NHER 21719 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Cropmarks of a probable Bronze Age round barrow

9 August 1978. Aerial Archaeology Foundation aerial photography.
Linear features and one ring ditch were observed in aerial photographs. The ring ditch is respected by one of the linear features (which goes around the ring ditch).
D. Edwards (NAU), 12 September 1985.

15 October 1993. NLA air photography.
The cropmarks are not clear in these photographs.
H. Clare (NLA), 16 February 2001.

NGR corrected from original (TG 1265 1698).
M. Horlock (NLA), 24 March 2003.

October 2007. Norfolk NMP.
The cropmarks of a ring ditch, potentially the remains of a Bronze Age round barrow, are visible on aerial photographs to the northeast of Morton village (S1-S2). The ring ditch is centred on TG 1265 1697 and measures 16m in diameter. The undated linear features, previously recorded under this number, are now under NHER 50648 as former field boundaries of probable post medieval date. One of these boundaries clearly goes around the ring ditch, indicating that it survived as an earthwork during the post medieval period. This also raises the slight possibility that the ring ditch is actually the remains of a post medieval feature or structure, however the presence of other ring ditches in close proximity, possibly forming a Bronze Age round barrow cemetery (NHER 50649), would suggest that the ring ditch is the remains of a barrow.

The presence of a barrow cemetery in this general area was noted in the 1830s (see NHER 7728) and it is likely that some components of this group (NHER 50649), along with NHER 50646 to the north and NHER 45361 to the southwest, correspond with the earthworks recorded in the 1830s. The fact that the post medieval boundary respects the mound would indicate that this site was still earthwork at this period and could possibly be one of the mounds noted in the nineteenth century.

The site is located on the river valley floor, between the 10-15m contours. The present course of the River Wensum runs to its immediate northeast.
S. Massey (NMP), 22 October 2007.

February-March 2017. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of site on possible route of Hornsea Project Three offshore wind farm onshore cable.
The survey identified a weak circular anomaly that clearly corresponds with the cropmark at this location.
Information from draft report. See NHER 66314 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 19 February 2025.