NHER 14228 (Monument record) - Cropmarks of undated, possibly Roman, road

Possible line of Roman road?

1978-1979.
C.J.S. Green (NCM) recorded a pale crop or soilmark flanked by two dark bands running from TG 0270 2038 to TG 0360 2012. This is on the line of a straight road marked on (S1), continued to the northwest by parish boundary to join east-to-west Roman road. (S1) marks a slight change in alignment nearer to Billingford than this cropmark would suggest, but his map is not very accurate on such details. If the change is put at the end of the cropmark the course still follows the straight parish boundary between Bylaugh and Bawdeswell on TG 01 NW.
(S1)'s road turns abruptly east at TG 0470 0580 to join the existing lane to Sparham on TG 01 NE, but A. Gregory (NAU) suggests a continuation of the Roman road to southeast along the straight boundary to the river at TG 0572 1845. Part of this is marked as a track on (S1).
A. Gregory (NCM), 17 November 1978 and E. Rose (NAU), 7 September 1979.

Latter-mentioned track on (S1) is still officially a right of way. West section of line along Billingford/Bawdeswell boundary and beyond apparently follows the crest of one of a series of natural ridges running parallel northwest to southeast, beginning where course leaves the east- to-west Roman road (NHER 2796).
E. Rose (NAU), 22 January 1981.

The line of the road at Bawdeswell is also shown on (S2).

R. Rickett (NAU) does not believe this road is Roman.
E. Rose (NAU), 13 September 1982.

15 October 1993. NLA aerial photography.
Cropmark not clear.
H. Clare (NLA), 16 February 2001.

NGR corrected from original TG 0572 1845.
M. Horlock (NLA), 26 March 2003.

February 2008. Norfolk NMP.
The soilmarks relating to the northwestern part of this road, plus associated boundaries and extraction, visible on aerial photographs have been recorded under NHER 50909, see record for details. Although the NMP evidence can provide no conclusive indication of the route being Roman in origin, it does provide some limited evidence to suggest that this may be the case.
S. Massey (NMP), 28 February 2008.