HERITAGE NETWORK
Land adjacent to
THE GREAT DANES INN Beachamwell, Norfolk
HN459 S T
GI ER
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R E D
IFA
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Archaeological Evaluation Report I T A
A S I N
Registered with the Institute of Field Archaeologists as an Archaeological Organisation
Archaeological Director: David Hillelson, BA MIFA
Land adjacent to
GREAT DANES INN Beachamwell, Norfolk
HN459
Archaeological Evaluation Report
Prepared on behalf of Philip Richardson, Esq
by
Geoff Saunders, BA
Report No.238
June 2004
� The Heritage Network Ltd
Contents
Summary ........................................................................................................................................................ Page i
Section 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. Page 1
Section 2 Fieldwork ...................................................................................................................................................... Page 2
Section 3 Discussion .................................................................................................................................................... Page 5
Section 4 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................................... Page 6
Section 5 Illustrations ................................................................................................................................ following Page 6
The cover photo shows a view west from the site across The Green
Acknowledgements
The fieldwork for this project was carried out Chris Turner, and Geoff Saunders. Illustrations were prepared by Geoff Saunders, and the report was edited by David Hillelson.
The Heritage Network would like to express its thanks to the site owner, Mr P. Richardson; Mike Hastings, Architect; and Andy Hutcheson, Development Control Archaeologist, Norfolk Landscape Archaeology, for their co-operation and assistance in the execution of this project.
Summary
Site name and address: Land adjacent to The Great Danes Country Inn, Beachamwell, Norfolk
County: Norfolk District: Breckland
Village/town: Beachamwell Parish: Beachamwell
Planning reference: 3PL/2003/1210 NGR: TF 75255 05280
Client name and address: Mr P. Richardson, The Old Lodes Head, Stow Road, Magdalen, Kings Lynn.
Nature of work: New Dwelling Present land use: Scrubland/ garden
Size of affected area: c.1340m2 Size of area investigated: c.40m2
Site Code: BEE40368 Other reference: HN459
Organisation: Heritage Network Site Director: David Hillelson
Type of work: Evaluation Archive location: Norfolk Museums
Start of work 26th April 2004 Finish of work 27th April 2004
Related SMR Nos.: N/a Periods represented: Modern
Previous summaries/reports:N/a
Synopsis: In response to an archaeological condition on the planning permission for a new dwelling on land adjacent to The Great Danes Country Inn, Beachamwell, Norfolk, the Heritage Network was commissioned by the owner to undertake an archaeological evaluation of the site. Two trenches measuring c. 4 x 5m each were excavated. The natural chalk was encountered at a depth of c0.60- 0.70m. With the exception of an undated sub-square posthole, the only features encountered during this evaluation were modern in date.
1. Introduction
Philip Richardson Esq as part of the archaeological evaluation of a proposed development site located on land adjacent to the Great Danes Country Inn, Beachamwell, Norfolk. Planning permission granted for the development by the Breckland District Council (BDC) under application no. 3PL/2003/1210, has been subject to a standard archaeological condition, in accordance with the provisions of the DETR�s Planning Policy Guidance Note 16 (PPG16). The scope of the required work follows the Brief for Archaeological Evaluation by Trial Trenching issued by 1.1 This report has been prepared on behalf of
Norfolk Landscape Archaeology (NLA), acting as advisers to BDC (ref. AH 04/11/03), and a full specification was contained in the Heritage Network�s approved Project Design dated April 2004.
1.2 The site is located on the eastern side of the Green (Fig.1), and forms the southern half
of the garden of the Great Danes Inn, centred on NGR TF 75255 05280. The development proposes the construction of a single dwelling with detached garage, and associated services and landscaping.
1.3 The site lies within an area of known archaeological potential with at least nine entries
on the county HER recorded within 250m. Metal-detecting and fieldwalking surveys indicate activity in the vicinity dating to the Romano-British, Early, Middle and Late Saxon, and Medieval periods.
1.4 The aim of the evaluation has been to consider the location, extent, date, character,
condition, significance and quality of any remains that are liable to be threatened by the development, and to provide a local and regional, archaeological and historical context for such remains, in accordance with the current published regional research agenda (Glazebrook 1997, Brown and Glazebrook 2000), if they were discovered.
1.5 The present report has been prepared to provide the planning authority with sufficient
data to allow it to consider the archaeological implications of the proposed development, and to determine what further mitigation measures, if any, may be required.
2. Fieldwork
TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY
2.1 The site lies at c.10.5m AOD, on level land in the centre of the village of
Beachamwell.
2.2 The underlying geology is pale yellow chalk.
METHODOLOGY
2.3 All work was carried out in accordance with the approved Project Design, current
health and safety legislation, and IFA standards.
2.4 Trenches were set out by triangulation from known points (Fig.2).
2.5 Two trenches were opened using a wheeled JCB fitted with a 1.45m wide toothless
bucket, under close archaeological supervision. Spoil from the machining was inspected for archaeological artefacts. Trenches were machined to the first significant archaeological horizon.
2.6 The trenches were cleaned by hand, and all potential archaeological features and
deposits were sampled to ascertain their nature, depth, date, and quality of preservation.
2.7 All identified contexts were photographed and recorded using the appropriate pro-
forma. Scaled plans and sections were drawn on drafting film at scales of 1:20 and 1:50.
2.8 All levels have been recorded from the benchmark on the north-west corner of St
Mary�s church.
RESULTS
Trench 1 (Fig.3)
2.9 Trench 1 was located inside the footprint of the new proposed dwelling. The trench
measured 4.10 x 4.90m and was 0.80m in depth.
2.10 The stratigraphy in this trench consisted of two layers of overburden above natural
chalk. The very dark greyish brown topsoil (102) overlaid a dark brown subsoil (103) containing fragments of ceramic building material. Below this was the natural geology (104) of pale yellow chalk.
2.11 One linear feature [101] was observed in the trench, orientated NE-SW across the
trench and cut down through the subsoil. The feature was a machine cut service trench which contained a modern concrete encased ceramic drainage pipe.
Recorded contexts
Context Type Description Dimensions (m)
101 Feature Concrete encased modern ceramic drainage pipe. Orientated approx. NE-SW Length: 4.95m+ Width: 0.45m
102 Layer Firm, very dark greyish brown (2.5Y 3/2), friable sandy silt with occasional small flint and chalk fragments. 0.35m thick
Topsoil.
103 Layer Firm, dark brown (10YR 3/3), sandy silt with moderate chalk fragments. Subsoil. 0.35m thick
104 Layer Compact, pale yellow (2.5Y 8/2), decayed chalk with occasional angular flint fragments. Natural geology. 0.10m+ thick
Trench 2 (Fig.3)
2.12 Trench 2 was located inside the footprint of the proposed new garage. The trench
measured 4.1m x 4.9m and was 0.80m in depth.
2.13 The stratigraphy in the northeast half of the trench was similar to Trench 1. The very
dark greyish brown topsoil (207) overlaid a dark brown subsoil (208). Beneath this was the natural chalk (209).
2.14 In the southeast end of the trench a layer of redeposited natural chalk (210) was
observed between the topsoil and subsoil, this appears to represent a former yard surface.
2.15 A linear feature [201] was observed cut through the subsoil. This feature measured
0.70m in width and 0.25m in depth. It was orientated broadly N-S, across the width of the trench. The feature had straight vertical sides and a flat base characteristic of a machine cut trench (Fig.4). The single very dark greyish brown sandy silt fill (203) contained a large amount of modern debris including chicken wire, CBM fragments, plastic, mortared fragments of flint, and slate fragments.
2.16 A small sub-square posthole [203] was observed cut through the natural chalk. The
feature measured 0.30m in length by 0.25m wide and 0.07m deep. The posthole had steep straight sides and a flat base (Fig.4). The single light olive brown fill (204) contained no datable artefacts. The sub-square nature of the cut suggests that this feature is modern in date.
2.17 A large sub-ovoid feature [205] was observed cut through the subsoil. The full extent
of the feature was not observed as it ran beneath the northeast limit of the trench. The feature was not excavated, the fill was observed to contain much modern debris including plastic, chicken wire, modern glass, CBM fragments, a large metal oil drum, and mechanical gear and axles.
2.18 A small sub-ovoid feature [206] was observed cut through the subsoil, the full extent of
the feature was not observed as it ran beneath the northwest limit of the trench. The feature was not excavated, the fill was observed to contain modern debris including, glass, CBM fragments, slate, and chicken wire.
Recorded contexts
Context Type Description Dimensions (m)
201 Cut Linear cut feature with vertical sides and a flat base on a north-south alignment. Machine cut trench. Length: 4.2m+ Width: 0.70m
Depth: 0.25m
202 Fill Loose, very dark greyish brown (2.5Y 3/2), sandy silt containing much modern debris. Fill of [201]. Length: 4.2m+ Width: 0.70m
Depth: 0.25m
203 Cut Sub-square posthole with steep straight sides and a flat base. Length: 0.30m Width: 0.25m
Depth: 0.07m
204 Fill Firm, light olive brown, sandy silt with moderate small chalk fragment inclusions. Fill of [203]. Length: 0.30m Width: 0.25m
Depth: 0.07m
205 Feature Large sub-ovoid cut feature. Contains a loose, very dark greyish brown (2.5Y 3/2), sandy silt with much modern Length: 2.2m+ Width: 1.80m+
debris.
206 Feature Small sub-ovoid cut feature. Contains a loose, dark greyish brown (10YR 4/2), sandy silt modern debris. Length: 0.30m+ Width: 0.50m+
207 Layer Firm, very dark greyish brown (2.5Y 3/2), friable sandy silt with occasional small flint and chalk fragments. 0.30m thick
Topsoil.
208 Layer Firm, dark brown (10YR 3/3), sandy silt with moderate chalk fragments. Subsoil. 0.30m thick
209 Layer Firm, pale yellow (2.5Y 8/2), chalk with occasional patches of decayed chalk and sand. Natural geology. 0.20m+ thick
210 Layer Compact, pale yellow (2.5Y 8/2), chalk. Redeposited chalk fragments laid down and compacted to form a rough surface beneath the topsoil. 0.20m thick
FINDS CONCORDANCE
2.19 Although fragments of modern pottery and ceramic building material were observed in
the overburden during machining and further modern artefacts were observed in the features in Trench 2, no material was considered to be of archaeological significance and none was retained for further analysis.
2.20 No artefacts or ecofacts were retained from the identified features.
3. Discussion
3.1 Despite the location of the site in an area of known archaeological potential, with the
exception of undated posthole [203], only modern 20th century features were identified in this evaluation. These include a ceramic pipe [101] in Trench 1, machine cut trench [201] and modern rubbish dumps [205] and [206], in Trench 2.
3.2 The sub-square shape of posthole [203] suggests that this also is modern in date.
3.3 Photographs of the site taken in the 1970s show it to have been in use as allotments. It
seems likely that the modern refuse dumps observed during the evaluation may be the result of tipping on the site after the allotments went out of use.
Conclusions
3.4 The archaeological evaluation has demonstrated the presence of modern features of
20th century date on the site.
3.5 No features of a Medieval or earlier date were encountered and no artefacts or ecofacts
indicative of occupation prior to the modern period were encountered.
3.6 On this basis, it is considered unlikely that any significant archaeological features or
deposits will disturbed by the proposed development.
CONFIDENCE RATING
3.7 In the course of the fieldwork weather and ground conditions were generally
acceptable for the identification of potential features and deposits, and for their investigation.
3.8 There are no circumstances which would lead to a confidence rating for the present
evaluation which is less than High.
4. Bibliography
Hillelson, D. 2004. Land adjacent to The Great Danes Country Inn, Beachamwell, Norfolk. Project Design: Archaeological Evaluation. Heritage Network, November 2004.
Hutcheson, A. 2003, Brief for Archaeological Evaluation by Trial Trenching at The Great Danes Country Inn, Beachamwell, Norfolk. Norfolk Landscape Archaeology.
5. Illustrations
Figure 1 ............................................................................... Site location
Figure 2 .......................................................................... Trench location
Figure 3 .......................................................... Trench plans and sections
Figure 4 ......................................................................... Feature sections
THE HERITAGE NETWORK LTD Great Danes Inn, Beachamwell HN459
Hunstanton
Norwich
King's Lynn
BEACHAMWELL
TF 053
TF 052 F
TF 752 T
Site Location Scale 1:1250
THE HERITAGE NETWORK LTD Great Danes Inn, Beachamwell HN459
Trench 1
Trench 2
0 10m
Scale 1:250 Figure 2
THE HERITAGE NETWORK LTD Great Danes Inn, Beachamwell HN459
10.78 Plan of Trench 1 10.38 Plan of Trench 2
9.67
9.95
10.17
206 205
101
203
9.74
201
10.00 9.75
10.66 10.27
South east facing section, Trench 1
South east facing section, Trench 1
SW NE
10.78 SW NE
10.66 Subsoil
10.27 10.38
Topsoil
Topsoil
Subsoil Subsoil
202 Subsoil
Natural
Natural Natural
0 2m
206
THE HERITAGE NETWORK LTD Great Danes Inn, Beachamwell HN459
South east facing section through [203]
North facing section through [201]
E W 9.74
SW NE 9.71
CBM
F 204
T
202 203
F
T
CBM
CBM
T
201
0 50cm