NHER 766 (Monument record) - Late Saxon to medieval features and multi-period finds, area between Nos 191 and 213 King Street

September 1986. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of groundworks associated with installation of drain run and soakaways for car park extension south of Ferry Boat Inn.
Uncovered flint wall at right angles to street which may have formed north side of entry opposite New Road on the 1883 OS. Flint rubble wall, creamy mortar. The soakaways were located 17.5m east of King Street. The former cut 2m of fill before hitting chalk; the latter extended to a depth of 2.8m, the unbottomed deposit being 'peat'. These depths from builders surface of around 1.5m - 2.0 m OD. Both soakaways filled with concrete at time of visit and so not observed by NAU. Drainage trench shallow 0.50m combining dark humic material and some clay. No finds. Excavation adjacent to the north-east corner of an outbuilding south of the Inn (TG 23723 07896) revealed footings of flint rubble in matrix of creamy mortar. Stanchion pits for fencing east of this uncovered a flint footing with modern brick rebuild above extending to river front.
Compiled by B. S. Ayers (NAU). See watching brief notes (S1) and annotated plan (S2) for further details.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 15 October 2015.

July 2011. Trial Trenching.
The earliest features comprise pits and a possible structure found in association with pottery of 11th and 12th century data which cut through a pre-existing chalk floor. Similar early chalk floors have been encountered at Dragon Hall (NHER 449) and Cannon Wharf (NHER 26464) and are contemporary with the timber revetting of the River Wensum recorded at Read's Flour Mill (NHER 26467). These changes coincide with changes following the Norman conquest in 1066 and possibly an attempt standardise building style along King Street. Found within these deposits were both imported continental pottery such as Pingsdorf ware from Germany as well as local Stamford ware. The presence of cod bone remains along with evidence of burning could indicate fish preservation by smoking was taking place at this site.
These early deposits were sealed by a surface of crushed chalk, ash, sand and clay with evidence of burning possibly association with industrial activity during the medieval period but no contemporary structural remains were encountered. It is possible that this material was used to level the surface prior to the construction of masonry buildings with clay floors.
Residual finds included a single piece of burnt Roman tile and an assemblage of worked flint. Although small, the flint assemblage provides evidence for prehistoric activity along the banks of the River Wensum. A large crested blade, a neat thin blade and several regular tertiary flakes were potentially Mesolithic or earlier in date. The crested blade displays evidence of bruising and is comparable to the signicant assemblage of Upper Palaeolithic blades that was discovered at Carrow Road (NHER 26602). The remainder of the assemblage is of probable Neolithic or later date.
See report (S3) for further details.
The archive associated with this work has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2011.558).
S. Howard (HES), 23 December 2011. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 16 May 2019.