Land at Seven Acres, Seven Acres Lane, Coltishall, Norfolk a Full
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P LAND AT SEVEN ACRES, SEVEN ACRES LANE, COLTISHALL, NORFOLK A FULL SCHEME OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL MITIGATION STARTING WITH TRIAL TRENCHING C LOCAL PLANNING AUTHORITY: BROADLAND DISTRICT COUNCIL OASIS PRECONST 1-383914 ACCESSION CODE NWHCM 2019.319 CNF48673 A PLANNING APPLICATION NUMBERS: 20190352 PCA REPORT NO: R14025 SITE CODE: ENF146592 FEBRUARY 2020 PRE-CONSTRUCT ARCHAEOLOGY Land at Seven Acres, Seven Acres Lane, Coltishall, Norfolk: A Full Scheme of Archaeological Mitigation Starting with Trial Trenching ©Pre-Construct Archaeology Limited, February 2020 Land at Seven Acres, Seven Acres Lane, Coltishall, Norfolk: A Full Scheme of Archaeological Mitigation Starting with Trial Trenching Local Planning Authority: Broadland District Council Planning Reference: 20190352 Central National Grid Reference: TG 2659 2062 Event Number: ENF146592 Oasis reference no: preconst1-383914 Report No. R14025 Written and researched by: Harvey Furniss Project Manager: Peter Crawley Commissioning Client: D Phelan and W Ellis Contractor: Pre-Construct Archaeology Ltd Norfolk Office Quarry Works, Dereham Road Honingham Norfolk NR9 5AP Tel: 01603 863108 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.pre-construct.com ©Pre-Construct Archaeology Ltd February 2020 The material contained herein is and remains the sole property of Pre-Construct Archaeology Ltd and is not for publication to third parties without prior consent. Whilst every effort has been made to provide detailed and accurate information, Pre- Construct Archaeology Ltd cannot be held responsible for errors or inaccuracies herein contained. PCA Report Number: R14025 ENF146592 Page 1 of 40 Land at Seven Acres, Seven Acres Lane, Coltishall, Norfolk: A Full Scheme of Archaeological Mitigation Starting with Trial Trenching ©Pre-Construct Archaeology Limited, February 2020 CONTENTS CONTENTS ............................................................................................................... 2 ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................ 4 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 5 2 GEOLOGY AND TOPOGRAPHY ........................................................................ 7 3 ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND ................................................................. 8 4 METHODOLOGY .............................................................................................. 12 5 QUANTIFICATION OF ARCHIVE ...................................................................... 14 6 ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESULTS ........................................................................ 15 7 FINDS AND ENVIRONMENTAL EVIDENCE .................................................... 18 8 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS ................................................................. 19 9 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................. 20 10 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................ 21 11 APPENDIX 1: PLATES ...................................................................................... 28 12 APPENDIX 2: CONTEXT INDEX ....................................................................... 37 13 APPENDIX 3: TRENCH TABLES ...................................................................... 38 14 APPENDIX 4: FINDS BY CONTEXT ................................................................. 40 FIGURE 1: SITE LOCATION ................................................................................... 23 FIGURE 2: TRENCH LOCATION ............................................................................ 24 FIGURE 3: TRENCH 1 ............................................................................................. 25 FIGURE 4: TRENCHES 2 AND 3............................................................................. 26 FIGURE 5: TRENCHES 4 AND 5............................................................................. 27 PLATE 1: SITE SHOT; VIEW NORTH-WEST .......................................................... 28 PLATE 2: EXCAVATING TRENCH 1, AUTHOR WATCHING MACHINE, VIEW NORTH-WEST ......................................................................................................... 28 PLATE 3: TRENCH 1; VIEW NORTH-WEST ........................................................... 29 PLATE 4: TRENCH 1, PIT [106]; VIEW WEST ........................................................ 29 PLATE 5: TRENCH 1; PIT [108], VIEW SOUTH-WEST .......................................... 30 PCA Report Number: R14025 ENF146592 Page 2 of 40 Land at Seven Acres, Seven Acres Lane, Coltishall, Norfolk: A Full Scheme of Archaeological Mitigation Starting with Trial Trenching ©Pre-Construct Archaeology Limited, February 2020 PLATE 6: TRENCH 2; VIEW NORTH NORTH-EAST .............................................. 30 PLATE 7: TRENCH 2; NATURAL FEATURE [116], VIEW NORTH-WEST ............. 31 PLATE 8: TRENCH 2; PIT [110], VIEW NORTH-WEST .......................................... 31 PLATE 9: TRENCH 3, VIEW SOUTH-EAST ............................................................ 32 PLATE 10: TRENCH 3, NATURAL FEATURE [118]; VIEW NORTH-WEST ........... 32 PLATE 11: TRENCH 3, PIT [112], VIEW NORTH-EAST ......................................... 33 PLATE 12: TRENCH 4; VIEW SOUTH-WEST ......................................................... 33 PLATE 13: TRENCH 4, PIT [120]; VIEW SOUTH-WEST ........................................ 34 PLATE 14: TRENCH 4, NATURAL FEATURE [122], VIEW WEST ......................... 34 PLATE 15: TRENCH 4, DITCH TERMINUS [124], VIEW EAST .............................. 35 PLATE 16: TRENCH 4, PIT [126], VIEW NORTH NORTH-WEST .......................... 35 PLATE 17: TRENCH 5, VIEW NORTH-WEST ......................................................... 36 PLATE 18: TRENCH 5, NATURAL FEATURE/HEDGEROW [114], VIEW NORTH- EAST ........................................................................................................................ 36 PCA Report Number: R14025 ENF146592 Page 3 of 40 Land at Seven Acres, Seven Acres Lane, Coltishall, Norfolk: A Full Scheme of Archaeological Mitigation Starting with Trial Trenching ©Pre-Construct Archaeology Limited, February 2020 ABSTRACT This report details the results of a programme of archaeological mitigation starting with trial trenching, undertaken in advance of residential development on the Land at Seven Acres, Seven Acres Lane, Coltishall, Norfolk (NGR TG 2659 2062). The site consists of an approximately rectangular shaped parcel of land located immediately north-west of the small town of Coltishall. There had been no previous archaeological work on the development area. The archaeological fieldwork was carried out between 27th and 29th January 2020. Local findspots identify the area surrounding the proposed development as being prominent during the Saxon and medieval periods. Potential for prehistoric archaeology on site had also been anticipated due to moderate levels of activity along with the possible Bronze Age barrow cemetery (NHER 11672) in the field immediately north. However, there was minimal evidence for prehistoric or historic activity on the site, with finds consisting of only three struck flints and a sherd of Roman pottery, which were recovered from two pits within Trench 1. In total, eleven features were unearthed during the trail trench investigation; the activity consisting of six pits, four natural features and one ditch. Many of these features, both archaeological and natural were undated and thought likely to be connected with the use of the plot for the growing of fruit during the 20th century. The Roman Pit [108] may represent low-status agricultural activity and ties in with the background activity of this date in the wider Coltishall Parish where a small Roman population was evidenced by stray finds of coins, brooches and pottery. PCA Report Number: R14025 ENF146592 Page 4 of 40 Land at Seven Acres, Seven Acres Lane, Coltishall, Norfolk: A Full Scheme of Archaeological Mitigation Starting with Trial Trenching ©Pre-Construct Archaeology Limited, February 2020 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 A programme of archaeological mitigation starting with trial trenching was undertaken by Pre-Construct Archaeology Ltd. (PCA) on Land at Seven Acres, Seven Acres Lane, Coltishall, NR12 7JZ (centred on Ordnance Survey National Grid Reference (NGR) TG 2659 2062) between the 27th and 29th January 2020 (Figure 1; Plate 1). 1.2 The archaeological work was commissioned by D Phelan and W Ellis in response to an archaeological planning condition attached to the construction of one house with extensive landscaping on Land at Seven Acres, Seven Acres Lane, Coltishall, NR12 7JZ (Broadland District Council Planning Reference: 20190352). Due to the high archaeological potential of the surrounding area, the Historic Environment Service of Norfolk County Council (HES/NCC) has recommended that the condition (20190352) requiring a scheme of archaeological mitigation, be placed on the current development. The first phase of this mitigation was trial trenching, to assess the nature and potential of the site. 1.3 The trial trenching was carried out in accordance with a Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) prepared by Peter Crawley of PCA (Crawley 2019) in response to a Brief for a programme of archaeological mitigation starting with trial trenching issued by John Percival (Percival 2019 CNF48673) of the Historic