Land at Green Lane West, Salhouse Road, Rackheath, Norfolk

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS LTD

LAND AT GREEN LANE WEST, SALHOUSE ROAD, RACKHEATH, NORFOLK

AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL DESK-BASED ASSESSMENT

Authors: Peter Thompson MA (Report) Illustrations: Dr John R Summers

NGR: TG 2814 1255 Report No: 4584 District: Broadland Site Code: N/A Approved: C Halpin MCIfA Project No: 5694 Date: 17 June 2014 Signed: Revised: 05/07/2017

This report is confidential to the client. Archaeological Solutions Ltd accepts no responsibility or liability to any third party to whom this report, or any part of it, is made known. Any such party replies upon this report entirely at their own risk. No part of this report may be reproduced by any means without permission.

Archaeological Solutions is an independent archaeological contractor providing the services which satisfy all archaeological requirements of planning applications, including:

Desk-based assessments and environmental impact assessments Historic building recording and appraisals Trial trench evaluations Geophysical surveys Archaeological monitoring and recording Archaeological excavations Post excavation analysis Promotion and outreach Specialist analysis

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Land at Green Lane West, Salthouse Road, Rackheath, Norfolk 2 © Archaeological Solutions Ltd

CONTENTS

OASIS SUMMARY SHEET

SUMMARY

1 INTRODUCTION

2 DESCRIPTION OF THE SITE

3 METHODOLOGY

4 THE EVIDENCE 4.1 Topography, Geology & Soils 4.2 Archaeological and Historical Background 4.3 Cartographic Evidence 4.4 Constraints

5 SITE VISIT

6 DISCUSSION

7 CONCLUSION

8 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

BIBLIOGRAPHY

APPENDIX 1 HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT REPORT INFORMATION

APPENDIX 2 CARTOGRAPHIC SOURCES

APPENDIX 3 TITHE APPORTIONMENT

Land at Green Lane West, Salthouse Road, Rackheath, Norfolk 3 © Archaeological Solutions Ltd

OASIS SUMMARY SHEET Project name Land at Green Lane West, Salhouse Road, Rackheath, Norfolk In May 2014, Archaeological Solutions Limited (AS) carried out an archaeological desk-based assessment on land at Green Lane West, Salhouse Road, Rackheath, Norfolk (NGR TG 2814 1255). The assessment was commissioned by TimChris Farms Limited and R & J.M. Place Limited and Norfolk Homes in support of a detailed application for a development of 322 dwellings.

A Bronze Age spearhead was metal detected adjacent to the site and worked flints have been recovered from the field to the south. A group of undated and probably multi-period field systems, which may have commenced in the Iron Age, are located to the north of the site. These and other field systems which may predate Rackheath Park could also be Romano-British in date. Roman pottery and undated pits containing burnt flint were found during pipeline construction to the east.

The medieval village of Rackheath Parva was located approximately 500m to the north, and a medieval track known as Ravensgate Way crossed the northern tip of the site. A large number of cropmarks of possible medieval date have been identified to the north of the site, and a fragmentary ditch identified to the south may also be medieval.

Rackheath Park which included the site was a deer park by the late 16th century, which was greatly enhanced in the 19th century with new lodges and an avenue, and Hall Farm was also built at this time. A quarry pit pre-dating the 19th century was dug on the site. A WWII American airfield was located to the north-east and associated domestic buildings were present around the site with a military training area to the north. Project dates (fieldwork) n/a Previous work (Y/N/?) N Future work (Y/N/?) TBC P. number 5694 Site code n/a Type of project Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment Site status n/a Current land use Agricultural land Planned development Development of 322 dwellings Main features (+dates) n/a Significant finds (+dates) n/a Project location County/ District/ Parish Norfolk Broadland Rackheath HER for area Norfolk Historic Environment Record (NHER) Post code (if known) Area of site Approx 16.9ha NGR TG 2814 1255 Height AOD (min/max) Approximately 25.7 to 31.8m AOD Project creators Brief issued by n/a Project supervisor/s (PO) Archaeological Solutions Ltd Funded by TimChris Farms Limited and R & J.M. Place Limited and Norfolk Homes Full title Land at Green Lane West, Salhouse Road, Rackheath, Norfolk: An Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment Authors Peter Thompson MA Report no. 4584 Date (of report) 17 June 2014 (Revised 05/07/2017)

Land at Green Lane West, Salthouse Road, Rackheath, Norfolk 4 © Archaeological Solutions Ltd

LAND AT GREEN LANE WEST, SALHOUSE ROAD, RACKHEATH, NORFOLK

AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL DESK-BASED ASSESSMENT

SUMMARY

In May 2014, Archaeological Solutions Limited (AS) carried out an archaeological desk- based assessment on land at Green Lane West, Salhouse Road, Rackheath, Norfolk (NGR TG 2814 1255). The assessment was commissioned by TimChris Farms Limited and R & J.M. Place Limited and Norfolk Homes in support of a detailed application for a development of 322 dwellings.

A Bronze Age spearhead was metal detected adjacent to the site and worked flints have been recovered from the field to the south. A group of undated and probably multi- period field systems, which may have commenced in the Iron Age, are located to the north of the site. These and other field systems which may predate Rackheath Park could also be Romano-British in date. Roman pottery and undated pits containing burnt flint were found during pipeline construction to the east.

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 In May 2014, Archaeological Solutions Limited (AS) carried out an archaeological desk-based assessment on land at Green Lane West, Salhouse Road, Rackheath, Norfolk (NGR TG 2814 1255; Figs. 1-2). The assessment was commissioned by TimChris Farms Limited and R & J.M. Place Limited and Norfolk Homes in support of a detailed application for a development of 322 dwellings.

1.2 The assessment was undertaken according to a specification prepared by Archaeological Solutions Ltd (dated 20/03/2014). It followed the procedures outlined in the Institute for Archaeologists’ (IFA; now Chartered Institute for Archaeologists) Standard and Guidance for Historic Environment Desk-Based Assessment (revised 2012).

Land at Green Lane West, Salthouse Road, Rackheath, Norfolk 5 © Archaeological Solutions Ltd

1.3 The objectives of the archaeological desk-based assessment were to provide for the identification of areas of archaeological potential within the site, to consider the site within its wider archaeological context and to describe the likely extent, nature, condition, importance and potential state of preservation of the archaeology. The context of future development proposals for the site has been examined and areas of significant previous ground disturbance have been identified.

Planning Policy Context

1.4 The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF 2012) states that those parts of the historic environment that have significance because of their historic, archaeological, architectural or artistic interest are heritage assets. The NPPF aims to deliver sustainable development by ensuring that policies and decisions that concern the historic environment recognise that heritage assets are a non-renewable resource, take account of the wider social, cultural, economic and environmental benefits of heritage conservation, and recognise that intelligently managed change may sometimes be necessary if heritage assets are to be maintained for the long term. The NPPF requires applications to describe the significance of any heritage asset, including its setting that may be affected in proportion to the asset’s importance and the potential impact of the proposal.

1.5 The NPPF aims to conserve England’s heritage assets in a manner appropriate to their significance, with substantial harm to designated heritage assets (i.e. listed buildings, scheduled monuments) only permitted in exceptional circumstances when the public benefit of a proposal outweighs the conservation of the asset. The effect of proposals on non-designated heritage assets must be balanced against the scale of loss and significance of the asset, but non-designated heritage assets of demonstrably equivalent significance may be considered subject to the same policies as those that are designated. The NPPF states that opportunities to capture evidence from the historic environment, to record and advance the understanding of heritage assets and to make this publicly available is a requirement of development management. This opportunity should be taken in a manner proportionate to the significance of a heritage asset and to impact of the proposal, particularly where a heritage asset is to be lost.

2 DESCRIPTION OF THE SITE (Figs. 1 - 2)

2.1 Rackheath is a village (and parish) located 6.5km north-east of the centre of Norwich, and is described in The Broadland District Local Plan (Replacement) 2006 as a dormitory village for the city. The assessment site is located on the west side of New Rackheath which is located 1km south of Rackheath, and was originally known as Little Rackheath or Rackheath Parva. The assessment site comprises to parts which are divided by a north-east to south-west aligned track, and also, on the west side, by a small field. The northern part of the site consists of a single agricultural field. The southern part comprises a larger field that has been sub-divided.

Land at Green Lane West, Salthouse Road, Rackheath, Norfolk 6 © Archaeological Solutions Ltd

2.2 The south-western side of the assessment site is bordered by Salhouse Road, and the north-east side by Green Lane West, with a line of houses and gardens backing onto the site at its northern end. The western side of the assessment site is screened by woods with Hall Farm on the centre edge. The proposed route of the Norwich Northern Distributor Road borders the western side of the site.

3 METHODOLOGY

Information was sought from a variety of available sources in order to meet the objectives of the assessment.

3.1 Archaeological Databases

3.1.1 The standard collation of all known archaeological sites and find spots within Norfolk is contained within the Norfolk Historic Environment Record (NHER). Significant entries within a 1km radius of the site are listed in Appendix 1 and plotted in Fig. 3. Where relevant, these sites and finds are discussed in Section 4.2. The site is referred to as the assessment site to distinguish it from other sites described in the text, and its approximate 1km radius is the study area.

3.2 Historical and Cartographic Sources

3.2.1 The principal source for this type of evidence was the archives held at the Norwich Millennium Library and Norfolk Archive Centre, Norwich. Relevant documents are listed in Appendix 3 and reproduced in Figs. 4-10.

3.3 Geological/Geotechnical Information

3.3.1 A description of the superficial and solid geology of the local and surrounding area was compiled in order to assess the likely presence and potential condition of any archaeological remains on the site. This information was drawn from appropriate maps published by the Geological Survey of Great Britain (BGS 1978) and the Soil Survey of England and Wales (SSEW 1983). Supplementary geological information was also retrieved from a geo-environmental report compiled by Ground Group Solutions (2004).

3.4 Site Inspection

3.4.1 In the course of the desk-based assessment, a physical walkover of the site was undertaken on 23/05/2014. The inspection had the following purposes:

‹ to examine the areas of archaeological potential identified during the desk-based assessment; in particular, with a view to gauging the likely survival and condition of archaeological remains; and

Land at Green Lane West, Salthouse Road, Rackheath, Norfolk 7 © Archaeological Solutions Ltd

‹ to consider the significance of any above ground structures, historic buildings, and historic landscape features, and their potential impact on the proposed development.

4 THE EVIDENCE

4.1 Topography, Geology and Soils

4.1.1 The assessment site is situated on sloping ground between approximately 25.6m and 31.8m AOD, in area that can be characterised as a mixture of Rackheath wooded estate lands and open agricultural fields. The ground on the west side of the site lies between 31.1m and 31.8m AOD, with the land sloping down to the east reaching its lowest point at 25.6m AOD where Green Lane West and Salhouse Road meet. The River Bures is situated 3km to the north. The local soils are of the Wick 2 association described as deep well drained coarse loamy, often stoneless soils. These overlie glaciofluvial and aeolian drift, while the underlying solid geology comprises Upper Cretaceous chalk.

4.2 Archaeological and Historical Background

The Palaeolithic and Mesolithic (<500,000 – 4,000 BC)

4.2.1 Norfolk is rich in Palaeolithic finds, including the earliest human remains in Britain and a number of sites are known particularly along the coast, the Waveney Valley, and other river valleys of central and south-west Norfolk. The only find within the study area however, is an Upper Palaeolithic flake from top of the natural silt found during an archaeological evaluation approximately 420m north of the assessment site, which suggests that the natural silt may be of archaeological interest (NHER 54173; Crawley 2010). The most common evidence for the presence of Mesolithic people (10,000-4,000 BC) is represented by the stone tools that they used, although occasionally the remains of their temporary camps or environmental evidence are recovered. Most prehistoric activity in the parish of Rackheath is focused in the area of All Saints Church in the north-west part of the parish (www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk). The main discovery was a possible flint working site where a large number of blades, borers, scrapers and flakes were recovered dating to the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods (NHER 12630). The only find from within the study area is a quartz macehead which could be either Mesolithic or Neolithic in date (NHER 8169). An undated palaeochannel has been identified by aerial photos and black soil marks were noted in the same location, 560m to the south of the assessment site, which was named ‘Black Dyke’ in the 16th century (NHER 8152).

Neolithic (4,000-2,300 BC)

4.2.2 The Neolithic saw the introduction of farming practices and large ceremonial monuments and burial mounds. There are a number of Neolithic sites known within the

Land at Green Lane West, Salthouse Road, Rackheath, Norfolk 8 © Archaeological Solutions Ltd study area, along with a number of other prehistoric sites some of which are probably also Neolithic. The most significant find is the site of a possible Neolithic oval barrow or mortuary enclosure located 750m to the north-east of the assessment site (NHER 18875). Three Neolithic polished stone axe heads have been found within the study area to the south, east and west of the assessment site (NHER 8153, 8160, 8149), with the closest adjacent to Rackheath Hall, 540m to the west (NHER 8149). A fourth prehistoric stone axe hammer was found closer, some 340m to the north (NHER 8171). Worked and burnt prehistoric flints have been found at multi-period sites (NHER 33570, 49752, 50502), with the closest site identified during field walking over a rectangular transect whose northern end abuts Salhouse Road which borders the assessment site (NHER 49752).

Bronze Age (2,300 – 700 BC)

4.2.3 During the Bronze Age Norfolk was a major metal working area indicated by the presence of metal hoards and individual artefacts, particularly from the late Bronze Age (www.norfolk.gov.uk). There is sparse evidence for a Bronze Age presence within the study area, but this includes a find from the assessment site where a middle Bronze Age spearhead was found during metal detecting of a small area on the west side of the site, south of Hall Farm (NHER 49751). A late Neolithic or early Bronze Age barbed and tanged arrow head, and a possible Bronze Age unidentified object have been recorded within the study area (NHER 36254, 51314). The cropmark of a possible ring ditch located some 130m east of the assessment site may represent remains of a Bronze Age barrow, but could also be a later feature (NHER 51924).

Iron Age (700 BC – AD 43)

4.2.4 During the Iron Age there was an increase in population with larger enclosed and unenclosed settlements appearing on the landscape. The only possible Iron Age find from within Rackheath parish is a metal terret and lynch pin terminal recovered from a not closely disclosed location to the east of New Rackheath (NHER 40112). However, there are a significant amount of cropmarks to the north and north-east of the assessment site some of which may represent multi-period archaeology. Although undated many are thought to be late Prehistoric to Roman in date due to comparisons to sites elsewhere, although they could be medieval or later (NHER 50728, 50729, 50730). The closest group begin approximately 125m north of the assessment site and continue north for a further 150m, they are thought to represent a settlement including enclosures and trackways (NHER 50730). To the east and north-east of these cropmarks, commencing approximately 320m north-east of the assessment site, are other groups of cropmarks indicative of rectilinear enclosures ranged along a field boundary that may originally have been a road (NHER 50729, 50728). Again these may be late Iron Age to Roman but could also be medieval or later. Similar evidence to the above sites is also present in Rackheath Park, which commence 700m north-west of the assessment site (NHER 50744). Further groups of curvilinear cropmarks are located approximately 180m to the east of the assessment site (NHER 51923), and to the south-east of New Rackheath, beyond the railway line (NHER 51930, 51932). A

Land at Green Lane West, Salthouse Road, Rackheath, Norfolk 9 © Archaeological Solutions Ltd possible double ditched enclosure and pit were identified some 320m to the south-east, but they may be geological features (NHER 51935).

Romano-British (AD 43-410)

4.2.5 During the Roman period the first towns appeared in Britain, but the landscape of Norfolk was made up predominantly of villa sites and farmsteads. Romano-British finds from the study area include a copper coin of Diocletian found 650m south-west of the assessment site (NHER 8150), and another coin and a disc brooch metal detected from a not closely recorded location (NHER 29707). However, the groups of undated cropmarks described in 4.2.4, (the closest of them commencing 125m north of the assessment site), probably continued during the Roman period (assuming they began in the late prehistoric period (NHER 50728, 50729, 50730, 50744, 51930, 51932)). In support of this, Roman pottery was found along with undated pits containing burnt flint during pipeline construction. The line ran behind the houses on the opposite side of Green Lane West some 115m east of the assessment site (NHER 33750). Low levels of Roman material have also been recovered during fieldwalking of Beeston Park, and the Broad Walk on the western edge of Beeston Park is believed to be aligned with the route of the former Brampton to Thorpe St Andrew Roman road (NHER 7598).

Anglo-Saxon (410-1066)

4.2.6 In the Anglo-Saxon period Norfolk was a relatively rich county with a large population (www.norfolk.gov.uk). However, there are no Anglo-Saxon finds from within the study area.

Medieval (1066-1539)

4.2.7 At Domesday there are three entries for estates held at Rackheath. The main entry relates to the larger village of Rackheath Magna which was located approximately 400m north-east of All Saints Church which itself is 1.3km north of modern Rackheath (www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk). Domesday lists 27 heads of households comprising villagers, smallholders and free men, and had 5 men’s ploughs and 7 acres of meadow. The second entry probably relates to Rackheath Parva which lay between Rackheath and New Rackheath. Six smallholders and 10 free men are listed along with 2 men’s ploughs, 2 acres of meadow and 0.5 churches (www.domesdaymap.co.uk). The third parcel of land had one free man, 0.5 ploughs and two acres of meadow, and in 1086 passed to St Benet of Holme Abbey. The origins of the name Rackheath, first recorded in 1086 as Racheitha are unclear, but it could derive from a phrase in Old English meaning ‘landing-place near a gully’ (Mills 1991; www.norfolk.gov.uk). This fits the topography as a tributary of the Bure flows past All Saints’ Church, which may have provided enough water for a small harbour to be formed away from the marshes.

4.2.8 Documentary evidence suggests that the site of Little Rackheath (Rackheath Parva) Church was located approximately 570m north of the assessment site, which

Land at Green Lane West, Salthouse Road, Rackheath, Norfolk 10 © Archaeological Solutions Ltd was a ruin by the 16th century (NHER 12639). Three or four inhumations were uncovered during a house extension to the east of the church site, in what is thought to have been the churchyard (NHER 31541). Medieval pottery sherds were observed in the above pipeline trench at New Rackheath (4.2.5), which are given a central grid reference approximately 640m to the north of the assessment site (NHER 33750). Medieval metalwork finds have been recovered within the parish mainly from not closely disclosed locations (NHER 36254, 51314, 52535), which include a leaf-decorated copper alloy strap end (NHER 19297), the quillon from a dagger (NHER 40112), and 13th century coins of Edward I and Alexander the III (NHER 39886). An earlier coin of William I was found near Rackheath Hall (NHER 8172).

4.2.9 Documentary evidence also show a number of tracks and holloways which ran from Norwich through Sprowston to Rackheath. These are named Ravensgate Way (NHER 8128), Ranworth Way (NHER 8166), and Horning Ferry Way (NHER 8128). The inferred line of Ravensgate Way crosses the northern end of the assessment site, and at a point commencing approximately 250m north-east of the site, this track forms the southern boundary to a large area of cropmarks of medieval and post-medieval field boundaries located between Rackheath and Salhouse (NHER 50725). The cropmarks also partly overlie a group of the hypothesised Iron Age to Romano-British cropmarks. A geophysical survey carried out approximately 880m to the east of the assessment site close to the railway line at New Rackheath, identified several anomalies including a possible enclosure, and a subsequent archaeological evaluation identified a pit containing a sherd of 11th-12th century pottery (NHER 56800). This area is adjacent to Ravensgate Way and on the southern edge of the inferred cropmark field systems NHER 50725.

4.2.10 Some of the areas of undated cropmarks described as being of possible Iron Age or Romano-British in 4.2.4, may actually be of medieval origin (NHER 50728, 50729, 50730, 50744, 51930, 51932). In addition a large number of other areas of cropmarks or earthworks of medieval and/or post-medieval date are present within the study area. The closest is a fragmentary curvilinear ditch feature (NHER 51936) approximately 100m south of the assessment site, which may be part of an enclosure as it is on a similar alignment to NHER 50730 to the north. Possible medieval or post-medieval linear and curvilinear features and a stack stand have been identified in New Rackheath some 140-180m to the east of the assessment site the latter feature is an alternative interpretation for the Bronze Age ring ditch (NHER 51923, 51924). The field walking on the west side of the assessment site produced one possible sherd of medieval pottery (NHER 49751, Morgan and Hoggett 2008).

Post-Medieval (1539-1900)

4.2.11 There is debate as to when Grade II listed Rackheath Hall to the west of the assessment site was built, with the earliest estimate 1777 and the latest 1852-4 (NHER 8172). It replaced a 16th or 17th century hall, owned by Sir John Pettus MP and Mayor for Norwich, who was knighted by Elizabeth I, which burnt down. A bridge built between 1886 and 1919 that crosses the lake to the north of Rackheath Hall is also Grade II

Land at Green Lane West, Salthouse Road, Rackheath, Norfolk 11 © Archaeological Solutions Ltd listed (NHER 20138). Rackheath Park which included the assessment site was probably a deer park by the late 16th century when the estate was owned by the Pettus family, and so could have medieval origins. It was greatly enhanced in the early part of the 19th century with the formation of new lodges and an avenue (NHER 30518). Hall Farm on the west side of the assessment site was originally built around 1820 with later additions (NHER 42007). Faden’s Map of 1797 also shows that the majority of the assessment site was located on Mousehold Heath which remained little altered between the 16th century and the end of the 18th (NHER 53082; Fig. 4). During the Peasants Revolt in 1381, a large gathering of Norfolk rebels assembled on the heath and proclaimed their leader Geoffrey Litster, 'King of the Commons’, before marching on to defeat at North Walsham. The evaluation 420m to the north identified an undated ditch which probably represented an earlier field boundary; it does not appear on any recent maps and would appear to predate 1887 (Crawley 2010). A number of post-medieval finds have been metal detected from within the study area (NHER 49749, 49754, 50501), with the closest ordering the west side of the site; see 4.2.13 (Morgan and Hoggett 2008, Harrison 2103).

Modern (20th Century)

4.2.12 In 1943 an airfield was constructed for the United States Army Air Forces Eighth Air Force for the use of B24s, on agricultural land between Rackheath Magna and Rackheath Parva (NHER 8170). Such heavy planes required concrete runways and perimeter tracks to bear their weight, and the main runway was 1,800m long, with two auxiliary runways each 1,300m long; the perimeter track was 4.3 km in length. Such airfierlds had an impact on the landscape with hedgerows and small woods removed, and other woods adapted as camouflage (Fairhead 184-2). At Rackheath Airfield Mark 11 airfield lighting was installed, two T-2 hangars were erected for major aircraft maintenance, and dispersed temporary building accommodation was provided for around 2,400 men in the wooded countryside of Rackheath Hall estate south-west of the airfield. Aerial photographs show clusters of huts and other structures dispersed across Rackheath Park, but the area containing these borders the west and north of the assessment site and does not appear to encroach upon it (NHER 30518).

4.2.13 Two field work investigations have taken place on the transect of land allocated for the proposed Norwich Northern Distributor Route that borders the west side of the assessment site (Figs. 3e and 3f). Between 2006 and 2007 that area was field walked where the Bronze Age spear head and sherd of possible medieval pottery were recovered. In addition a post-medieval coin (1878) and token or trade weight (1772), and six other pieces of post-medieval metalwork or ceramic building material were found (Morgan and Hoggett 2008). The second investigation was a geophysical survey carried out in 2013, which identified a number of anomalies consistent with ferrous objects in the topsoil, and a number of anomalies thought to be geological (Harrison 2013). Disturbance at the northern edge of the plot probably relates to Hall Farm and the track leading up to it. There has been no archaeological field work carried out on the assessment site.

Land at Green Lane West, Salthouse Road, Rackheath, Norfolk 12 © Archaeological Solutions Ltd

4.3 Cartographic Evidence (Figs. 4 - 11)

Early Historic Maps

4.3.1 Faden’s 1797 map of Norfolk shows the assessment site partly overlying Mousehold Heath. The area to the west is heavily wooded, and the Rackheath House estate is owned by Edward Stracey Esquire (Fig. 4). The 1801 tithe map shows the assessment site as part of a larger field owned by Edward Stracey Esquire which contains a pit within a square enclosure, accessed by a track from the road to the east (Fig. 5). Rackheath Hall is shown to the north-west mainly surrounded by Heath Wood and a screen of tree. The 1834 tithe map shows the assessment site now consists of parts of five fields which are still owned by Edward Stracey and are under arable cultivation (Fig. 6; Appendix 3). The quarry pit visible and Hall Farm is now present to the west, and another house has been built on the east side of the assessment site. Woodland is shown bordering the west side of the assessment site which is not on the tithe map, so either it is newly planted, or more likely was simply not shown on the earlier map.

OS Maps

4.3.2 The 1882 First Edition OS map shows that the assessment site now comprises three fields, the gravel pit contains trees or bushes and there is a track running from Heath Wood to the north edge of the site (Fig. 7). The south-east corner of the assessment site is named Slipper’s Bottom which may be connected to the northernmost field on the tithe map which was named name Slipper’s Close. The 1919 and 1928 OS maps show no change to the assessment site other than the disappearance of the track joining its north end (Figs. 8 & 9). The 1967 OS map shows that the area is now built up to the east and north, but there are no significant changes to the assessment site (Fig. 10).

4.4 Constraints

Listed Buildings – The only two listed buildings in the study area are Rackheath Hall and the lake bridge to its north-east (NHER 8172, M20138).

Registered Park and Gardens – There are no Registered Parks and Gardens in the study area. The assessment site is located on what was part of Rackheath Park (NHER 30518), which is listed in Norfolk County Council’s ‘Inventory of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Norfolk’, but IS NOT ON English Heritage’s Scheduling record ‘English Heritage: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England’.

Archaeological Priority Area – The assessment site is not in a designated Archaeological Priority Area. The Greater Norwich Development Project which includes Norwich and Broadland Councils locates it in Archaeological Characterisation area ACZ 11: Beeston Park, Sproughton Park, and Rackheath Park; see 7.1 (www.gndp.org.uk).

Land at Green Lane West, Salthouse Road, Rackheath, Norfolk 13 © Archaeological Solutions Ltd

Scheduled Ancient Monuments – There are no Scheduled Ancient Monuments within approximately 1km of the assessment site.

Conservation Areas – The assessment site is not located within a Conservation Area. It is currently situated within a defined area of Special Landscape Value, designated under the current Local Plan (BDLP 2006) Policy ENV8.

5 SITE VISIT (DPs 1-7)

Site Access & Layout

5.1 The assessment site was visited 23/05/2014. The site is fairly level and comprises arable fields under crop. The site is bordered by two major roads on the east and south sides, and by woodland on the north and west sides. Access is via a track from Green Lane West to the east leading to Hall Farm, which divides the assessment site into two parts. Another potential access point further north is via a private track to Hall Farm from Green Lane West.

6 DISCUSSION

6.1 Previous Ground Disturbance

6.1.1 The historic maps show that a gravel pit was located towards the centre of the site which was dug in the 18th century, or earlier (Figs. 4-10). Field walking and metal detecting was undertaken over a small area abutting the west side of the assessment site, and so some very small scale intrusion may have taken place during the process (NHER 49751).

6.2 The Impact of the Proposed Development

6.2.1 The proposed housing development will involve the excavation of foundation and service trenches, the removal of topsoil and subsoil to create building and road surfaces, and the tracking of heavy machinery across the site. This will have a destructive impact on potential archaeological remains through truncation and compaction of the deposits.

6.3 Archaeological Potential

6.3.1 The following assessments are based on the archaeological information discussed above.

Prehistoric – Moderate. Possible late Iron Age field systems are located to the north and north-east of the assessment site reaching to with approximately 125m (NHER

Land at Green Lane West, Salthouse Road, Rackheath, Norfolk 14 © Archaeological Solutions Ltd

50728, 50729, 50730). A middle Bronze Age spearhead was metal detected adjacent to the site (NHER 49751), and cropmarks of a possible Bronze Age ring ditch were located 130m to the east (NHER 51924). Thirty pieces of worked flint were recovered from the field immediately to the south (NHER 49752).

Romano-British – Moderate. The possible late Iron Age field systems (above) may have continued through the Romano-British period (NHER 50728, 50729, 50730). Some Roman pottery was found in a pipeline trench running approximately 115m east of Green Lane West (NHER 33750).

Anglo-Saxon – Low. There are no Anglo-Saxon remains or finds from within the study area.

Medieval – Moderate. The medieval village of Rackheath Parva was located 500m to the north (NHER 12639), and a medieval track known as Ravensgate Way crossed the northern tip of the assessment site (NHER 8128). A large number of cropmarks of possible medieval date have been identified to the north of the site (NHER 50728, 50729, 50730, 50744, 51930, 51932). A fragmentary ditch approximately 100m south of the assessment site may be medieval (NHER 51936).

Post-Medieval – Moderate to High. The cropmarks listed under medieval probably continued in use into the post-medieval period. The southern part of the assessment site formed part of Mousehold Heath (NHER 53082), and the site was originally part of Rackheath Park (NHER 30518). During WWII an American airfield was located to the north-east (NHER 8170), and associated huts and other domestic structures were located immediately to the west and north of the assessment site, and so potentially could encroach onto it (NHER 30518). The historic maps indicate that a gravel or clay pit was dug on the assessment site (Figs. 4-10).

7 CONCLUSION

7.1 Prehistoric finds from the southern part of the parish are generally low but include a Bronze Age spearhead metal detected from adjacent to the assessment site (NHER 49751), while worked flints have been recovered from the field to the south (NHER 49752). Several Neolithic axe heads have also been found within the study area. A group of undated and probably multi-period field systems, which may have commenced in the Iron Age, are located to the north, and reach to within approximately 125m of the assessment site (NHER 50728, 50729, 50730).

7.2 Remnants of field systems (NHER 50744) which may predate Rackheath Park and share similarities with Iron Age or Romano-British field systems recorded elsewhere in Norfolk have been identified in the northeastern portion of the park, as well as those listed in 7.1. Roman pottery and undated pits containing burnt flint were found during pipeline construction that reached to 115m east of the assessment site at its closest (NHER 33750).

Land at Green Lane West, Salthouse Road, Rackheath, Norfolk 15 © Archaeological Solutions Ltd

7.3 The medieval village of Rackheath Parva was located approximately 500m to the north (NHER 12639), and a medieval track known as Ravensgate Way running from Norwich, crossed the northern tip of the assessment site (NHER 8128). A large number of cropmarks of possible medieval date have been identified to the north (NHER 50728, 50729, 50730, 50744, 51930, 51932). A fragmentary ditch approximately 100m south of the assessment site may be medieval (NHER 51936), and appears to be on an alignment with the northern cropmarks.

7.4 The Greater Norwich Development Project which includes Norwich and Broadland District Councils characterises the area including the assessment site as a zone consisting primarily of 18th to 20th century wooded plantations, informal parkland, and leisure/recreation areas. Much of the landscape has not been substantially altered since the creation of these parks in the 18th century, and few archaeological remains pre-dating the 16th century have been recorded. Much of the 18th century parkland has been preserved and substantial World War Two remains associated with the nearby American airbase are likely to remain buried within Rackheath Park (NHER 30518, 50740, 50741, 8170 (www.gndp.org.uk). The historic maps indicate that a gravel or clay pit was dug on the assessment site, and that there have been some small changes to field boundaries over time, but these are probably of low archaeological significance (Figs. 4-10).

8 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Archaeological Solutions Ltd (AS) would like to thank the applicants, TimChris Farms Limited and R & J.M. Place Limited and Norfolk Homes, and Mr Simon Wheatman of Wheatman Planning.

AS is also pleased to acknowledge Anj Beckham of Norfolk HER, and the staff at the Millennium Library (ML) and the Norfolk Archive Centre (NAC), Norwich.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Barringer, J.C. 1998 Faden’s Map of Norfolk Larks Press Edition

Crawley, P. 2010 An Archaeological Evaluation on Land South of Sir Edward Stracey Road, Rackheath, Norfolk NAU Archaeology unpublished report

Fairhead, H. 2005 ‘Airfields of the Second World War’ in Ashwin, T. and Davison, A. (eds) in An Historical Atlas of Norfolk Phillimore pp.184-2

Harrison, S. 2013 Norwich Northern Distribution Road Application for Development Consent Order Document Reference 6.2 WYAS Report

Institute of Field Archaeologists (now Institute for Archaeologists), 1994 (revised 2012) Standard and Guidance for Historic Environment Desk-based Assessments. IfA, Reading

Mills, D. 1991 Dictionary of English Place Names Oxford Uni Press

Morgan, S. and Hoggett, R. 2008 Norwich Northern Distributor Route: Fieldwalking and Metal-detecting Survey NAU Archaeology Report No. 1369

Websites

Accessed April-May 2014: www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk – Rackheath Hall www.domesdaymap.co.uk/place – Rackheath www.gndp.org.uk – Greater Norwich Development Project Archaeological Characterisation area ACZ 11: Rackheath Park www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk – Rackheath parish www.norfolk.gov.uk – Norfolk Museums Service; prehistoric Norfolk

APPENDIX 1 HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT RECORD INFORMATION

The following sites are those that lie within a 1km radius of the assessment site. The table has been compiled from data held by the Norfolk Historic Environment Record (NHER).

NHER Number National Grid Description Reference TG Prehistoric <500,000 BC – AD 43 8171 2837 1303 A prehistoric stone axehammer has been recorded at this location. 54173 2794 1325 An evaluation in February 2010 revealed a ditch, pit and gully of unknown date and a possible Upper Palaeolithic struck flint. Neolithic 4,200 – 2,200 BC 8149 2748 1244 Neolithic polished flint axehead, Rackheath Park, found in 1959 8153 2811 1169 A Neolithic polished axehead, Neolithic flint scrapers and other flint implements, found in 1964 and 1971. 8168 2895 1297 Sometime around 1969 a Neolithic chipped and polished flint axe was retrieved from this location. 8169 2908 1183 A Mesolithic or Neolithic macehead, made of quartz, found in 1969. 18875 2826 1337 Site of possible Neolithic oval barrow or mortuary Enclosure: A rather irregular oval ring ditch, with a possible causeway at its eastern end. It is similar in both its size and shape to other examples of Neolithic funerary monuments identified in Norfolk and elsewhere. Bronze Age 2,200- 700BC Iron Age 700 BC to AD 42 Romano-British AD 43 – 410 8150 2767 1176 Coin: In 1950 a Roman copper coin of Diocletian was found in a field near to White House in Sprowston. 29707 28 11 A Roman disc brooch and a Roman coin, found by a metal detectorist. Anglo-Saxon AD 410-1066 Medieval 1066-1539 8127 2635 1175 Ravensgate Way, medieval road: This medieval road is marked on maps in 1585 and 1906. The exact line is hard to judge but the road ran from Norwich through Sprowston to Rackheath. Although no traces of the road have been found, a short section of a post medieval hollow way has been identified here. 8128 2550 1121 Horning Ferry Way, medieval road: This medieval road is marked on maps in 1585 and 1906. The exact line is hard to judge but the road ran from Norwich through Sprowston to Rackheath. No trace of this road is visible on aerial photographs or at ground level. 8166 2685 1096 Ranworth Way, medieval road: This is the course of a medieval road, shown on a map of 1585. The course of the road forms the parish boundary between Great and Little Plumstead, Rackheath, Sprowston and Thorpe St Andrew. A parish boundary ditch, or roadside ditch, was observed in a gas pipe trench in 1979.

12639 2772 1332 Site of Little Rackheath Church: Documentary sources mention that the medieval church of Little Rackheath had decayed by the 16th century. It is thought to be located somewhere near to this spot, although there is much debate as to its exact whereabouts. 31541 2781 1338 Medieval burials probably from the churchyard of Rackheath Parva church In 1995, during the digging of an extension to a house on this site, three to four inhumations were uncovered. These were aligned east to west with their heads to the west. No other finds were made. These burials are probably from the churchyard of Rackheath Parva church (NHER 12639). 39886 28 12 Metal detecting before September 2003 recovered a short cross penny of Edward I and a halfpenny of Alexander III of Scotland. 56800 2898 1311 In 2011 a geophysical survey detected a number of anomalies of potential archaeological origin including a possible enclosure. An archaeological evaluation in revealed a pit possibly dating to the 11th or 12th century containing a sherd from a cooking pot. Post-medieval 1539-1900 8172 2740 1260 Rackheath Hall: The date of construction is widely debated and elements are postulated to come from 1777, the 1820s and 1850s. The central bay of the building is supported by giant Ionic pilasters and this classical theme is continued by the Tuscan porch. After becoming slightly run down the building was restored in 1998 and this allowed numerous interior features to be recorded and dated. Of particular interest is the fine Adam style plastering used in several of the rooms. Excavations in the grounds of the mansion have revealed a medieval coin of William I as well as more recent tree holes and a driveway built in the 1930s. Rather quaintly it has now been converted into an antiques shop, a fitting purpose for such an elegant building. 13586 - East Norfolk Railway (later Great Eastern), Cromer Line: Work on the East Norfolk Railway began in 1867, designed to create a route from Norwich to Cromer. It opened at North Walsham in 1874, at Gunton in 1876 and finally at Cromer in 1877, and the line is still in use today. A link to Sheringham was built in 1906. Whitlingham was closed to passengers in 1955 and goods in 1964, and Cromer High in 1954 and 1960. This line once hosted Restaurant Car expresses from Liverpool Street bringing holiday-makers to the seaside, but since then the track has been reduced to a single line. The line originally included the Wroxham signal box, now listed under (NHER 43923). The signal box was built in 1900 by McKenzie and Holland, to a standard Great Eastern Railway Type 7 design, with a fifty level frame complete with internal fittings. It is currently listed by English Heritage, and is situated next to the Bure Valley Railway. 20138 2748 1270 Post-medieval bridge: The bridge dates from between 1886 and 1919. It is constructed of brick and limestone and has three spans with elliptical arches. It links the kitchen garden to the estate road. 30518 2757 1279 Rackheath Park: Probably a deer park by the late 16th century when the estate was owned by the Pettus family. From the

later 18th century the estate was owned by the Straceys. The park was extended to the south, taking in part of former Mousehold Heath following the c. 1801 Parliamentary Enclosure of Rackheath. A new south entrance with lodges and an avenue were formed and new areas of woodland added. Between 1801 and the 1834 tithe map a new entrance drive on Wroxham Road was added. This was later replaced by a realignment of the earlier drive to the west, which was given twin lodges and elaborate wrought iron gates and screen. The gardens and pleasure grounds around the house were also extended to the south east between 1842 and 1882. Used as an accommodation site by USAAF in WWII for neighbouring Rackheath Airfield. There are numerous remains of this period within the parkland. 42007 27921 12535 Hall Farm:This large estate farmhouse dates to around 1820 with extensions made in the later 19th century. Barns of a similar date are present, but are derelict. 45426 29 12 Medieval and post medieval objects, including a 15th-16th century coin weight, were found during metal detecting in 2006. 49749 27476 13617 Prehistoric worked flints, medieval and postmedieval finds, Norwich Northern Distributor Route, Field 54: Fieldwalking and metal detecting in October 2007 recovered 52 worked flints as well as medieval and post-medieval artefacts. 49754 28697 11469 Two post-medieval coins, Norwich Northern Distributor Route, Field 66: Fieldwalking and metal detecting in January 2007 revealed only two post-medieval coins. Further metal detecting in 2009 recovered a post medieval weight. 50501 27734 12953 Post-medieval coin and undated buckle, Norwich Northern Distributor Route, Field 58: The only finds recovered during fieldwalking and metal detecting in February 2007 were a post-medieval coin and an undated buckle.

Modern 1900+ 8170 2871 1398 Site of World War Two airfield at Rackheath: A World War Two airfield occupied this site, some elements of which still survive today. The World War Two site is visible as earthworks, structures and buildings on aerial photographs taken from 1945 onwards. The airfield opened in 1943. Designated Station 145, it was used by the USA 8th Air Force 467th Bomb Group, the ‘Rackheath Aggies’, flying B-24 Liberators. Its duties included attacking enemy infrastructure and countering the 1944 German Ardennes offensive. By the end of the war the group had completed 212 missions, dropping over 13,000 tons of bombs, and was credited with the best overall bombing accuracy in the 8th Air Force. One Liberator, called 'Witchcraft', flew a record 130 missions. The airfield had a classic ‘A’-shaped layout of three interconnected runways, surrounded and linked by a perimeter track, along which numerous dispersal bays were sited. Hangars and a control tower, as well as numerous smaller buildings, huts and shelters, are evident within the airfield itself; these include two Type T2, an extensive technical site (in the vicinity of what is now Rackheath Industrial Estate) and a bomb store and ammunition dump. Accommodation was provided by clusters of huts sited in Rackheath Park, immediately to the southwest

(NHER 50740). Visible defences consist of a series of small gun emplacements sited around the perimeter of the airfield, although some larger sites of unknown function identified to the north and northeast (e.g. NHER 50717) could have been associated with airfield defence or communications. The airfield was closed in 1945 and was used as a private airfield from 1960, although this too has now closed. Parts of the runways and tracks, together with the control tower, still survive. 50740 2740 1294 Domestic site for World War Two airfield, within Rackheath Park: The domestic site for the World War Two airfield at Rackheath (NHER 8170) is visible on aerial photographs as clusters of huts and others structures dispersed across Rackheath Park (NHER 30518). The site could apparently accommodate 2900 personnel. Signs of activity are evident across much of the area, together with ground defences in the form of spigot mortar emplacements. Aerial photographs taken in the 1980s and ‘90s indicate that substantial remnants of the site, in the form of huts, structures and areas of concrete, still survived. A sewage works for the camp, situated some 900m to its northwest, is still in use, albeit in a substantially modified form. 50741 2715 1340 Probable World War Two military training areas in Rackheath Park: A probable World War Two military training area is visible on aerial photographs as earthworks on an area of rough ground at the north end of Rackheath Park (NHER 30518). The earthworks, which comprise lengths of zigzag practice trenches, as well as shorter V-shaped and linear trenches, do not look fresh in 1945, when the earliest available aerial photographs were taken. This suggests that they date from earlier in the war, and therefore may pre-date the adjacent World War Two airfield at Rackheath (NHER 8170), the domestic site for which (NHER 50740) occupied much of the central and southern portions of the park. The area of visible trenches is now under arable cultivation and the earthworks have presumably been levelled; however, other elements of the site not visible on the consulted aerial photographs could survive within woodland. 51893 23 10 Site of World War Two defensive anti tank ditch around city of Norwich: World War Two defensive anti-tank ditch around city of Norwich and associated defences, including anti-tank cubes, spigot mortar emplacements, pillboxes and road blocks are visible as earthworks and structures on aerial photographs. 51917 2719 1155 Site of World War Two possible pillbox/ heavy machine gun emplacement: A rectangular World War Two possible pillbox and/or heavy machine gun emplacement is visible as an extant structure on aerial photographs, to the south of Salhouse Road. 51921 2870 1274 Site of World War Two Anderson shelter: A small World War Two Anderson type air raid shelter was visible on aerial photographs from 1945 in the garden of a residential property.

Multi-period 33750 2762 1335 Multi-period pottery sherds and prehistoric flints, water

pipeline at New Rackheath: Observations in 1998 along the line of a water pipeline recovered a range of artefacts. Finds included pieces of Roman and medieval pottery, an undated iron vessel handle and worked flints. Additionally, some burnt flints were found in pits. 36254 28 12 Metal detecting in April/May 2001 recovered a medieval harness pendant. Later on in 2001 a Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age barbed and tanged arrowhead was also found at this location. 49751 28053 12452 Middle Bronze Age spearhead and post-medieval finds, Norwich Northern Distributor Route, Field 61: Found in 2007 through Field walking and metal detecting 49752 28269 12194 Prehistoric worked flints and post-medieval metal objects, Norwich Northern Distributor Route, Field 63: Fieldwalking and metal detecting in October 2007 recovered 30 pieces of worked flint as well as post-medieval metal objects. 50502 28 11 Prehistoric worked flints and post-medieval metal Objects: Fieldwalking and metal detecting recovered prehistoric worked flints, a lead trade weight of James I or II, a post medieval cloth seal and a large quantity of 18th century and later metal objects 51314 28 13 Medieval, post medieval and undated finds: Metal detecting in 2007 - 2008 recovered a possible Bronze Age unidentified object, and medieval and post medieval metal finds, including a gilt medieval horse harness pendant and a post medieval lead bird feeder. 51890 2709 1232 Possible medieval-post medieval field boundaries: Several linear ditch features were visible as cropmarks on the line of the medieval road (NHER 8127), which ran from Norwich through Sprowston to Rackheath, where possible medieval to post medieval settlement was recorded (NHER 50727, 50729 and 50730) on a similar alignment to the field boundaries identified above. 52535 28 13 Metal detecting in 2008-9 revealed Roman, medieval and post- medieval finds 51918 2759 1163 Site of possible medieval to post medieval linear ditch feature with associated bank: A possible medieval to post medieval linear ditch feature with associated bank is visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs. This feature may relate to an ‘entrenchment’ marked around Gidding Heath on a 1589 map of Mousehold Heath. Another section of the entrenchment may be represented by NHER 51933, 485m to the east. 51936 2826 1222 A curving linear ditch feature is visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs. It is fragmentary in nature, and difficult to define, but appears to be on a similar alignment to the ditched enclosures visible 750m to the north (NHER 50730), and may possibly represent a medieval to post medieval enclosure. 51942 2910 1111 A series of multi-phase linear ditches are visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs. At least one ditch in the southeast of the site is very close to the line of a post medieval field boundary. Many of the other features appear to respect these boundaries also, and a medieval to post medieval date has therefore been attributed to them.

51959 2723 1253 Possible medieval-post medieval field boundaries or garden features: Several linear ditch features were visible as cropmarks 243m to the north of the line of the medieval road (NHER 8127), which ran from Norwich through Sprowston to Rackheath, where possible medieval to post medieval settlement was recorded (NHER 50727, 50729 and 50730) on a similar alignment. They may, however, represent post medieval formal garden features related to Rackheath Hall. Undated 8152 2816 1174 Undated possible watercourse: An area of black soil marks the possible course of a former stream, possibly the 'Black Dyke' shown on a map of 1585. A palaeochannel is certainly visible in this area on aerial photographs. 9687 271 111 Earthworks: An 'entrenchment' is shown on a map of Mousehold Heath of 1585. There is now no visible sign of any earthworks on the site, although it is possible that a linear ditch feature with associated bank (NHER 51918), situated 370m to the north of the mapped position of NHER 9687, may relate to part of the entrenchment. 9688 2873 1183 Earthwork: An 'entrenchment' is shown on a map of Mousehold Heath of 1585. There is now no visible sign of any earthworks on the site. A curving ditch feature has been recorded, however, approximately 140m to the south of the mapped position of NHER 9688, which has been interpreted as possible evidence of ‘entrenchment’ during the medieval to post medieval period (see NHER 51933). 15351 2835 1156 Hearth of unknown date: An area of charcoal was observed in a pipe trench in 1979. The feature may be the remains of a hearth of unknown date. 21125 2745 1252 Cropmarks of an undated ring ditch/square barrow and enclosure, probably post medieval garden features: Their location on the front lawn of Rackheath Hall, and a thorough examination of the available aerial photographs, however, suggests they may be post medieval garden features. 21259 2782 1158 Undated ditch: In October 1979 a ditch 2m wide was found in the side of gas pipe trench. The date and purpose of this ditch remains unknown. 49753 28667 11543 Undated lead object, Norwich Northern Distributor Route, Field 65: metal detecting here in January 2007 found an undiagnostic lead bar or ingot. 50744 2740 1349 Site of undated field system in Rackheath Park: Part of a field system of unknown date is visible within Rackheath Park (NHER 30518) as cropmarks on aerial photographs. Ditches form a regular, broadly rectilinear pattern of two or more fields, of which at least one element is double-ditched and perhaps acted as a trackway. More fragmentary cropmarks extend the postulated system for some distance to the northwest, while similarly fragmentary ditches on a different alignment may represent features belonging to a separate phase of activity. The date of the field system is unknown; finds ranging in date from the prehistoric to the medieval period were recovered from a pipeline a short distance to its east (NHER 33750). It presumably pre-dates the park, which was established before 1588; its form is reminiscent of Iron Age and/or Romano-

British field systems recorded elsewhere in Norfolk, but a post medieval date, representing a period of enclosure within the park, cannot be ruled out. 50728 2913 1340 Possible fragment of undated settlement: A rectilinear arrangement of undated ditches, visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs, may represent part of a more extensive linear settlement, ranged along a trackway or road. Larger and more cohesive areas of this postulated settlement are visible, also as cropmarks, to its north (NHER 50727) and southwest (NHER 50729). As is described in the records for these two sites, the settlement is of probable late medieval to early post medieval date, although an Iron Age and/or Roman origin cannot be ruled out. 50729 2870 1320 Site of probable settlement of unknown date: A probable settlement of unknown date is visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs. The site is evident as a linear arrangement of rectilinear enclosures ranged along what is now a field boundary but may once have been (at least in part) a road or trackway named Ravensgate Way on a map of 1585 (NHER 8127). What may be further elements of the settlement have been identified immediately to the north (NHER 50728) and south (NHER 50730), and although they are separated by some 570m, cropmarks further to the north (NHER 50727) are similar enough in alignment and character to suggest that they formed part of the same probable settlement, ranged along a trackway or road, now followed for some of its length by the parish boundary (see NHER 50727). If the settlement and trackway was arranged along Ravensgate Way, before turning away north towards Wroxham, a late medieval or early post medieval date seems most likely, with the site occupying a former common-edge position in relation to Mousehold Heath. Alternatively, given its similarity to sites mapped in Lincolnshire and elsewhere, a late prehistoric to Roman date is also plausible. 50730 2816 1302 Site of probable multi-phase settlement of unknown date, north of Cherry Tree Farm: A probable multi-period but undated settlement site is visible as the cropmarks of enclosures, probable trackways, and other features on aerial photographs. Although the various alignments exhibited by different features suggest more than one phase of activity, elements belonging to a single phase are difficult to distinguish, and the site may have developed over a period of time to form the irregular layout visible on the photographs. The site shares alignments and other characteristics with more extensive settlement cropmarks visible to the east (NHER 50729). These in turn seem to form part of a much larger linear settlement, ranged along Ravensgate Way (NHER 8127), the postulated line of which passes to the south of the site described here, before turning northwards towards Wroxham (see NHER 50729 and 50727). This settlement probably dates to the late medieval to early post medieval period, when it would have occupied a common-edge position in relation to Mousehold Heath. Its similarity to Iron Age to Roman period sites mapped in Lincolnshire and elsewhere, however, means that an earlier origin cannot be ruled out.

50725 2854 1396 Site of undated and post medieval field boundaries and other cropmarks: An extensive group of undated and post medieval field boundaries and other cropmarks is visible on aerial photographs across the site of Rackheath Airfield (NHER 8170). Many of the cropmarks in this area, particularly those on the eastern side of the former World War Two airfield, can be assigned to a particular phase, whether of postulated Iron Age to Roman date (e.g. NHER 50726) or medieval to post medieval date (e.g. NHER 50727, 17676). The remainder, which are described here, comprise undated elements, including some of doubtful archaeological origin, as well as a number of isolated post medieval field boundaries of negligible significance. A number of large, pit-like features of unknown date also form part of this site. 51922 2855 1275 An undated linear ditch feature was visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs. It does not correspond with the alignment of field boundaries on historic maps of the area, nor does it share alignments with nearby features (NHER 51923 and 51924). Its fragmentary nature made it difficult to characterise. 51923 2841 1276 Undated linear and curvilinear features were visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs, possibly representing field boundaries or land division. 51924 2844 1266 Possible medieval to post medieval linear features and stack stand or undated ring ditch 51930 2918 1228 Undated linear and curvilinear ditch features are visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs, one of which appears to be on the same alignment as a linear feature 280m to the west (NHER 51931). These features may relate to medieval to post medieval land division, although they do not appear to correspond with historic maps of the area, and may relate to an earlier phase of land division, perhaps Iron Age to Roman in date. 51931 2890 1224 An undated linear feature is visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs. This northwest-southeast linear ditch appears to be on the same alignment as a linear feature 280m to the east (NHER 51930) which may relate to medieval to post medieval land division, although neither feature appears to correspond with the field boundaries on the historic maps of the area, and therefore may both relate to an earlier phase of land division, perhaps of Iron Age to Roman date. 51932 2919 1206 Undated linear and curvilinear features are visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs. Their orientation is generally at odds with that of the modern field pattern, although seems to echo the medieval to post medieval site to the east (NHER 51947) in places, as well as the possible Iron Age to Roman trackway to the north (NHER 51930) in others, suggesting a multi-phase site. 51933 2833 1177 A curving ditch feature visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs, approximately 140m to the south of the mapped position of NHER 9688, may be interpreted as possible evidence of ‘entrenchment’ on Mousehold Heath during the medieval to post medieval period. It is possible that another section of this entrenchment was visible 485m to the west (NHER 51918). 51934 2861 1199 Two probable enclosures in the form of curving sub-

rectangular ditches were visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs, within the possible medieval to post medieval 'entrenchment’ (NHER 51933). As these features seem to echo the medieval to post medieval settlement to the north (NHER 50729), they have also been dated to the medieval to post medieval period. 51935 2861 1225 An undated possible double-ditched enclosure and possible pit were visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs. Their blurred edges suggest that these features may in fact be geological. 52295 2867 1178 Undated possible linear ditch features are visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs. They may represent possible enclosures, or fragmentary field boundaries. 53082 286 118 The origins of Mousehold Heath are unknown, but it remained little altered between the 16th century and the end of the 18thcentury. This site represents the maximum known extent of the heath, as depicted on Faden's Map of Norfolk (1797). Negative 49750 27617 13343 Site with no archaeological finds, Norwich Northern Distributor Route, Field 55: Field walking and metal detecting found nothing 51049 27654 13201 Site with no archaeological finds, Norwich Northern Distributor Route, Field 56: Fieldwalking and metal detecting in September 2006 revealed no archaeological finds.

APPENDIX 2 CARTOGRAPHIC SOURCES

Figs Date Title Scale Source & Location 1 Modern Site Location 1:25,000 OS 2 Modern Detailed site location 1:2,500 Client 3 - HER information - NHER 4 1797 Faden’s map of Norfolk - ML: Barringer 1998 5 1801 Rackheath enclosure map - NAC: C/Sca/2/222 6 1834 Rackheath tithe map - NAC: DN/TA 36 7 1882 First Edition OS map 1:2,500 ML: 64.1 8 1913 OS map 1:2,500 ML: 64.1 9 1928 OS map 1:2,500 ML: 64.1 10 1967 OS map 1:2,500 ML: TG 2812 & TG2912 and TG 2612 & TG 2712

APPENDIX 3 TITHE APPORTIONMENT

Plot No. Owner Occupier Plot Name Use Area A.R.P 31 Sir Edward James Barrell Slippers arable 12.0.38 Stracey Close 134 “ Sir Edward homestead pasture 2.0.20 Stracey 135 “ “ plantation plantation 0.3.25 136 “ “ homestead pasture 4.2.29 137 “ “ arable 13.2.33 138 “ John Kemp Homefield arable 4.2.20 139 “ “ Homefield arable 1.2.12 140 “ “ Great Field arable 5.3.32 141 “ “ Great Field arable 5.3.32

142 “ Sir Edward Gravel pit arable 19.1.33 Stracey

Land at Green Lane West, Salthouse Road, Rackheath, Norfolk 28 PHOTOGRAPHIC INDEX

1. Looking south-south-west from the north end of 2. Looking west from Green Lane West at the gated the site on Green Lane West at a disused access point along the track that bisects the two gate/access point. portions pf the site.

3. Looking south from the access point 4. Looking north along Green Lane West with the site to the left (west).

5. Looking north across the site from Salhouse 6. Looking west from Green Lane West across the Road. northern part of the site.

7. Looking south-west along a private road to the north of the site which leads to Hall Farm.

A141

A1151 Taverham Spixworth

Rackheath

Norwich A47

A146 0 10km

SITE

Reproduced from the 1999 Ordnance Archaeological Solutions Ltd Survey 1:25000 map with the permission of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office.Ó Crown copyright Fig. 1 Site location plan Archaeological Solutions Ltd Scale 1:25,000 at A4 Licence number 100036680

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Approximate site location

Archaeological Solutions Ltd Fig. 4 Faden’s map, 1797 Not to scale N N

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Archaeological Solutions Ltd Fig. 5 Enclosure map, 1801 Not to scale N N

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Archaeological Solutions Ltd Fig. 6 Tithe map, 1834 Not to scale