Later Prehistoric and Roman Remains at Gunvil Hall Farm, Wymondham, Norfolk

Between the 17th July and 26th September 2018 Oxford Archaeology East (OA East) carried out excavations at Land North of Gunvil Hall Farm, Wymondham, Norfolk. In total, 1.36ha was investigated by two areas of excavation (Areas A and B) within the 23ha development area within a single field, extending between Suton Lane to the east and London Road (B1172) to the north and west. Area A comprised 1.9ha on the northeastern corner of the development area and Area B comprised 0.46ha of land (250m to the south) on the eastern edge of the development, closer to Gunvil Hall Farm.
The locations of the excavation areas were based on the results of previous stages of evaluation work. A desk-based assessment for the development site was carried out by CgMs in 2013, along with Heritage statements on Gunville Hall (by HeritageCollective in 2013) and Gunvil Hall Farm (by Montagu-Evans in 2014), with a geophysical survey undertaken in 2014. An archaeological trench evaluation was conducted across the full extent of the development area by MOLA Northampton in September 2014. The evaluation confirmed the presence of two prehistoric ring ditches identified by the geophysical survey within the northeastern part of the development area and possible Roman field boundary ditches within its southeastern part.
The two excavation areas targeted each of these sets of remains. The full extent of the Early Bronze Age funerary monuments was revealed, within which cremated human bone had also been interred at the end of this period. Unexpectedly, extensive later prehistoric pit deposits spanning the Early Neolithic to Early Iron Age were also encountered in both excavation areas. These included a small group of pits uncovered between the ring ditches that produced cremated human bone, dated to the beginning of the Late Bronze Age period. Part of a Middle Iron Age enclosure was also revealed in Area B which was associated with the remains of a roundhouse. In both areas, these remains were succeeded by Roman enclosures set out alongside a trackway. These enclosures continued beyond the limits of the excavated areas where they were further delineated by the previous geophysical survey. The geophysical survey also showed the trackway continued along the eastern margins of Area A, adjacent to Suton Lane, to suggest a possible Roman origin to this road. Of significance within Area A was the discovery of a largely intact pottery kiln within the Roman enclosure that produced a significant quantity of Roman grey ware pottery dated to the latter part of the 3rd century AD.
The excavation has revealed a significant later prehistoric funerary site that was subsequently subsumed into a zone of domestic occupation from the latter part of the Late Bronze Age period. The uncovering of a possible Roman routeway flanked by enclosures and pottery-making activities is also a significant addition to the local archaeological record of the period.