Hempton to South Creake Cable Route Hempton, Dunton, Sculthorpe and South Creake Norfolk Programme of Archaeological Recording for Lark Energy CA Project: 660529 CA Report: 15762 SMS and Earthwork Survey Event No: ENF138499 Watching Brief Event No: ENF138543 October 2015 Hempton to South Creake Cable Route Hempton, Dunton, Sculthorpe and South Creake Norfolk Programme of Archaeological Recording CA Project: 660529 CA Report: 15762 Document Control Grid Revision Date Author Checked by Status Reasons for Approved revision by A 15/10/2015 SRJ SCC Internal SCC review This report is confidential to the client. Cotswold Archaeology accepts no responsibility or liability to any third party to whom this report, or any part of it, is made known. Any such party relies upon this report entirely at their own risk. No part of this report may be reproduced by any means without permission. © Cotswold Archaeology © Cotswold Archaeology Hempton to South Creake cable route: Programme of Archaeological Recording CONTENTS SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................... 2 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 3 2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND ................................................................ 4 3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ................................................................................... 5 4. METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................... 6 5. RESULTS (FIGS 2-9) ......................................................................................... 8 6. THE FINDS ........................................................................................................ 10 7. THE BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE .......................................................................... 11 8. DISCUSSION ..................................................................................................... 12 9. CA PROJECT TEAM .......................................................................................... 13 10. REFERENCES ................................................................................................... 13 APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS .................................................................... 14 APPENDIX B: THE FINDS .............................................................................................. 15 APPENDIX C: OASIS REPORT FORM .......................................................................... 16 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site location plan (1:20,000) Fig. 2 Plan of SMS Area and Watching Brief Area 1 (1:400) Fig. 3 Sections (1:20) Fig. 4 Ditch 102/106, looking south (photograph) Fig. 5 Ditch 104/108, looking south (photograph) Fig. 6 Plan and profile of earthwork survey (1:200) Fig. 7 Earthwork survey and SMS Area, looking south-west (photograph) Fig. 8 Earthwork survey and SMS Area, looking north (photograph) Fig. 9 Watching brief Area 2 (photograph) 1 © Cotswold Archaeology Hempton to South Creake cable route: Programme of Archaeological Recording SUMMARY Project Name: Hempton to South Creake cable route Location: Hempton, Dunton, Sculthorpe and South Creake, Norfolk NGR: TF 8708 3331 – Sculthorpe to TF 9054 2941 – Hempton Moor Type: Programme of Archaeological Works Date: 28 September to 1 October and 14 October 2015 Planning Reference: PF/15/0384 & 15/00449/FM Location of Archive: To be deposited with Norfolk Museum Services Event No: SMS and Earthwork Survey: ENF138499 Watching Brief: ENF138543 Site Code: HSC 15 During September and October 2015, a programme of archaeological recording, consisting of an earthwork survey, strip, map and sample excavation and a watching brief was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology, both prior to and during groundworks associated with the installation of an underground electricity cable along the Hempton to South Creake cable route, Hempton, Dunton, Sculthorpe and South Creake, Norfolk. The cable route crosses the projected line of a Roman road which runs from Holkham to Toftrees. However, examination of LiDAR data did not identify the potential for any significant archaeological deposits to lie buried along the course of the proposed development. The south-eastern end of the cable route terminates within an area of earthworks of a deserted medieval settlement at Hempton Moor. The earliest features encountered comprised two ditches, located towards the eastern end of the cable route, containing pottery dating from the Iron Age. Two undated pits were located beneath the earthworks in the easternmost field. The survey recorded earthworks predominantly relating to modern construction and quarrying at the south-western termination of the cable route. Despite the projected line of a Roman road running through the cable route no evidence of Romano-British activity was found. 2 © Cotswold Archaeology Hempton to South Creake cable route: Programme of Archaeological Recording 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 During September and October 2015 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out a programme of archaeological recording during construction works associated with the installation of an underground electricity cable along the Hempton to South Creake cable route, Hempton, Dunton, Sculthorpe and South Creake, Norfolk (between NGR: TF 8708 3331 and TF 9054 2941). The work, which was commissioned by Lark Energy, was undertaken to fulfil a condition attached to planning consent (PF/15/0384; Conditions 8 and 9) granted by North Norfolk District Council (NNDC). 1.2 The programme of works was carried out in accordance with a Brief for Archaeological Monitoring and Archaeological Strip, Map and Sample Excavation at Hempton to South Creake Cable Route, Hempton, Dunton, Sculthorpe and South Creake, Norfolk (NCC 2015) issued by James Alborne, Planning Archaeologist, Norfolk County Council’s Historic Environment Service (NCCHES; the archaeological advisor to NNDC) and during subsequent discussions. 1.3 The fieldwork was conducted in accordance with a subsequent detailed Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) produced by CA (2015a) and approved by NNDC acting on the advice of James Alborne and also followed the appropriate sections of Standards for Field Archaeology in the East of England (Gurney 2003), the Standard and guidance: Archaeological excavation (CIfA 2014), Standard and guidance: Archaeological watching brief (CIfA 2014), the Management of Archaeological Projects 2 (English Heritage 1991) and the Management of Research Projects in the Historic Environment (MORPHE): Project Manager’s Guide (English Heritage 2006). It was monitored by James Alborne, including a site visit on 1 October 2015. The site 1.4 The proposed development follows a linear route, which is approximately 6.75km long (Fig. 1). The proposed grid connection runs east from the solar park (NGR: TF 8708 3331), before turning to the south and passing to the east of Sculthorpe Airfield, were it follows the course of New Road, passes underneath the river Wensum and then follows east along the course of the former Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway to the substation opposite Hempton Moor (NGR: TF 9054 2941). The site lies between 40m and 65m AOD, on gently sloping land. 3 © Cotswold Archaeology Hempton to South Creake cable route: Programme of Archaeological Recording 1.5 The bedrock geology of the area is mapped as White Chalk and Nodular Chalk of the Cretaceous Period. This is overlain by superficial Quaternary deposits of Briton's Lane Sand and Gravel (BGS 2015). 2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND 2.1 The archaeological and historical background of the site has been presented in detail in a heritage desk-based assessment (CA 2015b) and the archaeological brief (NCC 2015). A trial trench evaluation has been undertaken at the southern terminal of the cable route (CA 2014). The following section is summarised from these sources. 2.2 The findings from these sources indicate that the route of the cable run is located in an area which has the potential for below-ground archaeological remains of prehistoric, Roman, Saxon and medieval date. In particular, the earthworks of a deserted medieval settlement lie to the immediate north-east of the site. No designated heritage assets are located along the course of the proposed development. Prehistoric 2.3 The northern extent of the cable run is located very close to a number of prehistoric findspots including the site of a Neolithic quern and a Bronze Age metalwork hoard comprising sword blade fragments, socketed axeheads and pottery sherds. Where the route crosses the A148 it passes close to cropmarks of a ring ditch and undated rectilinear enclosures. Roman 2.4 The route of the cable run crosses the projected line of a Roman road which runs from Holkham to Toftrees. At the southern extent of the cable route Roman pottery has been found in the vicinity of the former St Andrew's Church (see below). Medieval - modern 2.5 At its southern extent the cable route is located close to the former location of St Andrew’s Church, which was abandoned at the end of the medieval period and in ruins by the early 17th century. No standing structures remain, but the church is 4 © Cotswold Archaeology Hempton to South Creake cable route: Programme of Archaeological Recording surrounded by a series of earthworks, thought to represent a moated enclosure, a pond and other ditched enclosures possibly representing medieval tofts. These earthworks may form elements of a larger