PCA Norwich excavated three 2 x 2m trenches on the grounds of the Fire Station on Norwich Road in response to an archaeological planning condition, due to high archaeological significance of the proposed development area. The development was to construct an Appliance Building and extension to the existing Fire Station buildings. The archaeological works were monitored by Norfolk County Council Historic Environment Service (NCC-HES).

No previous excavations had been carried out at the site, and trenching to the west of the site retrieved no archaeological information. However, a Historic Environment Record (HER) search issued for the Written Scheme of Investigation indicated substantial medieval activity in the vicinity, including quarry pits, human skeletal remains, and property boundaries. This necessitated the resulting trial trench investigation.

Initially, PCA attended the site to observe the trenches but the exposure of unknown buried services, resulted in the works being postponed, allowing a full utility survey to be undertaken and the investigation works conducted safely. Trench locations were adjusted accordingly to ensure no interaction with services occurred during the groundworks and to maintain a safe working environment.

Following recommencement of the archaeological works no significant archaeological remains were found; only a single undated pit was observed and excavated. Further excavations to the west of site confirmed a trend of limited archaeological remains beyond the bounds of the medieval activity to the north and west of the site, previously recorded in the HER data. This perhaps indicates that medieval remains respected an important boundary to the northwest of this site.

Results of the excavations are presented in a report, which notes the limited potential for further archaeological remains to be present in the area. The site archive is to be deposited at Norwich Castle Museum.