary of the documentary and cartographic sources that document the development of Weston Park, which was established soon after the construction of Weston Hall in the late 18th century.
P. Watkins (HES), 21 June 2021.

June 2015. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of land to north of Weston Park Golf Club (Fields 1 and 2C).
This survey identified a group of nine discrete positive anomalies at the eastern end of the site that potentially represent infilled pits. Five fairly weak, broad, linear and curvilinear anomalies in the western third of the site were also regarded as potentially archaeologically-significant, although it is also possible that they were caused by variations in the natural geology. This is also the case with a number of scattered discrete positive anomalies identified in the western half of the site.
Numerous isolated dipolar anomalies were probably caused by ferrous material in the topsoil (most likely modern debris). Areas of magnetic disturbance around the periphery of the site were primarily the result of the 2m high ferrous deer fences running along the field boundaries.
See report (S2) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 21 June 2021.

February-March 2016. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of land to north of Weston Park (Field 1; Trenches 1-14 and 74-75).
The 16 trenches excavated at this location revealed a number of pits, the majority of which were probably associated with prehistoric phases of activity. One of the more notable was an apparently isolated feature in the central part of the site which was found to contain a fragmentary but semi complete Middle Neolithic Mortlake-style Peterborough Ware bowl, along with a small number of worked flints (at least some of which were potentially contemporary with the pottery). A large amount of burnt flint was also present within its charcoal-rich fill, a sample from which produced a small quantity of hazelnut shell but little else in the way of charred plant macrofossils.
A notable concentration of pits was identified at the eastern end of the site, in the vicinity of the main group of discrete geophysical anomalies. These included a tight cluster of four presumably contemporary features, two of which produced Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age Beaker pottery. A sample from the pit that contained the most pottery (10 sherds) was also found to contained charred hazelnut shells. The small number of flints recovered from these features were mostly undiagnostic, the piece most likely to be contemporary with the pottery being a small thumbnail scraper.
Small quantities of prehistoric pottery were also recovered from four of the pits identified elsewhere on the site. These sherds were not particularly diagnostic but potentially Neolithic (with the lack of decoration making them more likely to date to the earlier part of the period). These and a number of the other pits also produced small quantities of worked flints. This material is mostly undiagnostic, but it is clear from the more distinctive pieces that multiple periods of activity are represented. These include a large flake with blade-like scars and use-related ‘bruising’ that potentially dates to the Final Upper Palaeolithic, at least one blade of possible Mesolithic date, another Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age thumbnail scraper and a small number of pieces that display characteristics more typical of Bronze Age and Iron Age flint working.
The undated pits include several features with dark charcoal-rich fills that contained small quantities of burnt flint. A sample from the fill of one with scorched margins was also found to contain hazelnut shells.
The small number of ditches exposed included three undated north-west to south-east aligned features in the north-west corner of the site. A recut north-to-south aligned ditch in the central part of the site corresponds with a former field boundary that is depicted on 19th-century maps and only recently removed.
None of the linear features identified by the geophysical survey were found to be associated with archaeological remains.
Unstratified finds recovered from these trenches included a small assemblage of worked flints and several post-medieval metal objects. As with the stratified material the bulk of the flint was not closely datable. The notable exceptions include two scrapers that are of probable Early Neolithic date.
See report (S3) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 21 June 2021.

February 2017. Excavation.
Excavation of 30m x 30m area at eastern edge of site, centred on the cluster of Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age pits identified by the preceding evaluation (Area 1).
Four additional features were exposed, only one of which appeared to have been a deliberately dug pit. This feature lay to the east of the Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age pits and produced five sherds of prehistoric pottery, one of which was identified as Middle Neolithic. Radiocarbon dating of wood charcoal from this feature returned a date of 3639-3383 cal BC at 95% probability (SUERC-73611; 4757 +/- 31 BP), which places this feature at the beginning of the date range for Peterborough Ware pottery. A sherd of Middle Neolithic Mortlake-style Peterborough Ware was also recovered during further excavation of one of the undated pits thought to be contemporary with the Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age features (although this may have been residual).
There were no additional pits associated with the previously identified cluster, although sherds of Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age Beaker pottery were recovered from two nearby natural features, along with a number of worked flints (including several presumably residual blade-type pieces of probable Mesolithic/Early Neolithic date).
Unstratified finds recovered from the topsoil and subsoil deposits included a small assemblage of prehistoric worked flints, a post-medieval glass bottle fragment and two post-medieval metal objects. The flints include a neatly-struck Mesolithic/Early Neolithic blade core.
See report (S4) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 24 June 2021.

A combined archive comprising material from the two phases of intrusive fieldwork has now been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2017.384).
See report (S2) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 24 June 2021.