Great Ellingham Sewerage Scheme, Norfolk

A programme of archaeological observation, investigation and recording was conducted during the ground works associated with the Great Ellingham sewerage scheme (SEW-09346-S101a) by Oxford Archaeology East between May 20th and September 22nd 2014 on behalf of Anglian Water.

Although no evaluation has occurred in advance of the works, the route was going through an area of known archaeological interest and is considered a very sensitive historic landscape. The village of Great Ellingham sits on top of a Roman cemetery (first investigated in 1955) and as recently as 2012, 85 burials were found during a residential development at the northern edge of the village off Attleborough Road and Home Close.
The works uncovered very little evidence for archaeology remains, a total of three features and four layers were seen, all of which were late medieval or post medieval. The works (which were all located on the current roads) showed signs of heavy truncation by the creation of the new road surfaces and the potential for survival therefore was very low. The lack of evidence of Roman inhumations has however tentatively pointed to the cemetery boundaries not extending into the areas of works on this project and thus helped define the cemetery.