NHER 65142 (Monument record) - Probable Saxon charcoal pits, post-medieval ditches and World War Two anti-tank ditch

May 2014. Desk-based Assessment.
Assessment of potential impact of proposed development.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 5 July 2023.

November 2018. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of proposed development site (Area 1).
The only responses of note were two north-west to south-east aligned linear anomalies. The easternmost clearly corresponds with a former field boundary depicted on 19th-century maps. A parallel, more fragmentary linear anomaly to the west marks the line of a field boundary that had been extant until relatively recently. Aerial photographs suggest that this was also the line of an extensive anti-tank ditch that formed part of Norwich's World War Two defences (NHER 51893).
Although numerous discrete anomalies were recorded these were mostly either areas of magnetic enhancement associated with changes in the natural geology or dipolar responses caused by ferrous material in the soil (most likely modern debris).
See report (S2) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 19 July 2021.

June-July 2021. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of part of proposed development site (Trenches 15-22 and 25-42).
The 25 trenches excavated at this location revealed a small number of scattered linear and discrete features. The most notable were two sub-circular pits with charcoal-rich fills, one of which was also associated with evidence for in-situ burning. Samples taken from the fills of these features contained an abundance of wood charcoal, the bulk of which consisted of oak heartwood (the remainder of the assemblage comprising holly and gorse/broom roundwood charcoal). Similar features have been identified at many sites in the Norwich environs and it is now thought likely that many were associated with Saxon and medieval charcoal production. This appears to have been the case here, with charcoal from one of the pits producing a Late Saxon date of 885-993 cal AD at 95.4% probability (SUERC-102130; 1121 ± 24 BP). Charcoal from a similar pit revealed during the evaluation of a site immediately to the north-west (NHER 65143) returned a Middle Saxon date of 657-775 cal AD at 95.4% probability (SUERC-102129; 1312 ± 24 BP).
Two ditches were recorded, both of which correspond with former field boundaries depicted on the Great Plumstead tithe map (S3). These contained a small number of post-medieval or later objects, including pottery sherds, roof tile fragments and an iron heel plate.
Two of the trenches coincided with the World War Two anti-tank ditch visible on aerial photographs and identified by the preceding geophysical survey (NHER 51893). This was shown to be 4.65m wide and 1.42m deep with a vertical outer side and a more moderately sloped internal, south-west side.
See report (S4) for further details.
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2021.123).
P. Watkins (HES), 5 July 2023.