NHER 69298 (Monument record) - Probable Early Bronze Age round barrow and associated cremation burial

December 1995. Trial Trench. Contexts 558-568.
Limited evaluation of proposed development.
A single trench was excavated at this location, which was placed to coincide with an infilled water channel running diagonally across the field. This revealed a linear feature containing a single sherd of prehistoric pottery, but this was thought to be most likely a natural ice wedge. Several other features investigated were also thought to be of probable natural origin.
Unstratified finds were limited to several prehistoric worked flints, a single post-medieval pottery sherd and a small amount of undatable fired clay.
See report (S1) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S2).
An associated archive has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2017.6).
Previously recorded under NHER 31109.
S. Bates (NAU), January 1996. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 8 April 2015, 27 April 2019 and 3 September 2025.

July 2018. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of proposed development site at eastern end of site, adjacent to roundabout.
This survey revealed a strong circular anomaly with a diameter of c.30m that clearly corresponds with a cropmark ring-ditch visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs of this location (the westernmost of three circular cropmarks recorded as NHER 21766). Although the cropmarks suggested this feature may have a gap in its south-west side, the geophysical evidence suggests a more complete circuit, although the strength and width of the anomalies varies. Two small gaps are also present in the southern portion of the ring-ditch that potentially represent breaks in its circuit. It is suggested that a lack of magnetic response immediately adjacent to one of these possible breaks may represent the presence of a large diamagnetic body within the ditch, such as a sedimentary rock. A strong discrete negative anomaly that coincides with the ring-ditch may represent a patch of in-situ burning (or similar). Five small discrete anomalies within the ring-ditch may also represent archaeologically-significant remains, though none of these responses appear to be related to the large discrete cropmark recorded at this location.
Responses of potentially archaeological interest elsewhere in the area examined include a discrete anomaly to the south-west of the ring-ditch that may represent some form of pit. A group of somewhat irregular curvilinear and discrete anomalies to the north-east of the ring-ditch may also represent archaeologically-significant remains, although these are of a much more uncertain origin. It is suggested that the curvilinear anomalies may correspond with a more ephemeral possible ring-ditch visible as a cropmark but this is not the case – this possible feature lying to the south (and mostly outside of the area examined).
A number of irregular linear anomalies in the southern half of the area examined are of probable natural origin.
There was no evidence for surviving sub-surface remains associated with a number of fragmentary linear cropmarks (part of an extensive group of undated linear and discrete features recorded as NHER 52038).
Information from copy of report included in (S3).
P. Watkins (HES), 3 September 2025.

January 2024. Desk-based Assessment.
Archaeological assessment of proposed development site (Plot 4).
See report (S3) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 2025.

January 2024. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of excavation of 11 trial pits (Plot 4; TP1-TP11), which were widely disturbed across the site, but avoided the area around the ring-ditch identified in the south-east part of the field (see above).
No archaeologically-significant features or deposits were recorded. All of the trial pits revealed evidence for extensive modern disturbance, with truncation of the ground surface having removed the original topsoil and subsoil deposits. The natural geological deposits had also been truncated, with an archaeological features present potentially severely damaged or removed entirely. The degree of truncation to the natural geology was though less severe in some of the trial pits. The overlying made ground deposits were a mix of redeposited natural sand and darker material containing metal, wood and other modern debris.
No finds were recovered.
Information from draft report. Final version awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 3 September 2025.

June 2024. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of south-east portion of site, where archaeologically-significant remains appeared to have survived the modern disturbance evidenced across the remainder of the field.
The two trenches placed to coincide with the ring-ditch identified by the preceding geophysical survey revealed three corresponding ditches segments, although unfortunately the two excavated produced no dating evidence. A small pit containing a relatively undisturbed unurned cremation burial was though uncovered within the interior of the ring-ditch. The bone recovered was found to represent the remains a single adult individual of indeterminate sex and had been mixed with a large amount of robust oak charcoal fragments - suggesting little attempt had been made to separate the human remains from the pyre debris. A bulk sample from this material was found to contain no other charred plant macrofossils. Although no dating evidence was recovered the total weight of bone present (1.16kg) is consistent with this having been an Early Bronze Age burial. It is therefore highly likely that the ring-ditch represents the remains of a Bronze Age barrow, although it was clear that no trace of the mound survived.
There was no evidence for sub-surface remains associated with the large discrete cropmark that had been mapped within the ring-ditch.
Other remains were limited to a large discrete feature partially exposed to the south of the ring-ditch. This had initially been thought to be an infilled quarry pit, although excavation suggested it was potentially natural in origin.
No unstratified finds were recovered.
P. Watkins (HES), 3 September 2025.