NHER 17226 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Multi-period and undated cropmarks

THE FIELD SYSTEMS AND TRACKWAYS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED UNDER THIS SITE ARE NOW INCLUDED IN NHER 43544, 45152, 45188 AND 45195. THE CENTRAL GRID REFERENCE HAS ALSO BEEN ALTERED FROM TG 5030 0210 TO TG 5038 0201.

19 July 1977, 12 September 1978, 4 June 1980. NAU air photography.
Cropmarks.
Field system and trackway.
D. Edwards (NAU) 12 February 1981.

2 July 1996. NLA air photography.
Cropmarks of enclosures and field system visble
S. Massey (NLA), 23 July 2001.

2001.
D. Gurney (NLA) notes possible cropmark of postmill in SW corner of field in above cited photographs.
E. Rose (NLA), 26 June 2001.

October 2006. Norfolk NMP.
The cropmarks of a dispersed group of multi-period and undated ditches are visible on aerial photographs and covering a large area in-between Browston Hall in the west, Wheatcroft Farm to the north, Hobland Lane to the east and Hobland Road to the south (S1-S10). The site is centred on TG 5038 0201. These cropmarks are located within the vicinity of the several phases of enclosures, field systems (NHER 45052, 45188-9, 45193, 45195) and trackways (NHER 43544 and 45179), all of which are probably late prehistoric to Roman in date, plus a series of post medieval fields and roads (NHER 45152, and 45154). The site also covers the site of three large Bronze Age round barrows (NHER 17225). The cropmarks recorded under this multi-period site do not appear to fit into any specific phase. Without further evidence it is impossible to offer any worthwhile interpretation of these features. Additional aerial photographic material or archaeological excavation would be needed to investigate this area further.

The clearest component of this site is located to the immediate east of Browston Hall and former gardens (NHER 11434) and is a linear ditch, approximately 450m long, running from TG 5018 0179 to TG 5064 0177 (S6, S8-S9). A number of shorter ditches run perpendicular to this longer linear and this may represent a land or field boundary. The rest of the site consists of much more fragmentary ditches and linear features, with a concentration of cropmarks at TG 5014 0220. Some of these ditches run parallel to one another and may represent double ditched boundaries or trackway segments, such as at TG 5006 0215, TG 5027 0215 and TG 5012 0236. At 5018 0207 is a small rectangular enclosure, measuring 8m by 7m (S4). Centred on TG 5065 0196 is the possible fragmentary remains of a rectilinear enclosure, potentially measuring 45m by 60m (S3). To the southeast of this at TG 5089 0183 is a cluster of ditch segments running parallel and perpendicular to one another and these may represent the fragments of a field system, although this is not certain.

The possible postmill site, mentioned above, could not be identified on the aerial photographs during the NMP mapping.
S. Massey (NMP), 24 October 2006.

January 2013. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of large proposed development area.
The survey of the field to the west of Clay Lane identified no trace of sub-surface remains associated with the east-to-west aligned linear cropmarks at the northern edge of this group (TG 5062 0274).
See report (S11) and NHER 62727 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 2 January 2019.

August-October 2016. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of two proposed development areas to west of Clay Lane (Phase 2).
A trench excavated to the south of the new link road exposed an east-to-west aligned ditch at TG 5069 0275 that had not been detected by the geophysical survey but may well have corresponded with one of the northernmost cropmarks in this group. Unfortunately, as with the majority of the features excavated, no dating evidence was recovered.
See report (S12) and NHER 62727 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 2 January 2019.

June to September 2018. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of topsoil stripping along route of Lound to Gorleston Water Pipeline.
A ditch was recorded that corresponded with the curving north-to-south aligned ditch at TG 5024 0202. No dating evidence was recovered.
See NHER 63597 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 17 October 2019.

March 2023. Assessment of the Character and Significance of East Anglian Field Systems project.
The site described above was included in the dataset analysed for the Historic England-funded Assessment of East Anglian Field Systems project. See the project report (S13) for further details.
S. Tremlett (Norfolk County Council Environment Team), 22 March 2023.