An Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment of the River Hun at Old Hunstanton and Holme Next the Sea, Norfolk
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AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL DESK-BASED ASSESSMENT OF THE RIVER HUN AT OLD HUNSTANTON AND HOLME NEXT THE SEA, NORFOLK NGR: TF 6900 4267 - TF 7210 4468 NHER Event Number: ENF147291 Dr James Albone MCIfA January 2020 Norfolk County Council Environment Service Union House, Gressenhall, Dereham, Norfolk NR20 4DR This page is intentionally blank Contents List of Figures iv List of Tables vi Summary 1 1.Introduction and Scope of the Study 1 2.Site Location and Description 1 3.Planning Policy and Legislative Background 5 4.Methodology 5 5.Archaeological and Historical Evidence 6 5.1 Prehistoric: Palaeolithic to Bronze Age 6 5.2 Iron Age to Roman 10 5.3 Early and Middle Anglo-Saxon 12 5.4 Late Anglo-Saxon to Post-Medieval 12 5.4.1 Late Anglo-Saxon to Post-Medieval Settlement 15 5.4.2 Late Anglo-Saxon to Post-Medieval Water Management 15 5.4.3 Late Anglo-Saxon to Post-Medieval Agricultural, Industrial and Recreational Land-use 16 5.5 Modern (Twentieth Century) 17 5.6 Undated 22 6.Cartographic Evidence 22 6.1 Map of Holme Parish, 1609 22 6.2 A True Description of the Towne of [Hunstanton], 1615 25 6.3 Plan and Notes on Holme Bounds, Early Seventeenth Century 25 6.4 Plans of Lands in Holme, Seventeenth Century 28 6.5 Map of Holme Marshes, Undated ?Seventeenth Century 28 6.6 Plotts of Holme Marshes, Seventeenth Century 29 6.7 Hunstanton Field Book, 1689 / c.1723 33 6.8 Holme Field Book, c.1690 / c.1722 33 6.9 Map of Part of the Parish of Hunstanton in the County of Norfolk, 1760 36 i 6.10 Map of Hunstanton and Ringstead Barrett, 1765 40 6.11 A Topographical Map of the County of Norfolk, published by William Faden. 1797; Ordnance Survey First Edition One Inch to the Mile map, Sheet LXIX. 1824; Map of the County of Norfolk, published by A. Bryant. 1826 40 6.12 Plan of Henry Styleman’s Estate, Early Nineteenth Century 40 6.13 Plan of the Parish of Holme next the Sea [Enclosure Map], 1827 40 6.14 Map of the Parish of Holme next the Sea [Tithe map] 1844 40 6.15 Map of the Parish of Hunstanton, [Tithe map] 1844 40 6.16 Holme and Hunstanton Embankment and Drainage Preliminary and Working Drawings 41 6.17 Holme and Hunstanton Commons in the Parish of Holme juxta Mare, 1858 45 6.18 Holme Common Inclosure. Plan and Section of Proposed New Outfall, 1869 45 6.19 First Edition Ordnance Survey Six Inch to the Mile Map, 1886 50 6.20 Second Edition (1906-7) Six Inch to the Mile and later Ordnance Survey maps 50 7.Aerial Photographic and LIDAR evidence 50 8.Project Area Walkover Survey 54 9.Assessing the Former Courses of the River Hun 62 10.Archaeological Potential and Significance 68 10.1 Palaeolithic and Mesolithic 68 10.2 Neolithic and Bronze Age 69 10.3 Iron Age, Roman and Anglo-Saxon 69 10.4 Medieval and Post-Medieval 69 10.5 Modern (Twentieth Century) 70 10.6 Overall Potential 70 11.Impact Assessment 71 11.1 Previous Impacts 71 11.2 Potential Impact of the Proposed Scheme 71 12.Mitigation Measures and Outreach Opportunities 73 12.1 Suggested Archaeological Mitigation Measures 73 12.2 Known Areas to be Avoided during the River Restoration Works 73 ii 12.3 Outreach and Public Engagement Opportunities 76 13.Conclusions 76 14.Acknowledgements 77 15.Bibliography and Sources 77 Appendix 1: Gazetteer of Heritage Assets in the Wider Assessment Area Recorded in the Norfolk HER. 79 iii List of Figures Note on map figures: unless otherwise stated all maps are oriented with north at the top. 1. Aerial image showing the course of the River Hun with the locations of the Western and Eastern Project Areas, and the Wider Assessment Area. 2. View of the modern River Hun in Old Hunstanton parish, looking east with Holme next the Sea in the distance. 3. View of the modern River Hun from the sluice in the sea bank at Thornham, looking west across Holme Marshes. 4. Recorded Prehistoric to Anglo-Saxon heritage assets in the Western Project Area and Wider Assessment Area. 5. Recorded Prehistoric to Anglo-Saxon heritage assets in the Eastern Project Area and Wider Assessment Area. 6. Recorded Medieval to Post-Medieval heritage assets in the Western Project Area and Wider Assessment Area. 7. Recorded Medieval to Post-Medieval heritage assets in the Eastern Project Area and Wider Assessment Area. 8. Recorded Modern (twentieth century) heritage assets in the Western Project Area and Wider Assessment Area. 9. Recorded Modern (twentieth century) heritage assets in the Eastern Project Area and Wider Assessment Area. 10. Recorded undated heritage assets and an investigated site with no archaeological evidence in the Western Project Area and Wider Assessment Area. 11. Recorded undated heritage assets and an investigated site with no archaeological evidence in the Eastern Project Area and Wider Assessment Area. 12. Extract from an early twentieth century tracing of a map of Holme parish dated 1609. 13. Extract from ‘A True Description of the Towne of Hunstanton’ dated 1615 showing the course of the river through the parish. 14. Early seventeenth century plan and notes on Holme Bounds. 15. Plan of Lands in Holme showing the river in the western part of the parish. Seventeenth century. 16. Detail from the seventeenth century plan of lands in Holme showing the river labelled as Mill fleet and the location of the mill. 17. Map of Holme Marshes showing the sinuous course of the river and its tributaries to the east of High Holmes. Undated, possibly seventeenth century. 18. Plotts of Holme Marshes [i] showing the river in the western part of the parish as far downstream as the mill. Seventeenth century. 19. Plotts of Holme Marshes [ii] showing the course of the river to the northeast of High Holmes. Seventeenth century. 20. Plotts of Holme Marshes [iii] showing the course of the river through the central part of the marshes. Seventeenth century. 21. Plotts of Holme Marshes [iv] showing the course of the river through the marshes in the eastern part of the parish. Seventeenth century. iv 22. Extract from Hunstanton Field Book showing the course of the river at the southwest limits of the Project Area. 1689 / c.1723. 23. Extract from Holme Field Book showing the course of the river in the western part of the parish and the former site of the mill. c.1690/1722. 24. A Map of the Parish of Hunstanton in the County of Norfolk showing the course of the river in 1760. 25. Detail from A Map of the Parish of Hunstanton in the County of Norfolk dated 1760, showing the multiple canalised courses of the river in the eastern part of the parish and a sluice gate where the river crosses the Sea Bank. 26. Extract from a Map of Hunstanton and Ringstead Barrett showing the course of the river in the parish in 1765. 27. Extract from the plan of Henry Styleman’s Estate in Hunstanton and Holme. Early 19th Century. 28. Extract from the Holme next the Sea Enclosure map. 1827. 29. Extract from the Hunstanton tithe map. 1844. 30. Holme and Hunstanton Embankment and Drainage Preliminary and Working Drawings, Plan of the Marshes. 1856. 31. Detail from the 1856 Plan of the Marshes, showing the existing and proposed river channel in Hunstanton parish. 32. Detail from the 1856 Plan of the Marshes, showing how the proposed river channel lay to the south of the previously existing one where it crosses Beach Road. 33. Detail from the 1856 Plan of the Marshes, showing the existing and proposed river channels through Holme Marshes. 34. Detail from the 1856 Plan of the Marshes, showing the proposed new sea bank at the river’s outfall. 35. Holme and Hunstanton Commons in the Parish of Holme juxta Mare showing the west section of the new Main Drain No II. 1858. 36. Holme and Hunstanton Commons in the Parish of Holme juxta Mare showing east section of the New River or Main Drain No IV. 1858. 37. Holme Common Inclosure Plan of 1869 showing the proposed new outfall drain on the river at Thornham. 38. Composite image from the Ordnance Survey First Edition Six Inch to the Mile Map (Sheets Norfolk I.SW and VI.NW) surveyed in 1886 showing the Western Project Area. 39. Composite image from the Ordnance Survey First Edition Six Inch to the Mile Map (Sheets Norfolk I.SW and VI.NW) surveyed in 1886 showing the Eastern Project Area. 40. Archaeological features within and adjacent to the Project Area recorded from aerial photographs by the Norfolk NMP. 41. RAF aerial photograph taken in the aftermath of the 1953 storm surge showing the two islands of High Holmes and Low Holmes at Holme next the Sea standing above the floodwater. 42. RAF aerial photograph taken in the aftermath of the 1953 storm surge showing the River Hun west of Beach Road at Holme next the Sea. 43. Google Earth aerial image from 2007 showing the former natural channels and creeks in Holme Marshes. v 44. WSO1 Linear earthworks of former river and drainage channels (NHER 26725 / 148) looking north across the golf course. 45. Walkover Survey Observation locations. 46. WSO2 Looking northeast showing the linear earthwork which corresponds with the recorded position of Sir Nicholas Le Strange’s Old Bank (NHER 26719 / 89) at the point where it is cut by the nineteenth century river channel. 47.