NHER 12829 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Cropmarks and earthworks of probable Bronze Age round barrows

Group of six ring ditches, two adjoining, some in enclosures.
Located by E. Rose (NAU), 14 September 1977.

August 2006. Norfolk NMP.
A group of seven ring ditches, probably relating to Bronze Age round barrows, are visible on aerial photographs (S1-S4). The central grid reference for these cropmarks has been amended from TF 7340 3770 to TF 7342 3763. An isolated ring ditch and rectilinear enclosure cropmarks previously recorded as part of this number are now recorded separately (NHER 43346, NHER 43348). A total of seven ring ditches are present. This includes five that were originally identified and two new ones which had not previously been recorded. Three of the known ring ditches are located together in the eastern part of the group around TF 7349 3763. These include two sub-circular ring ditches with 2.5m wide ditches and external diameters of 30m and 33m. The third ring ditch in the eastern part of the group is incomplete and has a 17m wide gap on its western side. This ring ditch also has a 2.5m wide ditch with a sub-circular plan and an external diameter of 25m.

The remaining two ring ditches that had previously been identified are located in the centre of the group at TF 7339 3766 and have adjoining ditches. Both of these ring ditches are sub-circular in plan with 4m wide ditches and have external diameters of 38m and 40m. The southernmost of these two ring ditches in incomplete and has a 13.5m wide gap on it southern side. It is possible that this is a deliberate entrance. The sixth ring ditch that was originally recorded as part of this group is located 160m further north and is now recorded separately (NHER 43346).

Two previously unrecorded ring ditch cropmarks are located in the western part of the group at TF 7335 3760. The northernmost of the two is sub-circular in plan with a ditch of up to 3m in width and an external diameter of 36m. This ring ditch overlaps with a smaller circular ring ditch, which has a narrow ditch and an external diameter of 21m. It is likely that all of these ring ditches are of Bronze Age date and that they relate to round barrows. This group of ring ditches form the core of a dispersed barrow cemetery (NHER 45008). They are located on a small headland overlooking the point at which a small dry valley divides into two and are situated on a northwest facing slope at approximately 47m OD. Further ring ditch cropmarks forming the rest of the barrow cemetery are located to the north (NHER 12830-1, 43346-7) and south (NHER 43337).
J. Albone (NMP), 23 Aug 2006.

July 2025. Northwest Norfolk Aerial Investigation and Mapping (AI&M) Project (volunteer strand).
Mounds are visible as earthworks on visualised lidar data (S5) at the same location as the cropmarks of four of the seven probable Bronze Age round barrows described above. These are presumably the remains of barrow mounds. An additional mound is visible just to the south of the ring ditch cropmarks (at TF 7341 3758), bringing the total number of potential round barrows to eight. As the lidar survey was flown relatively recently it is likely that the earthworks still survive.
S. Tremlett (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 9 July 2025.