NHER 11588 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Cropmarks of undated or prehistoric sub-circular enclosure and multiple ring ditch

1976.
Large circular cropmark; white outline thinner than ring ditches to northeast, and about three times as large as each of them.
E. Rose (NAU), 1977.

1984.
Faint markings attached to south side interpreted on overlay as cross within dykes, indicating a post mill site, but markings on photographs are not clear.
E. Rose (NAU), 2 February 1984.

17 July 1986. NAU aerial photography.

27 July 1994. NLA aerial photography.
The enclosure is intersected by an undated ring ditch (NHER 36128).
H. Clare (NLA), 20 April 2001.

July 2006. Norfolk NMP.
Cropmarks of a large sub-circular enclosure and a double or triple ring ditch are visible on aerial photographs (S1-S15). These cropmarks have previously been wrongly located and their grid reference has been amended from TM 3415 9305 to TM 3422 9310. A large sub-circular ring ditch or enclosure cropmark is present. It measures 57m by 55m externally and is defined by a single narrow ditch. A possible entrance, marked by an incurved ditch is present on the southwest side of the enclosure. A linear ditch cropmark is present on the inside of the eastern side of the enclosure. Several pit-like cropmarks are also present within the enclosure. It is possible that they are associated with it but could be natural features. This ring ditch or enclosure is too large to be associated with a Bronze Age round barrow. It is similar to other large circular or sub-circular enclosures including examples at Somerton (NHER 43425) and elsewhere in Eastern England (S16). These enclosures, which possibly date from the Neolithic or Bronze Age period, may have had a ceremonial or funerary function.

Cutting the south side of the enclosure at TM 3423 9307 is an incomplete double or triple ring ditch cropmark. This ring ditch has previously been recorded separately, and in the wrong location, as NHER 36128 as well as within this record. It is now incorporated into this record and NHER 36128 is redundant. Just under half of the ring ditch is visible as a cropmark, with the southeastern part obscured by an area of different soil or geology. The inner ditch is up to 1.5m wide and has a diameter of 23m. The outer ditch is narrow for part of its length and then widens to up 2.5m. It has a diameter of 33m. The middle ditch only extends part way around the visible half of the ring ditch and follows an irregular course. It is possible that the middle ditch represents a different phase in the development of this ring ditch. This ring ditch cropmark has previously been interpreted as relating to a post mill, but there is no evidence that this is the case. The cropmarks stated as being a central cross ditch are in fact a variation in the edge of the change in soil or geology that masks the southern half of the ring ditch. It is likely that this ring ditch is of Bronze Age date and that it represents a round barrow. The barrow is probably deliberately sited to overlap the south side of the large sub-circular enclosure and suggests that the enclosure is of an earlier date. The sub-circular enclosure is situated close to the end of a spur of land at approximately 21m OD. The ring ditch forms part of a barrow cemetery. The ring ditches of the barrows all lie to the south and east of the large enclosure and it is possible that they are focussed on this monument.
J. Albone (NMP), 07 July 2006.

See (S17) for additional aerial photographs.
H. Hamilton (HES), 23 August 2013.