NHER 68194 (Monument record) - Late post-medieval and undated ditches and pits

August-September 2022. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site.
The 38 trenches revealed a number of ditches and pits, most, if not all of which were probably of relatively recent date.
The majority of the ditches uncovered were aligned either north-to-south or east-to-west and most clearly correspond with former plot or field boundaries depicted on the Holt tithe map (S1). A north-north-east to south-south-west aligned ditch at the eastern end of the site also corresponds with a boundary on this map. Finds were largely restricted to the westernmost of these ditches, which had been associated with paddock/plot and plantation boundaries within the grounds of Holt Lodge (NHER 33478). This material comprised various objects of post-medieval to modern date, including pottery sherds, brick and tile fragments, a piece of clay tobacco pipe, a button and an iron nail. Fragments of animal bone were also recovered from two of these features.
Two additional north-to-south aligned ditches in the eastern half of the site also contained post-medieval or later brick and tile fragments and the alignments of several others suggest that were most likely also post-medieval in date. The one possible exception was an undated north-north-west to south-south-east aligned feature close to the eastern edge of the site.
Three relatively small pits were also recorded. One contained post-medieval or later brick fragments but the others were undated.
See report (S2) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 3 April 2024.