NHER 14687 (Monument record) - Cropmarks of a medieval to post medieval common-edge boundary, enclosures, field boundaries and undated ditches

6 July, 21 July, 2 August 1977. NAU air photographs.
Cropmarks. Enclosure and linear features.
D. Edwards (NAU), 3 December 1980.

1981. NAU air photography.
Also a double ditched enclosure.
D. Edwards (NAU), 17 March 1981.

Cambridge University Committee for Aerial Photography air photograph.
Linear extension to west (trackway?). CUCAP CCR 12.
E. Rose (NAU), 25 August 1987.

1979. Northwest corner of field around boundary of garage and pit.
Not marked on (S1) except for small pit.
Fifteen medieval coarseware sherds, four glazed sherds, one post medieval glazed sherd (all Context 1).
Rimsherd of undated grey slightly pimply ware at TM 3645 9254 (Context 2).
Note the northeast limit of spread not established.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 20 March 1979.

Windmill marked on Faden's 1797 map (S2) at the southwest area of this set of cropmarks. [1] stated presumably a postmill. This was formerly wrongly positioned on Ellingham Island and numbered as site NHER 15565, the mistake was found by [2].
E. Rose (NLA), 3 September 1999.

1999 to 2000. Fieldwalking.
1) One base medieval unglazed and one thumbed base medieval glazed and various glazed red earthernware sherds from east field.
2) From midway along east edge three small fragments probably medieval brick.
3) Low mound about 40 metres north northwest to south southeast and about 15 metres across on site of windmill shown on (S2), at TM 3652 9252c.
4) In west field north of east to west linear cropmark, at TM 3626 9242 2 base medieval unglazed.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 24 February 2000.

October 2006. Norfolk NMP
Cropmarks of a medieval to post medieval common-edge boundary, enclosures, field boundaries and undated ditches are visible on aerial photographs (S4-S8). The central grid reference for these cropmarks has been amended from TM 3650 9240 to TM 3653 9255 to reflect their extended area. The central area of this site represents the original field recorded under this NHER number, from which all the fieldwalking finds listed above originate. The site was extended to the north, east and southwest to incorporate additional cropmarks.

This group of cropmarks is dominated by a double ditch defining a large polygonal enclosure. This corresponds to a hexagonal area of enclosed land shown on Faden’s 1797 Map of Norfolk (S2) that was surrounded to the north, west and east by common land. The double ditch cropmark represents the boundary of ‘Ellingham, Kirby and Geldeston Common’ on the eastern side of this area of enclosed land. The cropmark leads to the east northeast from a bend in Mill Road at TM 3656 9243, continues to TM 3662 9247 and then turns northwards on a angled course to TM 3658 9266. At this point it turns roughly westwards to the field boundary at TM 3645 9264. To the west of Church Road, the western boundary of the hexagonal area shown on Faden’s map is formed by an extant drain to the northwest, Station Road to the west and Mill Road to the south to rejoin the cropmark ditch. The area enclosed by the ditch measures 460m by 277m internally. Church Road, which bisects the enclosure is not shown on Faden’s map but is on Bryant’s 1826 county map (S3). It is likely that this road was constructed at the start of the 19th century when Ellingham Park was laid out to its northwest.

The western half of the polygonal enclosure contains at least two different phases of cropmarks. A group of roughly parallel linear ditches are present on a west southwest to east northeast alignment. It is possible that these relate to medieval to early post medieval field boundaries sub-dividing the western part of the enclosure. Cutting across these is a Y shaped ditch cropmark that probably relates to post medieval field boundaries. A complex arrangement of cropmarks are present within the eastern half of the polygonal enclosure. A series of rectilinear enclosures are attached to the inner ditch on its northern side. These include small enclosures adjacent to the common-edge boundary with dimensions of 9m square and 17m by at least 9m. Leading south from these enclosures and from the boundary ditch itself are long rectilinear enclosures or fields, some of which nearly extend across the full width of the polygonal enclosure. These range in size from 5m by 54m through 30m by 60m to 32m by at least 132m. Attached to the inner ditch on the eastern side of the polygonal enclosure at TM 3661 9252 are three adjoining rectilinear enclosures. These enclosures have internal dimensions of between 7m by 10m and 8m by 9m. It is likely that these small enclosures, and those in the northern part of the polygonal enclosure, relate to settlement activity of medieval to early post medieval date. The larger rectilinear enclosures or fields are clearly related to the smaller enclosures and are of a similar date. In the centre of the eastern part of the polygonal enclosure at TM 3655 9255 are cropmarks of an incomplete trapezoidal enclosure. It is defined by a narrow ditch and measures at least 50m by 41m internally. This enclosure is partly crossed by one of the medieval to early post medieval field boundary ditch cropmarks. Two oval pit cropmarks, both measuring approximately 5m by 4m, are present within the trapezoidal enclosure. A rectangular pit with rounded corners is present cutting its southwest corner and it is possible that they relate to the medieval to post medieval fields rather than the trapezoidal enclosure. The date of the trapezoidal enclosure is not known, but it is likely to be earlier than the medieval to post medieval field boundary that cuts across it and could be of prehistoric or Roman origin. Cropmarks of fragmentary linear and curvilinear ditches are present to the north and east of the polygonal enclosure on the area of the former common. The date and function of these ditches is not known. The cropmarks in the eastern part of the large polygonal enclosure are cut by a north to south aligned cropmark of a modern pipeline that was not mapped. This pipeline accounts for the gaps in the double ditch and the missing northeast corner of the trapezoidal enclosure.

Previous discussion of this site has included a windmill. This is shown on Faden’s 1797 map (S2) to be located on the edge of ‘Ellingham, Kirby and Geldeston Common’ at the eastern end of the hexagonal area of enclosed land. The location of the windmill has in the past been associated with a low earthwork mound at approximately TM 3652 9252. However, there is no cropmark evidence to indicate a mill at that location. Assuming that the location shown on Faden’s map is reasonably accurate, the mapping of the common-edge boundary cropmarks makes it possible to be more certain where the mill might have been located. Its position on Faden’s map would place it in the vicinity of TM 3663 9255 although it is not clear from Faden’s map whether it was located on the common or within the enclosed area. However, evidence from Bryant’s 1826 map (S3) and the first edition six inch to the mile Ordnance Survey map (S1) indicates that a mill, though not necessarily the same mill, was located 350m further east, close to the junction of Mill Road and Mill Lane (NHER 49020). This raises the possibilities that either the location on Faden’s map is incorrect or that the mill shown in 1797 had been replaced by a new mill further to the east by 1826.
J. Albone (NMP), 24 October 2006