NHER 18913 (Monument record) - Cropmarks of a possible medieval field system and Roman field boundaries

30 July 1979. Air photography by Aerial Archaeology Foundation.
Positive cropmarks.
Field system/enclosures.
D. Edwards (NAU) 28 February 1983.

October 2005. Norfolk NMP.
Cropmarks of an undated, possibly medieval, field system and trackway are visible on aerial photographs (S1-S2). The central grid reference for these cropmarks has been adjusted from TG 4685 1185 to TG 4679 1192. A group of incomplete rectilinear enclosures or fields are arranged along a roughly east to west aligned trackway. The trackway is defined by two broadly parallel ditches spaced up to 18m apart. The southern ditch is visible for the longest distance and extends for 224m between TG 4665 1179 and TG 4687 1184. The cropmark of the northern ditch appears to bifurcate at several points along its length, suggesting that it may have been recut an realigned several times. To the south of the trackway are a number of north to south aligned ditches defining fields. These fields measure between 35m and 44m wide and at least 50m long. Their full extent to the south is not visible as a cropmarks. To the north of the trackway are a group of more complete rectilinear fields and enclosures. Adjacent to the trackway is a 35m by 37m enclosure located within one corner of an 80m by 54m field. Other fields to the north measure between 39m and 50m wide by at least 65m long. The alignment of these fields and enclosures is similar to that of surviving field boundaries to the north and east of these cropmarks. However, the pattern of fields and trackway visible as cropmarks is not shown on the Thrigby tithe map (S3). It is possible that these fields are of medieval or early post medieval date.
An angled double ditch cropmark is present in the south of this group of cropmarks at TG 4674 1179. Part of its alignment is similar to that of the field system cropmarks and it could be of a contemporaneous date. Underlying the field system are cropmarks of ditches on southwest to northeast and northwest to southeast alignments. These ditches are probably also field boundaries and could be of Roman date. Artefacts of Roman date have been found in the vicinity of this group of cropmarks (NHER 34669, 35147). An undated pit cropmark is present in the northwest part of this group of cropmarks at TG 4664 1196.
J. Albone (NMP), 03 October 2005