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Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Record Details

NHER Number:	43968
Type of record:	Monument
Name:	Saxon floor, medieval to 19th century structures, Dragon Hall

Summary

An archaeological excavation and watching brief in 2005 revealed that the earliest deposits revealed a clay and chalk floor, tentatively dated to between the mid 9th and 11th centuries AD. Structures and open areas spanning the 13th to 20th centuries were also recorded.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:	TG 23554 08191
Map Sheet:	TG20NW
Parish:	NORWICH, NORWICH, NORFOLK

Full description

February-May 2005. Excavation and Watching brief.
Excavation of additional areas to rear of Dragon Hall, following demolition of modern north wing. Contexts 1-179.
The earliest evidence of occupation reflects the establishment of an open space to the rear of King Street, followed by the construction of a clay or cob walled building with a mortar or crushed chalk floor. This parallels the previously excavated evidence at NHER 449. The accumulation and deposition of soils that followed this may represent the disuse of these early structures. Occupation during the 12th to mid-12th centuries witnessed the construction and subsequent disuse of a masonry building. The mid-13th to 14th centuries saw the disuse of this masonry building and the creation of another open area, and a boundary wall was constructed over the southern wall of the demolished building. The mid-14th century witnessed the construction of a cellared, possibly ecclesiastical building which extended under what is now St Anne's Lane to the north. This building, which included a well within its southern wall, is possibly part of the complex associated with the foundation of the Austin Friary around 1360, to the north. During the 15th and mid-16th century the east-west land division was maintained, although the dividing wall appears to have become incorporated into a two storey building to the south. This building had a garderobe on its north-west corner. At the same time, a section of the cobbled yard area was replaced with a brick floor incorporating a drain which emptied into a large cesspit. A ground floor privy was provided within the open area, and was probably associated with Dragon Hall to the west. The second quarter of the 16th century saw the demolition and robbing of the cellared (possibly ecclesiastical) building, and the widening of the open area, creating a garden. The final phases of activity identified during the excavation included the final infilling of the large cess pit, disuse of the garderobe and the construction of Nos. 9, 10 and 10a Old Barge Yard.
See published article (S1), publication draft (S2) and assessment report (S3) for further details.
The archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2018.55).
A. Cattermole (NLA), 3 July 2007. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 20 June 2020.

Monument Types

BUILDING (Middle Saxon to Medieval - 850 AD to 1099 AD)
FLOOR (Middle Saxon to Medieval - 850 AD to 1099 AD)
STRUCTURE (Middle Saxon to Medieval - 850 AD to 1099 AD)
WALL (Middle Saxon to Medieval - 850 AD to 1099 AD)
FINDSPOT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
FINDSPOT (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
BUILDING (Medieval - 1100 AD to 1250 AD)
WALL (Medieval - 1100 AD to 1250 AD)
WALL (Medieval - 1250 AD to 1350 AD)
UNDERCROFT (Medieval - 1350 AD to 1450 AD)
WELL (Medieval - 1350 AD to 1450 AD)
CESS PIT (Medieval to 16th Century - 1400 AD to 1550 AD)
DRAIN (Medieval to 16th Century - 1400 AD to 1550 AD)
FLOOR (Medieval to 16th Century - 1400 AD to 1550 AD)
GARDEN (Medieval to 19th Century - 1400 AD to 1850 AD)
GARDEROBE (Medieval to 16th Century - 1400 AD to 1550 AD)
POST HOLE (Medieval to 16th Century - 1400 AD to 1550 AD)
STRUCTURE (Medieval to 16th Century - 1400 AD to 1550 AD)
YARD (Medieval to 16th Century - 1400 AD to 1550 AD)
WALL (Medieval to 16th Century - 1450 AD to 1550 AD)
FINDSPOT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
PIT (16th Century to 17th Century - 1550 AD to 1699 AD)
RUBBISH PIT? (16th Century to 17th Century - 1550 AD to 1699 AD)
BUILDING (17th Century to 19th Century - 1650 AD to 1850 AD)
BUILDING (17th Century to 19th Century - 1650 AD to 1850 AD)
WELL (17th Century to 19th Century - 1650 AD to 1850 AD)
POST HOLE (18th Century to 19th Century - 1750 AD to 1850 AD)

Associated Finds

ANIMAL REMAINS (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
BRICK (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
BUCKLE (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
CAME (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
FERRULE (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
FINGER RING (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
FISH REMAINS (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
HARNESS FITTING (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
PIN (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
PLANT REMAINS (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
ROOF TILE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
TILE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
BOTTLE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
BRICK (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
PIPE (SMOKING) (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
ROOF TILE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
TILE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
VESSEL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
WINDOW GLASS (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---	Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1>	Article in Serial: Evans, G. and Thorpe, R. 2007. Further Excavations at Dragon Hall, King Street, Norwich, 2005. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLV Pt II pp 176-187.
<S2>	Unpublished Contractor Report: Evans, G. and Thorpe, R. 2006. Further Excavations at Dragon Hall, King Street, Norwich, 2005. Wessex Archaeology. 55960.05.
<S3>	Unpublished Contractor Report: Evans, G. and Thorpe, R. 2005. Dragon Hall, King Street, Norwich. Archaeological Excavation and Post-Excavation Assessment. Wessex Archaeology. 55960.03.