30 May: Just to update my recent post following some helpful information from David Kirk.
The scoping document, Archaeological Written Scheme, for the recent dig is from the SNC website posted as part of the developer’s planning application documentation. This document summarises the report (Archaeology South East 2015) of an earlier dig on site and in paragraph 1.3.5 states:
“Dating material was found in a majority of the features and indicates a late Anglo-Saxon and early medieval date for most of the activity on the site. There is no pottery that dates to after the 14th century and only one context that can with any certainty be said to be of 13th – 14th century date. Reliably stratified earlier material was only found in one feature, a pit that can be securely dated to the Iron Age. Undiagnostic, but most likely pre-Middle Bronze Age, struck flints were found within later contexts and are therefore residual but do indicate use of the area in prehistory.”
David also unearthed the report from the Bird in Hand dig which identified the Roman oven or several ovens (they are uncertain which) along with other finds. This is held on the Archaeology Data Service website and you read it here. It is highly likely that the full report of the most recent dig on Church Road will appear on the Archaeology Data Service web site before Heritage Norfolk produce their own version.
24 May: People have been asking the Parish Council about the results of the archaeological dig on Church Road. Norfolk Heritage confirm that the contractors working for the developer have now completed their work and are preparing their report. This will be sent to Norfolk Heritage in the next 3 to 6 months and following review it may be loaded on their website http://www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk/. Norfolk Heritage said the findings and artefacts are consistent with the known history of the village and its medieval past.
