NHER 67157 (Monument record) - Early Iron Age, medieval/post-medieval and undated remains

August 2022. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of proposed development site.
This survey identified nothing of definite archaeological significance. The only responses of noted are two linear anomalies, one aligned north-north-east to south-south-west and the other east-to-west. The former is regarded as being of undetermined origin but may represent an infilled field boundary ditch. The east-to-west aligned anomaly is thought to being agricultural in origin, although it should be noted that it appears to be continue the line of linear earthworks recorded to the east (NHER 57481). No corresponding field boundaries are shown on 19th-century or later maps.
The other anomalies recorded are all deemed to be either the result of agricultural activity or of natural origin.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 11 July 2023.

July-August 2023. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of site of proposed irrigation reservoir.
The 20 trenches excavated revealed a number of features, the most notable of which were a group of three adjacent pits that all produced Early Iron Age pottery. Another pit a little way to the north produced no finds but was potentially of a similar age. These pits were the focus of a subsequent excavation and are described in more detail below.
An east-to-west aligned ditch seen in two trenches corresponds with one of the two linear anomalies identified by the preceding geophysical survey and, as noted above, appears to continue to the line of an earthwork feature recorded to the east (part of a group of potentially medieval remains recorded as NHER 57481). This feature produced a single early medieval pottery sherd and a number of brick and tile fragments of medieval/post-medieval date. Two additional early medieval pottery sherds were recovered from a narrower, somewhat irregular east-to-west aligned ditch revealed to the north.
Other features recorded included a probable tree-throw hollow and a large pond or hollow, neither of which produced any dating evidence. A sample taken from the latter produced little of note.
The north-north-east to south-south-west aligned geophysical anomaly was shown to be associated with a modern land drain.
Unstratified finds included a single Roman pottery sherd and small assemblage of metal objects comprising Roman coins and a brooch, a medieval coin and a post-medieval buckle.
See report (S2) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 30 January 2026.

September 2023. Excavation.
This final phase of archaeological mitigation prior to the construction of an irrigation reservoir saw the excavation of a c.30m x c.30m area targeting the cluster of Early Iron Age pits uncovered by the preceding evaluation (all of which were fully excavated as part of this work). The work revealed three additional pits associated with this cluster, two of which produced Early Iron Age pottery. The overall group of seven pits produced a total of 359 Early Iron Age pottery sherds, the bulk of which (296 sherds) were recovered from the largest pit. The second largest assemblage came from an adjacent pit and consisted of only 27 sherds. Smaller quantities of pottery were recovered from three of the other pits while two produced no datable finds. It is noted that while fragmentary the pottery is in generally good condition, being relatively unabraded and showing little sign of pre-burial exposure. Other finds were limited to a small amount of animal bone and several undiagnostic prehistoric flint flake. Samples taken from three of the pits produced charcoal but little else in the way of charred plant macrofossils apart from a single barley grain.
The one other feature recorded was a sinuous narrow ditch that curved around the pit group. This was potentially contemporary with the pits, but produced no dating evidence, despite near total excavation
See report (S2) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 30 January 2026.

An archive comprising material from both 2023 phases of work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2023.156).
P. Watkins (HES), 30 January 2026.