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Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Record Details

NHER Number:	37411
Type of record:	Monument
Name:	St Anne's Wharf

Summary

St Anne's Wharf is situated on a bend in the River Wensum just to the east of King Street, and partially cuts the medieval Austin Friary district to the north. Excavation on this site has resulted in contradictory evidence, but a large amount of medieval activity is believed to have taken place on an unaltered river margin. Land reclamation was clearly noted, though whether it was undertaken during the late period of the Friary, or in the early post medieval period is unclear.

Later evidence also includes the presence of the post medieval form garden laid out by Henry Howard in 1664, who lived nearby in Howard House (NHER 741), as well as the remains of a post medieval warehouse. The presence of Victorian industrial structures and housing were also noted.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:	TG 23612 08205
Map Sheet:	TG20NW
Parish:	NORWICH, NORWICH, NORFOLK

Full description

October-November 2002. Trial Trenching.
Six trenches excavated within proposed development area at Old Barge Yard and St Anne's Wharf. Site includes part of NHERs 374, 449, 554 and 26536. Contexts 1-183 used.
Victorian industrial structures were exposed. Excavations revealed the scale of the land reclamation exercise carried out by the Austin Friars in the 16th century and also remains relating to a post-medieval formal garden and Victorian housing.
Remains of a post-medieval warehouse were also found.
Although a small amount of prehistoric and Roman material was recovered from the base of one of the trenches, the majority of the evidence retrieved was from later periods.
Medieval activity took place on a relatively unaltered river margin. A sizeable episode of land reclamation then took place, probably in the early post-medieval period and remains of post-medieval and Victorian buildings were found.
See reports (S1) and (S2) 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 : 2011.265).
M. Horlock (NLA), 11 March 2003. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 16 May 2019.

March-April 2003. Watching brief.
Contexts 184-186 used.
Monitoring of eighteen test-pits at locations within the re-development footprint (some machine excavated and some hand dug).
The majority had little impact on archaeological deposits.
A wall was recorded which appears to be a remnant of the formal post medieval gardens associated with Howard House, a 17th-century building. A dark soil revealed by test-pits also appears to have been associated with this garden.
Test-pits within the basement of Howard House and further test-pits in proximity to Dragon Hall have confirmed that significant archaeological deposits are present at these locations.
Flint and mortar post medieval wall, also in NHER 374.
See report (S4) for further details.
A. Cattermole (NLA), 10 May 2004.

Monument Types

FINDSPOT (Early Mesolithic to Early Neolithic - 10000 BC to 3001 BC)
FINDSPOT (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
FINDSPOT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
FINDSPOT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
DITCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
FINDSPOT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
LAND RECLAMATION (15th Century to 19th Century - 1500 AD? to 1900 AD?)
BOUNDARY DITCH (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
FINDSPOT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
FLOOR (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
PIT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
POST HOLE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
ROBBER TRENCH (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
TRENCH (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
WALL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
WAREHOUSE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
WELL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
GARDEN (17th Century to 19th Century - 1664 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

ANIMAL REMAINS (Unknown date)
BLADE (Unknown date)
NAIL (Unknown date)
BURNT FLINT (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC? to 42 AD?)
CORE (Early Mesolithic to Early Neolithic - 10000 BC to 3001 BC)
CRESTED BLADE (Early Mesolithic to Early Neolithic - 10000 BC to 3001 BC)
FLAKE (Early Mesolithic to Early Neolithic - 10000 BC to 3001 BC)
BLADE (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
FLAKE (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
RETOUCHED FLAKE (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
POT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
BRICK (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
SHOE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
TILE (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
BOTTLE (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)
WINDOW GLASS (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---	Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1>	Unpublished Contractor Report: Percival, J. 2002. Interim report on an Archaeological Evaluation at Old Barge Yard and St Anne's Wharf, Norwich, Norfolk. Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 768.
<S2>	Unpublished Contractor Report: Percival, J. and Shelley, A. 2003. Report on an Archaeological Evaluation at Old Barge Yard and St. Anne's Wharf, Norwich. Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 780.
<S3>	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 377.
<S4>	Unpublished Contractor Report: Adams, D. 2003. Report on an Archaeological Watching Brief at St Anne's Wharf, Norwich, Norfolk. Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 830.

Related records

374	Part of: Austin Friary Precinct, King Street, Norwich (Monument)
741	Part of: Howard's House, No 97 King Street (Building)