NHER 857 (Monument record) - Medieval and post-medieval features, 55 Pottergate

No finds or features of archaeological interest were recorded.
W. Milligan (NCM) August 1990.

There is an upstanding brick arch at the west end of the site, possibly late medieval though supported by later stubs of wall; it is blocked. The 1993 excavation (below) found that below-ground dating evidence for this had been removed by modern underpinning.
E. Rose (NLA) 17 August 1993.

5-12 July 1993. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation excavation of site.
Existing trenches, by developer were cleaned out by machine, one east-to-west across central south part of site and one north-to-south along south part of St Lawrence Lane street frontage. The east-to-west trench was widened and partly excavated.
A large modern disturbance had destroyed any stratigraphy at east end. Beneath modern dumps and wall (of uncertain
date) a layer of brown silt with medieval pottery was revealed. It was partly removed and several postholes seen beneath it cut into chalk natural.
Another small part of ?wall was seen at south end of north-to-south trench. Late Saxon sherds also recovered, also medieval floor and roofing tiles.
See report (S1) for further details. This work was also noted in (S2).
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2022.85).
S. Bates (NAU) 9 July 1993. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 6 December 2022.

20-22 August 2013. Trial Trench.
Excavation of single trench in advance of proposed developed residential development.
Natural geology was exposed at a depth of approximately 15.9m OD, with these deposits disturbed by a sequence of truncated small pits and postholes. Many of these features produced little or no datable finds, although it was thought that all were of medieval to post-medieval date. These features were probably associated with relatively low status activity, although some may have represented the remains of ephemeral timber structures. Although this trench was positioned relatively close to the street frontage the evidence for medieval activity was limited, with only a small assemblage of medieval pottery recovered. Two pits were the only features that could be tentatively dated to this period, both of which only produced single pottery sherds.
At least some of the features were clearly post-medieval, including two sub-rectangular pits that produced finds of 17th- to 18th-century date. The majority of these pits and post-holes were sealed beneath a dark grey-brown sandy silt deposit interpreted as a buried soil and presumably equivalent to the similar deposit exposed during the earlier work. The apparent truncation of the underlying features suggests that the site was possible subject to an episode of clearance in the post-medieval period. One of the pits identified appeared to cut this soil layer. This feature produced a range of finds, although the presence of modern tile fragments suggests it was unlikely to have been dug before the 18th century. This pit also produced an assemblage of tap slag (possibly cinder tap from a forge). Overlying the soil layer were the remains of several 19th century brick structures, including a north-to-south aligned wall that ran across the centre of the trench – almost certainly the continuation of a wall recorded to the north. A structure comprising two walls to either side of a limestone slab floor was also identified, along with another wall that was probably part of an adjacent cellar that continued to the north.
The uppermost deposits exposed were a series of modern levelling deposits and demolition spreads, all sealed beneath a thick topsoil layer.
See report (S3) for further details.
The archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2017.71).
P. Watkins (HES), 13 January 2015. Amended 20 June 2020.