NHER 69894 (Monument record) - Roman enclosure and field boundaries, Late Saxon to medieval charcoal pits and other, medieval to post-medieval and undated remains

August 2020. Desk-based Assessment.
Assessment of potential archaeological impact of proposed development.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 15 June 2026.

February 2022. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of part of large proposed development site (F1).
This survey identified a number of linear anomalies likely to represent infilled ditches, including several roughly east-to-west and north-to-south aligned features in the northern central part of the site that potentially represent the northern, western and southern sides of a small rectilinear enclosure. Its eastern side is potentially represented by a fainter, more fragmentary linear anomaly, in which case its dimensions would be approximately 53m by 42m. The various other linear anomalies display a range of alignments, although their spatial arrangement suggests that many potentially represent broadly contemporary elements of the same field system. Two parallel north-to-south aligned linear anomalies in the western part of the site may represent a double-ditched trackway, although the eastern response is notably stronger. Several groups of parallel linear anomalies extending from these features may represent either trackways or boundaries that were re-established on at least one occasion.
Several clusters of discrete anomalies are also regarded as potentially archaeological in origin, included one in the vicinity the small probable enclosure and another in the south-east corner of the site, within an area bounded by several similarly-aligned field boundary ditches. A stongly magnetically enhanced discrete anomaly in the extreme north-east corner of the site may indicate an area that has been affected by burning.
The majority of the remaining discrete anomalies are regarded as being natural in origin. Areas of magnetic disturbance around the margins of the field and scattered dipolar 'spikes' were probably caused by ferrous material on, or close to the surface – most likely modern debris.
Information from draft report.
P. Watkins (HES), 15 June 2026.

February-April 2023. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of part of large proposed development site (Trenches 1-41).
The 41 trenches excavated at this location revealed a range of ditches and pits, with many of the former corresponding with linear anomalies identified by the preceding geophysical survey. Dating evidence was fairly sparse, although it appears that at least some of the excavated features were probably Roman, while radiocarbon dating demonstrated that a number of pits were associated with Late Saxon to early medieval industrial activity.
A small, multi-period assemblage of prehistoric worked flints was recovered, comprising a potentially Mesolithic blade, a Mesolithic/Early Neolithic serrated blade, various pieces of probable Early Neolithic date, Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age scrapers and undiagnostic debitage. Most, if not all of this material was probably residual within later features, with even the largest single assemblage (18 pieces) likely to comprise a mix of Early Neolithic and later pieces.
The small assemblage of Roman pottery recovered came from a number of roughly to north-to-south and east-to-west aligned ditches and a single pit, all of which lay in the eastern half of the site. The potentially Roman ditches included features the geophysical survey suggests formed the southern and eastern sides of a small rectangular enclosure. There was no trace of the western and northern sides of this enclosure - which was surprising given that these were represented by the strongest anomalies.
The age of the various other ditches identified by the geophysical survey was uncertain, with the associated features producing little in the way of dating evidence. A short east-to-west aligned ditch in the eastern part of the site did though produce a single medieval pottery sherd, suggesting that this and an extensive adjoining north-to-south aligned ditch were both potentially post Roman. A north-to-south aligned ditch in the western half of the site was also found to contain a post-medieval tile fragment. The geophysical survey had suggested this feature was one of a pair of parallel ditches but there was no sign of any sub-surface remains associated with the fainter linear anomaly recorded to the west. The various linear anomalies recorded in the north-west corner of the site were though all found to be associated with reasonably substantial ditches, although unfortunately none of these features produced any dating evidence.
The various pits recorded included a number of relatively shallow, sub-circular features with distinctly dark, charcoal-rich fills, at least two of which were associated with evidence for in-situ burning. No dating evidence was recovered from these pits, with samples taken from their fills produced significant quantities of charcoal but little else of note in the way of charred plant macrofossils or other debris. The charcoal was dominated by oak (predominantly heartwood), although some holly, lime and blackthorn/cherry was also noted. These pits were very similar to features seen at various sites in the Norwich environs that are now thought to probably represent the traces of small-scale Saxon to medieval charcoal production. This interpretation is supported by a programme of radiocarbon dating that was undertaken, with charcoal samples from two of the pits producing Late Saxon dates of 883-994 cal AD at 95.4% probability (SUERC-128846; 1118 +/- 26 BP) and 892-1019 cal AD at 95.4% probability (SUERC-128845; 1087 +/- 26 BP) and samples from two others producing Late Saxon/medieval dates of 991-1151 cal AD at 95.4% probability (SUERC-128844; 1005 +/- 26 BP) and 993-1153 cal AD at 95.4% probability (SUERC-128847; 996 +/- 26 BP). Whether all of the pits represented actual charcoal clamps is uncertain, although they all appear to contain waste from charcoal production. Similar features were also recorded in the field immediately to the west (NHER 69895), with charcoal samples from three also producing Late Saxon radiocarbon dates.
The limited evidence for later activity on the site included several pits containing fragments of post-medieval ceramic building material, one of which also produced a small amount of medieval pottery.
Undated features of note included a pit containing iron slag in the south-east corner of the site, close to where the geophysical survey had recorded a cluster of potentially archaeologically-significant discrete anomalies. Smaller quantities of iron slag were also recovered from two north-east to south-west aligned ditches in the north-west part of the site, although these features were also undated. It is possible that this ironworking debris was associated with the Roman phase of activity, although it is also possible that it represented waste from another industrial activities taking place in the vicinity during Late Saxon to early medieval period.
One of a band of large discrete geophysical anomalies recorded in the northern central part of the site was shown to coincide with a substantial probably quarry pit. No finds were recovered from this feature.
See report (S2) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 15 June 2026.