NHER 67136 (Monument record) - Undated ditch

August 2015. Desk-based Assessment.
Assessment of potential impact of proposed development.
Historic ground disturbance is adjudged to have been minimal, with these fields having been utilised primarily for agricultural cultivation during the 19th and 20th centuries and probably from at least the medieval period. The two southernmost fields were though briefly part of a golf course during the early 1900s and it is possible that the area saw some limited landscaping at this time. Possible traces of shallow earthworks and depressions associated with this golf course were noted during the site visit undertaken as part of this study.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 27 June 2023.

October 2015. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of proposed development site.
The most notable responses were a pair of adjacent, parallel, north-north-west to south-south-east aligned linear anomalies at the eastern end of the northern field, the westernmost of which continued into the field to the south. These correspond with linear cropmarks visible on aerial photographs (part of group of probable medieval to post-medieval field boundaries recorded as NHER 49562). A number of other anomalies are regarded being of undetermined origin but potentially archaeologically significant. These included three negative linear anomalies in the western half of the northern field that could represent former bank features associated with an enclosure. A straight, north-north-west to east-south-east aligned negative linear anomaly in the field to the south was also indicative of a former bank or earthwork feature. Six small discrete positive anomalies potentially represent infilled pit-type features. The majority of the other linear anomalies were probably the result of recent agricultural activity. Areas of amorphous magnetic variation were almost certainly natural in origin and a number of scattered magnetic spikes were probably caused by ferrous objects (most likely modern debris).
See report (S2) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 28 June 2023. Amended 18 January 2024.

June 2018. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site.
The nineteen trenches excavated revealed little in the way of archaeological-significant remains, with the only feature of note being an undated north-east to south-west aligned ditch. A large modern hollow exposed in the western half of the northern field appears to have been the cause of the geophysical anomalies recorded at this location. This was filled with mixed, imported material. Although at least one of the trenches coincided with the linear anomalies identified at the eastern end of the northern field no corresponding remains were identified. The was also no evidence for surviving sub-surface remains associated with several linear cropmarks mapped to the west (part of the group recorded as NHER 49562)
Modern plough scars were noted in many of the trenches.
No finds were recovered.
Information from draft report. Final version awaited.
The archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2018.261).
P. Watkins (HES), 27 June 2023.