Monument record HWT 053 - Post-medieval ditches at Land South of Harrisons Lane, Halesworth

2017: The detailed fluxgate gradiiometer survey prospected a wide variety of geophysical anomalies; those of a potential archaeological origin include five backfilled ditches of which three are relic field boundaries, a possible double ditched trackway, six discrete pits and two large discete magnetic responses interupted as potential rubbish pits. A modern ferrous service caused by modern dumps of material, overhead electricity cable poles and magnetic materail located within and near the field boundaries. A single linear geological anomaly was further recorded running downslope in the southwestern field, and an agricultural furrow in the north-eastern dataset (S1).

2019: An archaeological evaluation was undertaken following geophysical survey to target the anomalies identified. The evaluation confirmed the presence of two post-medieval boundaries at the east side of the study area dating to the 17th to 19th century. Based on historic OS maps, the boundaries were in use from at elast 1884 until 1958. The other anomalies were either geological variation or related to modern agriculture. A small quantity of Roman pottery was found in an interface layer between the topsoil and the natural geology caused by plough scarring in trench 12, located in the central area of the site. The sherds were likely transported by ploughing activity. No feature or geophysical anomaly corresponded with the location of the pottery sherds. (S2)