NHER 14395 (Monument record) - Site of field system and enclosures of probable post-Roman date

1977. Aerial photography (S1).
Linear cropmarks joining at right-angles, and apparently forming the northern ends of large rectangular enclosures, many superimposed, their southern ends lost under the fields to south which are under a different crop.
The north-to-south field boundary overlies the marks.
Quite different from the parallel linear marks in the western end of the field which are probably modern drainage.
Located by E. Rose (NAU) 9 January 1979.

Cropmarks also visible on OS aerial photograph August 1990 (S2).

May 2007. Norfolk NMP.
Some of the cropmarks described above are now recorded as part of NHER 49407 and 49408. NMP mapping has led to the alteration of the central grid reference of the site from TG 4122 1445 to TG 4111 1460.

Extensive cropmarks, including many of those described above, are visible on aerial photographs (S1), (S3)-(S7), centred at TG 4111 1460. (The photographic reference given for (S2) may be a mistaken reference for (S7)). Contrary to the statement above, they appear to represent an individual phase of activity, amongst an extensive multi-period cropmark site (NHER 49407), distinguishable due to their shared orientation and layout. They are undated but a post-Roman date seems probable.

The site consists of several different groups of cropmarks. To the northwest (between TG 4073 1484 and TG 4120 1480), a sinuous trackway has a conjoined ditch on its south side which appears to have once joined to elements of the site visible further to the south. This trackway is strikingly reminiscent of a second trackway 345m to the north, which seems to have been associated with a farmstead or possible villa of probable Iron Age and/or Roman date (NHER 45060). This similarity raises questions as to the date of both sites, and the possible longevity of the trackways. It is also notable that the trackway described here appears to skirt around the southern corner of what was presumably an earlier enclosure to its north (recorded as part of NHER 49408).

To the south (around TG 4105 1454), part of a field system is visible, characterised by long, slightly curvilinear ditches oriented north-south. These are reminiscent of medieval strip fields, while additional ditches seem to define small enclosures of some kind. The curvilinear marks of possible ring ditches are also visible but the archaeological origin of the marks is uncertain. (The most complete example is oval in plan and measures 18.5m long and 16m wide.) The easternmost north-south oriented ditch may have been in use as a boundary in the 1940s (as visible on (S8)).

To the east (around TG 4129 1444) a series of subdivided rectilinear enclosures is visible, although few are visible in their entirety. (One, centred at TG 4129 1447, measures 59m long and 35m wide, and has a possible entrance on its north side.) This may represent part of a settlement, or may indicate a specialised use for this part of the site. More than one phase may be represented, but they all show a similar orientation. The cropmarks are so complex in places that it seems likely that the NMP mapping has only captured a fraction of the archaeology present at the site. Pit-like marks, which are predominantly visible in this part of the site and seem most likely to belong to this phase of activity, could represent the sites of buildings, perhaps even sunken featured buildings of Saxon date. They might instead relate to some kind of industrial activity. A ring ditch visible to the northeast of this area (at TG 4139 1457), which may not be of archaeological origin, is roughy circular in plan and measures approximately 9.5m in diameter.

It should be noted that due to a paucity of control points, the rectification of many of the oblique aerial photographs of the site was very poor, and this has almost certainly had an adverse effect on the accuracy of the mapping.
S. Tremlett (NMP), 22 May 2007.