NHER 67187 (Monument record) - Late Saxon to post-medieval remains

September-October 2021. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site.
The 23 trenches excavated revealed a range of linear and discrete features, the majority of which were probably associated with Late Saxon to post-medieval phases of activity. Earlier finds were limited to a small number of prehistoric works flints (including blades of possible Mesolithic/Neolithic date) and several Roman pottery sherds – all of which were either unstratified or likely to have been residual within later features.
Remains of likely Late Saxon date included a pair of pits in the southern central part of the site. A cluster of pits and post-holes to the north was potentially of a similar age, although these were dated by only single sherds of pottery. Only one ditch could be tentatively associated with this phase of activity – an east-to-west aligned feature in the south-east corner of the site. Residual Late Saxon pottery was also present in several later features in this part of the site. A samples taken one of the Late Saxon pits contained charred seeds, including fat hen. A sample from a potentially Late Saxon post-hole contained charred great burnet and mustard/cabbage seeds, along with abundant charcoal, wheat grains and a single culm node (indicative of cereal processing).
The majority of the notable later remains were clustered at the eastern end of the site and were probably associated with an area of former occupation adjacent to West Lane. A number of features produced high medieval pottery, including several ditches and pit. A sample from the latter contained charred wheat grains (some identifiable as spelt and common bread wheat), along with a number of charred seeds. Pottery of a later, late medieval/early post-medieval date was recovered from a large pit in the south-east corner of the site, along with fragments of post-medieval peg tile. Post-dating this pit and a medieval ditch in the same trench was a well and an associated gravel surface of probable early post-medieval date. The well had an outer lining of flint nodules set against its cut and an inner lining of dressed limestone blocks. Finds from its upper fill included medieval pottery and a fragment of post-medieval roof tile. Two pieces of moulded limestone were also recovered, which potentially came from the nearby Benedictine Priory of St Faith (NHER 8005), which was largely demolished in 1536 and is presumably also a potential source of the limestone blocks used in the lining of the well. Finds associated with the gravel surface included medieval pottery sherds (all from the same vessel) and brick and floor tile fragments of late medieval to early post-medieval date.
To the west of these remains a medieval pit was overlain by chalk surface a associated with the north-to-south aligned flint and mortar wall. A fragment of post-medieval roof tile was embedded in the latter.
A north-to-south aligned ditch exposed towards the western end of the site corresponds with a former field boundary depicted on the Horsham St Faith tithe map (S1). A number of late post-medieval pottery sherds and a fragment of post-medieval roof tile were recovered from this ditch. Several other, similarly-aligned ditches were probably also of relatively recent date, including one in the central part of the site that also produced a fragment of post-medieval roof tile.
Other unstratified finds included Late Saxon, medieval and post-medieval pottery sherds; post-medieval peg tile and pantile fragments; a late post-medieval coin and a number of other metal objects. These metal finds include a medieval strap end; a medieval/post-medieval horseshoe; post-medieval buttons (including one inscribed 'Norwich Workhouse') a furniture fitting and lead musket balls and undatable iron nails, an unidentified iron object, fragments of lead waste, lead disc and lead weight.
See report (S2) for further details.
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2021.180).
P. Watkins (HES), 5 August 2023.