NEWS ARCHIVE

PALACE WALLS AND RAILWAY LINES UNEARTHED AT DUKES WHARF DIG. | 05/07/07

PALACE WALLS AND RAILWAY LINES AT DUKE’S WHARF, NORWICH

21st June 2007: The preliminary archaeological evaluation of Targetfollow’s Duke’s Wharf development in Norwich has exposed glimpses of some of the past activities that have taken place on the site.

After digging six test trenches NAU Archaeology, part of the NPS Group has discovered
• Sixteenth century flint walls, believed to be part of the outside of the Duke of Norfolk’s palace,
• quarry workings for flints and chalk used in making lime wash
• evidence of processes involved in cloth-dying, probably from the 13th and 14th centuries
• narrow-gauge railway lines, believed to be part of the old Anchor Quay brewery works
• other evidence of industrial activity from the Victorian, after the Duke’s palace had been demolished

Giles Emery, NAU Archaeology project officer for the site explained, “The archaeological evaluation is expected to take several more weeks, with the excavations reaching a depth of up to 4 metres.

“We are beginning to get a good idea of the range of activities that have taken place on this site over the past six or seven hundred years. Although it has been a residential site for some of the time, most of the while it appears to have been turned over to industrial uses.”

James Smith, Targetfollow’s development manager said, “This archaeological evaluation is the first practical step in transforming this two-acre former electricity works site. We expect to lodge the planning application within the next month for a development that will include proposals to redevelop the riverside path and introduce a high quality public area, as well as commercial office space (which will be partly occupied by Targetfollow’s own 140 strong team), residential accommodation and complementary restaurants and cafes.