NHER 18153 (Monument record) - Medieval or post medieval enclosure

9 June 1980. NAU air photography.
Positive cropmarks.
Miscellaneous linear ditches visible as cropmarks.
CUCAP CMK 59-60.
D. Edwards (NAU), 8 June 1982.

September 1984.
Area of cropmarks walked and metal detected.
Found in ploughsoil.
Late medieval unglazed handle.
A. Gregory (NAU), 3 October 1984.

March 2005. Norfolk NMP.
NMP mapping has led to the alteration of the central grid reference of the site from TG 476 157 to TG 4763 1571.

The linear ditches described above are visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs (S1 to 3). They appear to define three sides of a rectilinear enclosure, which is double ditched on at least its north and south sides. Subdivisions and possible pits within the enclosure suggest it may be domestic in nature, perhaps a farmstead, although the difficulty of distinguishing between genuine internal features and cropmarks caused by the underlying geology means that the mapped pits and subdivisions should be treated with caution. Alternatively the enclosure might have served some other type of specialised function, perhaps even associated with peat extraction from the adjacent Broad. The general character of the site, together with the fact that it seems to share the same orientation as the surrounding field pattern depicted on historic maps (e.g. S4) suggests a possible medieval to post medieval date. This date is also indicated by the later medieval pottery (described above) which was found at the site. The enclosure might, therefore, a predecessor of the structures depicted at this location on historic maps dating back to at least 1797 (S5).

The enclosure measures 70m by at least 63m. Linear ditches projecting from its west side suggest that the complex may continue to the west.
(S1 to 5)
S. Tremlett (NMP), 1 March 2005.