Record Details
| NHER Number: | 37409 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | Iron Age, Roman, Medieval and Post- Medieval ditches, pits and multi-period finds |
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Summary
An evaluation carried out by the Norfolk Archaeological Unit in 2002 revealed several pits, post holes and linear features filled with medieval pottery. Fragments of pottery dating from the Iron Age to the post medieval periods, Roman tiles, and medieval or post medieval bricks and other finds were also recovered. A further evaluation in 2007-2008 identified a large Roman boundary ditch and Medieval quarry pits. A large amount of Roman coins, pottery and ceramic building material was also recovered, suggesting a high-status Roman site.
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | TF 85247 01840 |
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| Map Sheet: | TF80SE |
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| Parish: | GREAT CRESSINGHAM, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK |
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Full description
October 2002. Trial Trench.
Evaluation of proposed development site. Contexts 1 to 67.
Trenches revealed pits, linear features, posthole(s), most with medieval pottery in fills. Also Iron Age, Roman and Late Saxon pottery from excavated deposits, struck and shattered flint, and animal bone, including butchery waste.
See report (S1) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S2).
J. Allen (NLA), 24 October 2002. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 19 May 2015.
December 2007-September 2008. Excavation and Watching Brief.
Excavation of the footprints of four new residential dwellings and monitoring of subsequent groundworks elsewhere across the site.
Twenty-two pits were revealed within the footprint of the southernmost house, the fills of which produced medieval pottery as well as a few sherds of residual Roman, Saxo-Norman and late Saxon pot. A number of the pits were identified as quarry pits due to the presence of flint nodules in the fill. A ditch was identified in the centre of the site and ran roughly parallel to Priory Drove. Its fill contained one sherd of post- medieval pottery. A Saxo-Norman ditch and a thirteenth-century ditch were also identified in this area. An oval pit was also located in this area, the fill of which produced one fragment of Roman pottery. An undated ditch was identified, although its position and alignment may suggest that it is a major Late Roman boundary ditch. A ditch and a pit, both containing Late Roman pottery and building material were located within the footprint of the third proposed house. A medieval ditch and pit were also identified, the fills of which contained medieval pottery and residual Iron Age and Roman sherds. A pair of small, parallel post-medieval ditches and several undated pits were also located within this footprint. Three Roman coins were recovered from the topsoil in the north-western house plot, and a Charles I farthing was found in the subsoil. The probable continuation of the Late Roman boundary ditch discovered to the south was identified within this plot. A pit extended beyond the edge of the trench which contained two Iron Age sherds. Two undated pits were also identified. The large amount of Roman coins, pottery and ceramic building material suggests a high-status Roman site.
See report (S3) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S4).
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2011.112).
H. White (NLA), 18 May 2009. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 19 May 2015 and 12 May 2019.
Monument Types
- LINEAR FEATURE (Unknown date)
- PIT (Unknown date)
- POST HOLE (Unknown date)
- FINDSPOT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
- PIT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
- DITCH (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
- FINDSPOT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
- PIT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
- FINDSPOT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
- DITCH (Late Saxon to Medieval - 950 AD to 1150 AD)
- PIT (Late Saxon to Medieval - 950 AD to 1150 AD)
- DITCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- FINDSPOT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- FINDSPOT (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
- PIT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- DITCH (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
- FINDSPOT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
Associated Finds
- ANIMAL REMAINS (Undated)
- BUCKLE (Unknown date)
- POT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
- POT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
- BUCKLE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
- COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
- IMBREX (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
- POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
- TEGULA (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
- POT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
- POT (Late Saxon to Medieval - 950 AD to 1150 AD)
- BRICK (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
- POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- POT (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
- TILE (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
- COIN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
- KNIFE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
- PENDANT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
- POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
- TILE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
Protected Status - none
Sources and further reading
| --- | Photograph: Hickling, S.. 2008. MVD. |
| --- | Photograph: Vairous. 2007. PWP. |
| --- | Slide: Various. 2007. Slides 1-18, Priory Drove, Great Cressingham.. |
| --- | Secondary File: Secondary File. |
| --- | Slide: Various. Slide. 1-. |
| --- | Fiche: Exists. |
| <S1> | Unpublished Contractor Report: Bates, S. 2002. Report on an Archaeological Evaluation at Priory Drove, Great Cressingham, Norfolk. Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 773. |
| <S2> | Article in Serial: Gurney, D. and Penn, K. (eds). 2003. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk, 2002. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLIV Pt II pp 368-384. p 371. |
| <S3> | Unpublished Contractor Report: Hickling, S. 2009. An Archaeological Excavation and Watching Brief at Priory Road, Great Cressingham, Norfolk. NAU Archaeology. 1720. |
| <S4> | Article in Serial: Gurney, D. and Hoggett, R. 2010. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk in 2009. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLVI Pt I pp 135-147. p 139. |
Related records - none
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