NHER 66693 (Monument record) - ?Neolithic oval barrow and other, post-medieval, World War Two era and undated remains

November 2016. Desk-based Assessment.
Assessment of potential archaeological impact of large proposed development.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 7 March 2023.

May 2021. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of proposed development site (Area 2).
The most notable anomaly identified was an oval ring-ditch at TG 2826 1338 which clearly corresponds with a previously recorded cropmark thought to potentially represent the remains of a Neolithic oval barrow or mortuary enclosure (NHER 18875). There is a suggestion that this ditch may have been discontinuous, with one of the possible gaps coinciding with one seen on the cropmark (although this may be the result of disturbance by a later field boundary that intersected with the ring-ditch at this point).
A number of the straight linear anomalies were also recorded, including a roughly east-to-west aligned response running to either side of the ring-ditch that coincides with a former field boundary depicted on the Rackheath tithe map of 1834 (S2). A strong north-north-east to south-south-west aligned linear anomaly at the western edge of the site was caused by a buried modern service.
Two short linear anomalies of uncertain origin were recorded at the southern end of the site, one of which appears to correspond with a short cropmark recorded at this location. There was though no evidence for surviving sub-surface remains associated with a number of other fragmentary linear cropmarks mapped in this field (all part of an extensive group of undated and potentially post-medieval features recorded as NHER 50725).
See reports (S3) and (S4) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 28 February 2023.

September-December 2021. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of part of large proposed development area (Trenches 1-31).
The 31 trenches excavated at this location revealed a number of scattered features, the most notable of which were ditches associated with the north-western and north-eastern sections of the ovoid ring-ditch that had been originally been noted as a cropmark on aerial photographs (NHER 18875). The former was 2.09m wide and 1.02m deep, with a narrow base and a 'v'-shaped profile. The latter was 2.21 wide and 0.84m deep and had a much broader, 'u'-shaped profile. Samples taken from these features were found to contain small fragments of charcoal but no other plant macrofossils of interest. Finds were limited to a single sherd of undiagnostic prehistoric pottery and a small number of prehistoric worked flints, the majority of which were small pieces of debitage recovered from the samples. Within the bounds of the ring-ditch the natural sands and gravels were overlain by a compacted mid brown silty sand deposit interpreted as either the remains of a mound or the remnants of a buried soil beneath such a feature. A sample from this deposit was found to contain charcoal and a number of charred nutshells and seeds. There was though also much material likely to represent relatively recent intrusions, including fragments of animal bone, industrial waste and ceramic building material as well as large quantities of uncharred plant material. Other remains within the interior of the ring-ditch were limited to a partially exposed feature interpreted as a curving gully. This contained a flint knife of possible Early Neolithic date. Overall the evidence is consistent with the previous suggestion that this feature is likely to represent an oval barrow or enclosure of possible Neolithic date (though obviously this has not yet been confirmed). Features of note in the vicinity of the ring-ditch included an undated north-west to south-east aligned ditch that contained a dump of burnt flints and stone. A sample from the fill of this ditch contained charcoal but little else of note.
Other features of particular interest included a possible smelting furnace. This consisted of a generally shallow feature with a much deeper, bowl-shaped depression against one side with heat-scorched margins. Its dark primary fill contained frequent lumps of slag and charcoal, and burnt clay likely to represent the remains of a superstructure was recovered from the overlying deposits. A fragment of post-medieval brick was the only datable find, although this was probably intrusive. An extension to this trench revealed only a single pit with a charcoal rich-fill that contained several fragments of fired clay. It is likely that a number of the pits recorded elsewhere in this field were also associated with this industrial activity. These included two with scorched margins and charcoal-rich fills that, whilst probably not furnaces, may well represent the traces of associated charcoal production. Similar features identified at other sites on the outskirts of Norwich have general proven to be of Late Saxon or medieval date.
Features of relatively recent date included an east-to-west aligned ditch in the northernmost part of the site that corresponds with a former field boundary depicted on the Rackheath tithe map (S2). Several sherds of post-medieval pottery were recovered from this ditch. A single sherd of post-medieval pottery was also recovered from a north-east to south-west aligned ditch in the south-east corner of the site.
One of the short linear geophysical anomalies recorded at the southern end of the site was found to coincide with the footings of some form of post-medieval brick structure. The two wall footings exposed were surrounded by a layer interpreted as a made ground deposit. Finds recovered from sondages excavated into this material included pottery of predominantly 18th-century or later date and a number of post-medieval brick and tile fragments. No structure is marked at this location on any of the readily available later 19th- or early 20th-century maps, suggesting it may well have already been demolished by the mid 19th century. The size and nature of the pottery assemblage suggests that this may well have been a domestic dwelling of some kind.
A large pit containing modern ceramic building material in the northernmost part of the field lay close to two buildings recorded as Flight Offices on plans of RAF Rackheath (NHER 8170), so it is possible that this feature was associated with the demolition of these structures. A brick structure identified at TG 2830 1335 was also almost certainly associated with the World War Two airfield as it was built from deep-frogged Fletton bricks and coincided with a probable gun emplacement visible on aerial photographs (see NHER 8170).
Undated features included a number of scattered ditches, two of which correspond with fragmentary linear cropmarks previously mapped in this field - both of which are part of the group recorded as NHER 50725. Although the excavated trenches coincided with a number of the other cropmarks in this group these were found to have no associated sub-surface remains.
See report (S5) for further details.
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2021.164).
P. Watkins (HES), 7 March 2023. Amended, 28 July 2023.

March 2022. Desk-based Assessment.
Updated archaeological assessment of large proposed development.
See report (S6) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 7 March 2023.