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Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Record Details

NHER Number:	26525
Type of record:	Monument
Name:	Multi-period finds and features at former Start-Rite shoe factory, Duke Street

Summary

An archaeological evaluation was undertaken in 2003 in advance of redevelopment work.The earliest deposits on the site consisted of water meadow soils of Late Saxon date, with industrial and domestic debris occurring within them. By the early medieval period the surface levels had been raised, and processing pits were cut into these dumped deposits. There is evidence to suggest that such processing included the soaking of horncores and tanning. Other local industries which dumped their waste on the site included iron smelting, animal slaughtering, processing and skinning. During the 18th and 19th centuries cottages with cellars were built along the frontage of Duke Street.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:	TG 2295 0894
Map Sheet:	TG20NW
Parish:	NORWICH, NORWICH, NORFOLK

Full description

March 2000. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of geotechnical test pits for Wilcon Homes.
Medieval sherds, undated metal working debris and animal bones found.
See notes (S1) and report (S2) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S3).
J. Allen (NLA), 8 February 2002. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 26 March 2015.

August 2001. Trial Trenching. From Context 1.
The site contains potentially important archaeological remains dating from the medieval and early post medieval periods, commonly sealed by a relatively substantial overburden. Deep intrusions relating to the former industrial use of the site are present in the centre of the site. These include a brick-vaulted structure that was probably an air-raid shelter, deep reinforced concrete machine bases and cellaring.
See report (S4) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S5).
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2007.298).
J. Allen (NLA), 10 August 2001. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 27 April 2019.

September-October 2003. Trial Trenching. Contexts 100 to 356.
Four trenches excavated within footprint of proposed hotel.
The earliest in-situ deposits on the site consisted of water meadow soils of Late Saxon date, with industrial and domestic debris occurring within these deposits.
By the early medieval period (12th to 14th centuries) the surface levels had been raised by over 1m, and processing pits were cut into these dumped deposits. There is evidence to suggest that such processing included the soaking of horncores and tanning. Other local industries which dumped their waste on the site included iron smelting, animal slaughtering/processing and skinners.
During the 18th and 19th centuries cottages with cellars were built along the frontage of Duke Street.
See report (S6) for further details. See also (S7) and (S8). The results of this work are summarised in (S9).
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2010.269).
J. Allen (NLA), 2 October 2006. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 25 March 2015.

Monument Types

STRUCTURE (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
WATER MEADOW (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
ABATTOIR (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
DITCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
HEARTH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
HORNCORE PIT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
IRON WORKING SITE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
PIT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
TANNING PIT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
DITCH (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
PIT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
WALL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
CELLAR (17th Century to 19th Century - 1700 AD to 1899 AD)
HOUSE (17th Century to 19th Century - 1700 AD to 1899 AD)
AIR RAID SHELTER (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Associated Finds

ANIMAL REMAINS (Unknown date)
METAL WORKING DEBRIS (Unknown date)
MOLLUSCA REMAINS (Unknown date)
PLANT MACRO REMAINS (Unknown date)
SAMPLE (Unknown date)
XFIRED CLAY (Unknown date)
FLAKE (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)
ANIMAL REMAINS (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
ANIMAL REMAINS (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
HECKLE (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
METAL WORKING DEBRIS (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
POT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
SLAG (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
ANIMAL REMAINS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
ANIMAL REMAINS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
BRICK (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
JETTON (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
SLAG (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
TILE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
ANIMAL REMAINS (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
BRICK (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
CLAY PIPE (SMOKING) (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
TILE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
WINDOW (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---	Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1>	Unpublished Contractor Report: Green, F. M. L. 2000. Notes on a Watching Brief at Duke Street 7-3 2000. Norfolk Archaeological Unit.
<S2>	Unpublished Contractor Report: Meckseper, C. and Underdown, S. 2000. Report on an Archaeological Watching Brief at Duke Street, Norwich. Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 494.
<S3>	Article in Serial: Gurney, D. and Penn, K. (eds). 2001. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk 2000. Norfolk Archaeology. XLIII Pt IV pp 707-728. p 721.
<S4>	Unpublished Contractor Report: Boyer, P. and Murray, J. 2001. Former Start-Rite Shoe Factory, Duke Street, Norwich, Norfolk. An Archaeological Evaluation. Interim Report. Hertfordshire Archaeological Trust.
<S5>	Article in Serial: Gurney, D. and Penn, K. (eds). 2002. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk, 2001. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLIV Pt I pp 162-177. p 171.
<S6>	Unpublished Contractor Report: Green, F. M. L. 2003. An Archaeological Evaluation at the former Start-Rite factory site, Duke Street, Norwich, Norfolk. Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 889.
<S7>	Slide: Various. Slide. 1-78.
<S8>	Photograph: NAU. 2003. MWJ-MWL.
<S9>	Article in Serial: Gurney, D. and Penn, K. 2004. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk 2003. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLIV Pt III pp 573-588. p 583.

Related records

40367

Related to: Multi-period site beside the River Wensum, former Start-Rite Factory (Monument)