NHER 68664 (Find Spot record) - Multi-period finds

May 2018. Test Pitting and Metal-detecting.
Fieldwork undertaken as part of Heritage Lottery Funded (HLF) Imagined Land Project saw the excavation of three test pits at this location (Test Pits 1-3). A metal-detecting survey was undertaken at the same time.

Test Pit 1:
This test pit in the north-east corner of the school grounds exposed natural chalky clays at a depth of 0.60m, which were overlain by a silty sand subsoil.
Finds included:
2 undatable fragments of iron slag, 3 burnt flints, 43 pieces of animal bone, 50 oyster shells, 5 cockle shells, 6 winkle shells, 2 mussel shells and 1 whelk shell.
1 Late Bronze Age flint scraper.
1 ?Late Bronze Age flint scraper.
1 ?Late Prehistoric handmade pottery sherd.
1 prehistoric flint flake.
20 Late Saxon pottery sherds.
21 medieval pottery sherds, 3 brick fragments and 2 roof tile fragments.
1 medieval/post-medieval pottery sherd.
3 post-medieval pottery sherds, 8 roof tile fragments and 5 pieces of clay tobacco pipe.

Test Pit 2:
This test pit adjacent to the western fence line of the school playing field encountered solid silty-chalk and sand geological deposits at a depth of c. 0.60m, which were overlain by a mid orangey brown silty sand subsoil.
Finds included:
76 undatable fragments of daub (including pieces with flat surfaces and withy marks), 3 burnt flints, 26 pieces of animal bone, 66 oyster shells, 5 winkle shells and 1 mussel shell.
1 Late Neolithic/Bronze Age flint flake and 1 chip.
1 Iron Age pottery sherd.
1 ?Late Prehistoric handmade pottery sherd.
4 Roman pottery sherds.
1 Early Saxon pottery sherd.
5 medieval pottery sherds, 1 floor tile fragment and 1 roof tile fragment.
1 post-medieval pottery sherd and 2 roof tile fragments.

Test Pit 4:
This test pit in the south-east corner of the school grounds revealed a series of hard make-up layers of probable late post-medieval date beneath the topsoil. The topsoil itself was contaminated by large quantities of cinder waste.
Finds recovered included:
3 undatable fired clay fragments, 71 pieces of animal bone, 22 oyster shells, 1 cockle shell, 1 whelk shell and 1 winkle shell.
1 Late Neolithic/Bronze Age flint flake.
3 prehistoric flint shatter fragments.
1 Early Saxon pottery sherd.
1 ?Early Saxon wrist clasp.
9 Late Saxon pottery sherds.
4 medieval pottery sherds.
2 medieval/post-medieval iron nails.
1 post-medieval pottery sherd, 4 roof tile fragments, 1 brick fragment, 1 piece of clay tobacco pipe, 1 bottle glass fragment and 1 button or cuff fastener.

The more notable objects recovered during the metal-detecting survey of the land surrounding the test pits included:
1 Middle/Late Saxon tongue-shaped belt fitting with zoomorphic terminal (from area of Test Pit 1).
1 ?Medieval lead pot mend.
2 ?medieval/post-medieval lead off cuts and 2 pieces of molten lead waste.
1 post-medieval buckle.

See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 17 October 2024