NHER 65466 (Monument record) - Churchyard of St Remigius' Church, Hethersett

Churchyard of St Remigius' Church (NHER 9470).

Pre April 1963. Stray Find.
Found in digging a grave:
1 medieval coin. Soldino of Venice issued under the Doge Antonio Venier (1382-1400) of galley half-pence.
Identified by R. H. M. Dolley.
Donated to Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 1963.121).
Information from file notes for NHER 9470 (S1).
Previously recorded under NHER 9470.
E. Rose (NAU) 23 November 1984. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 17 March 2022.

March 1989.
A 16th-century helmet "found beside the Norwich Road" in 1983 and place in the church was stolen in March 1989.
Information from file notes or NHER 9470 (S1). No other details recorded.
P. Watkins (HES), 17 March 2022.

August-October 2011. Watching Brief.
Maintained during excavation of drainage pipe runs and inspection pits around north, east and south sides of church.
An inspection pit to the north of the church revealed the edge of some form of structure constructed from bricks and floor tiles of 19th-/20th-century date. It may be the kerb of some form of path or area of hardstanding associated with the adjacent war memorial.
A large concentration of disarticulated human bone fragments encountered in an inspection pit to the north-east of the church probably represented the reburial of previously disturbed remains.
Patches of crushed mortar chalk and brick fragments observed immediately beneath the topsoil in this area potentially represent construction debris associated with the 19th-century restoration of the church.
A drainage trench leading to a downpipe adjacent to a red brick buttress on the south side of the church exposed a large fragment of worked stone.
It is noted that in the immediate vicinity of the south-west corner of the church the ground level had previously been reduced to almost 1m below ground level; presumably to chancel water into a former drain. This outer edge of this trench had been lined with small gravestones moved from elsewhere in the churchyard.
Two drainage trenches were also excavated northwards from the two northernmost inspection pits so that they could drain into the former hollow way that lies between the churchyard and the Norwich Road (NHER 14202). The excavation of the trenches through the southern bank associated with this feature revealed a small flint and mortar wall (under which the pipes were bored). The is presumed to have been the remains of an earlier churchyard boundary wall (or the footings for railings).
The only unstratified finds recovered were two fragment of 19th-/20th-century flowerpot.
See report (S2) for further details.
The archive associated with this work has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2011.662).
P. Watkins (HES), 17 March 2022.