Record Details

NHER Number:32779
Type of record:Monument
Name:Multi-period finds from Plantation Farm Reservoir

Summary

Fieldwalking undertaken as part of the Fenland Project in 1984 identified a concentration of 'pot boilers' and recovered a number of worked flints, including a Neolithic or Bronze Age knife. A small amount of medieval pottery was also found. In 1997 this site was subject to an archaeological evaluation in advance of the construction of an agricultural reservoir. The area examined also included the adjacent site (NHER 19899). A metal-detector and fieldwalking survey recovered a range of prehistoric worked flints including pieces of Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age date. A scatter of medieval pottery and small amounts of prehistoric, Roman, Middle Saxon and post-medieval pottery were also found. The three trenches excavated in this field revealed only post-medieval or modern features of little archaeological significance.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TL 6489 8636
Map Sheet:TL68NW
Parish:HOCKWOLD CUM WILTON, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

6 January 1984. Fenland Project fieldwalking.
Several sites identified:

Site HCW AK (TL 6482 8635; Context 1).
Neolithic/Bronze Age straight-edged flake knife. Identified by F. Healy (NAU). Previously recorded as NHER 19892. Site not listed in final publication.

Site HCW 12 (TL 6489 8632; Context 2).
Two overlapping scatters of material. To the west 'pot boilers' with no real flint component, while to the east a number of worked flints. Pot boilers more common than flints. All lie on part of island mostly composed of fairly heavy clayey silt with lumps of chert gravel. However, flints lie on what appears to be isolated patch of sandier material also containing gravel but rather lighter in texture. Maximum dimensions of combined scatters 60m x 30m. Worked flints (1 multi-platform core and 5 flakes) not closely datable. Previously recorded as NHER 19893.

Site HCW AL (TL 6491 8637: Context 3).
Few 'pot boilers' and flints in limited area of island sand with gravel. Worked flints not closely datable. Also medieval sherds. Previously recorded as NHER 19898. Site not listed in final publication.

See (S1) and (S2) for further details.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 16 November 2013.

6-16 May 1997. Archaeological Evaluation.
Fieldwalking and trial trenching undertaken prior to construction of agricultural reservoir. The area examined also included the adjacent site (NHER 19899).

Fieldwalking finds included:
13 ?prehistoric burnt flints.
1 ?Mesolithic utilised flint blade with abraded platform.
1 ?Neolithic flint end scraper.
1 ?Bronze Age small flint scraper.
20 later prehistoric worked flints, including 10 flakes, 8 utilised flakes, 1 scraper and 1 side scraper.
3 undatable prehistoric pottery sherds, including 2 flint and grog tempered body sherds and 1 Neolithic/Iron Age flint-gritted pottery sherd.
1 Roman pottery sherd.
1 Middle Saxon Ipswich ware pottery sherd.
23 medieval pottery sherds, including Cambridge-type glazed, local unglazed Grimston and Hedingham type.
6 post-medieval pottery sherds. All Glazed Red Earthenware.
2 undated lead fragments.

The trench trenches excavated in this field revealed a number of linear features interpreted as land drains, several undated hollows and a number of undated pits that were probable modern features (associated with tree planting?). No finds were recovered from these features, which were of little archaeological significance.

See report (S3) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S4).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 16 November 2013.

Monument Types

  • FINDSPOT (Prehistoric - 1000000 BC to 42 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
  • FINDSPOT (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)
  • FINDSPOT (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Neolithic - 4000 BC? to 2351 BC?)
  • FINDSPOT (Bronze Age - 2350 BC? to 701 BC?)
  • RING DITCH (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
  • FINDSPOT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • PIT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

  • UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Undated)
  • BURNT FLINT (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
  • CORE (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
  • FLAKE (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
  • LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
  • LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
  • POT (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
  • POT BOILER (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
  • POT BOILER (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
  • POT BOILER (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
  • BLADE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC? to 4001 BC?)
  • END SCRAPER (Neolithic - 4000 BC? to 2351 BC?)
  • FLAKE (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
  • KNIFE (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)
  • SCRAPER (TOOL) (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
  • SCRAPER (TOOL) (Bronze Age - 2350 BC? to 701 BC?)
  • POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • POT (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
  • POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card. NHERs 19893 and 19898.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1>Archive: Fenland Folders.
<S2>Monograph: Silvester, R. J. 1991. The Fenland Project, Number 4: The Wissey Embayment and the Fen Causeway, Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 52.
<S3>Unpublished Contractor Report: Percival, S. 1997. Report on a fieldwalking/metal detector survey at Decoy Farm, Hockwold cum Wilton. Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 254.
<S4>Article in Serial: Gurney, D. and Penn, K. (eds). 1998. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk 1997. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLIII Pt I pp 193-210.

Related records

19899Related to: Multi-period finds (Monument)

Find out more...

Norfolk County Council logo Heritage Lottery Fund logo

Powered by HBSMR-web and the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd, and mojoPortal CMS
© 2007 - 2024 Norfolk Historic Environment Service