NHER 65176 (Monument record) - Natural features containing Early Neolithic and Iron Age finds and undated ditches

May 2014. Trial trenching.
The six trenches excavated revealed a small number of features, the majority of which were ditches of uncertain date.
One of the more interesting features was a large amorphous hollow filled with a distinctive, charcoal-flecked mid blue-grey fine sand silt that produced several burnt flints, four Early Neolithic flint flakes and a small assemblage of Iron Age pottery sherds. A sample taken from this deposit produced moderate amounts of charcoal but little else of note. Although a small number of similar Early Neolithic flakes were recovered elsewhere on the site the majority were probably residual within later features.
Trenches in the central part of the site also exposed an extensive feature interpreted as a probable palaeochannel. Sondages revealed a sequence of deposits, the majority of which were probably colluvial. A layer of mid grey brown fine sandy silt between two of these deposits did however contain sparse charcoal flecks and small fragments of burnt flint, suggesting it was potentially a cultural soil. Samples taken from this and an underlying deposit did however produced only a very small quantity of charcoal. The colluvial material was overlain by deposits interpreted as a possible earlier subsoil and a ?medieval plough soil.
The majority of the ditches were aligned north-north-east to south-south-west. Although several small sherds of Iron Age pottery were recovered from one of these features, their orientations (parallel and perpendicular to extant field boundaries) suggest that they were probably associated with a much more recent phase of activity. Another produced a single pantile fragment of probable 19th or early 20th century date.
No unstratified finds were recovered.
See report (S1) for further details.
The archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2017.250).
P. Watkins 23 July 2021.

March-September 2015. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of groundworks associated with construction of several new residential dwellings.
The footing trenches excavated in one of the westernmost plots revealed what were almost certainly elements of a north-north-east to south-south-west ditch that had been recorded during the preceding trial trenching. Deposits associated with the previously identified palaeochannel were also recorded.
The small number of unstratified finds recovered included a prehistoric flint flake, several burnt flints, a post-medieval pottery sherd and roof tiles and several modern objects.
See report (S2) for further details.
The archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2017.300).
P. Watkins (HES), 23 July 2021.

The 2015 watching brief monitored groundworks within six of the nine development plots (Plots 1-4 and 8-9). Work in the final three (Plots 5-7, which include the location of the ?prehistoric hollow identified by the initial trial trenching) was due to be monitored at a future date but it is unclear whether this work actually took place (it is clear from recent aerial imagery that all of the houses have now been built).
P. Watkins (HES), 23 July 2021.