NHER 1289 (Monument record) - The Peddars Way

Roman Road.

See file for details of remains and course, and pot and human remains found 'on the Peddars Way', photographs and press cuttings.

Previously a Scheduled fragment of ditch at Tottington, TL 9115 9510 only, context 9.
Schedule in file.

1926. Stray Find.
"Found on the Peddars Way":
Roman pot in poorly fired grey fabric, light grey slip inside with wheel marks. Outside, much scarred and worn, may also have been coated with slip. Around neck a band of ?rouletted decoration badly worn. See drawing (S9).
Donated to King's Lynn Museum (KILLM : 1977.43).
Information from annotations on drawing and museum records. Exact provenance remains uncertain.
P. Watkins (HES), 18 February 2018.

February 1998. Walkover Survey.
Rapid Earthwork Identification Survey (Compartment 2059).
Bank noted at TL 9375 8552.
See report (S8) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 19 August 2015.

April 2002. Norfolk NMP.
(The following refers to cropmarks within quarter sheets TF 74 NW and SW).
The first clear stretch of cropmark, that seems to be some form of track/bank, is visible on BKS 1987-8 aerial photographs (S1-2) and OS 1972 aerial photograph (S3). (It can also be determined on RAF 1946 aerial photographs (S5)). This is within Ringstead Parish. It appears to lie on the probable route of the Peddars Way, and it is therefore likely to be the remains of this Roman road. This cropmark runs north west to south east (from TF7085 4078 to TF7066 4112) curving slightly at its northernmost end.
Directly to the north of this cropmark (still within Ringstead) are some houses, and it is possible that the cropmark continues to the northwest of these buildings, but this is not clear (see 1972 OS aerial photograph (S4)). Likewise the cropmark may also continue southwards towards the corner of the field at TF70889 4065, but again this is unclear (S3).
In addition to all this there appears to be yet another stretch of bank/trackway slightly further north within the parish of Holme Next the Sea (recorded under NHER 26906). This is located between TF7018 4245 and TF7029 4211, which is between two of the routes for the Peddars Way. This could be a third possibility. There also appear to be slight ditches along each side. (see 1972 OS aerial photograph (S4)). It is possible that this is actually an old field boundary, but there is nothing marked as such on the 2nd edition OS map (S6), and it seems more likely to be a road.
H. Clare (NMP), 24 April 2002.

See (S7) for a popular account of the Roman road.
D. Gurney (NLA), 3 October 2008

January 2011. Norfolk NMP.
A possible stretch of the Peddar's Way, on a slightly different orientation to the formerly projected course through Brettenham, is visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs running from TL 9411 8380 to TL 9390 8467, and has been recorded as NHER 54566.
E. Bales (NMP), 19 Jan 2011.

February 2011. Norfolk NMP.
The earthworks of a probable section of the Peddars Way Roman road were visible on aerial photographs along the line of the Harling and Brettenham parish boundary and recorded under NHER 54586, see record for details.
S. Horlock (NMP), 18 February 2011.

January 2019. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of groundworks associated with installation of Ringstead Sustainability Reduction Scheme pipeline.
This watching brief took place in Sedgeford parish, at the point where the pipeline crossed the probable line of the Roman road just north of the former railway line, at TF 7204 3748.
The excavation of the pipe trench revealed no evidence for surviving remains associated with the Roman road. Although layers of made ground were recorded these were associated with a spur projecting northwards from the railway embankment to the south.
See report (S10) and NHER 66031 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 10 September 2022.