NHER 66865 (Monument record) - Late Saxon to medieval and undated remains

September 2016. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of part of large proposed development site.
The only response of note is a west-north-west to east-south-east aligned linear anomaly in the southern half of the western field. This is likely to represent an infilled field boundary ditch. An area of strong, dipolar anomalies in the south-east corner of the eastern field is thought to be the result of ferrous debris and material infrastructure in the vicinity of the field boundaries. There was no evidence for sub-surface remains associated with a group of possible features visible as cropmarks at TF 6381 2295 (NHER 27921). It is though recorded that these cropmarks were not necessarily archaeological in origin.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 18 April 2023.

April 2017. Desk-based Assessment.
See report (S2) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 18 April 2023.

February-May 2018. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of part of large proposed development site (Fields 2 and 3; Trenches 41-66).
A large assemblage of Late Saxon and medieval pottery comprising more than 500 sherds was recovered at this site, the bulk of which came from features and unstratified contexts in the south-east part of the site. Approximately half the assemblage is of Late Saxon date, with the range of fabrics typical of the 11th century, although some 'early' vessel forms are also present alongside the predominantly 11th-century types. Activity clearly continued into the medieval period with significant quantities of early and high medieval pottery also present. There is though little late medieval pottery, with the low proportion of glazed wares in the assemblage suggesting that activity had probably ceased at this location at some point in the 13th century.
Activity during the Late Saxon and medieval periods had clearly been focused in or close to the south-east corner of the site. The bulk of the unstratified finds were recovered in this area and a trench at this location encountered a hollow containing a soil or occupation deposit that also produced a large quantity of 11th- to 13th-century pottery (125 Late Saxon sherds, 76 early medieval sherds and 63 medieval sherds). A sample taken from this deposit produced the largest concentration of charred plant macrofossils, including oat, barley and wheat grains. Several ditches were exposed in this trench, including a north-east to south-west aligned features that produced a small assemblage of Late Saxon pottery. The most significant of the remains recorded was a short narrow linear feature with vertical sides and a flat base. This potentially represented a beam slot associated with a timber structure and was found to contain a mix of Late Saxon and medieval pottery. A single post-hole was identified in the vicinity of this linear feature.
The trenches excavated elsewhere across the site revealed only a sparse scatter of ditches and possible pits, the majority of which produced little or no dating evidence. The majority of the ditches were aligned either north-to-south or east-to-west. The only exception was a second north-east to south-west aligned feature, which was encountered close to the eastern edge of the site. Four pits were also recorded, one of which produced a single Late Saxon pottery sherd and another three medieval sherds. A pit in the central part of the site was found to contain what was obviously a modern sheep burial.
None of the trenches excavated coincided with the cropmarks recorded at TF 6381 2295 (NHER 27921).
Other unstratified finds recovered in this field included a small number of prehistoric worked flints, a Roman brooch, a possible Roman tile fragment, an assemblage of medieval to post-medieval brick and tile fragments, several late post-medieval coins and a small number of post-medieval and undatable metal objects. The majority of the medieval or later finds were recovered in the south-east corner of the site. Part of an Early Neolithic leaf arrowhead was also possibly found at this site, although the report doesn’t specify exactly which field it came from.
See report (S3) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 18 April 2023.