NHER 31191 (Monument record) - Earthworks of former moat or decoy pond and possible water meadow

May 1995.
Possible moated site. Ditch up to 8m wide and 2m deep, wet, especially on the north side.
See (S1).
The larger pond and east arm have been added to (S2), which shows north and south arms continuing beyond present east arm to field boundary, so these may be modern. Ponds and ditch being cleared out.
D. Gurney (NLA) 23 May 1995.

May 1995.
Ponds and all four arms of ?moat ditch cleared out, with most of the spoil/slurry deposited on the island.
Causeway of hard packed sand and gravel revealed in centre of east arm, and left in situ.
Watching brief recovered animal bones (horse/cattle) and 1 large sherd of a large sagging-base cooking pot, sooted externally. 13th/14th century.
D. Gurney (NLA) 12 June 1995.

July 1995. Earthwork Survey.
Survey at 1:1000 suggests this is in fact a 19th century decoy.
See report (S3) for further details and copy of plan (S9). This survey is also noted in (S10).
B. Cushion (NLA) July 1995. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 8 April 2015.

September 2005. Norfolk NMP.
Earthworks of a possible moat or decoy pond, ditches and possible water meadow of probable post medieval date are visible on aerial photographs (S4) to (S7). The central grid reference for these earthworks has been adjusted from TG 4660 1351 to TG 4656 1354 to include additional earthworks beyond the moat itself.

A trapezoidal ditched enclosure is present on the eastern side of the site and is centred on TG 4660 1351 (S6) and (S7). This enclosure has external measurements of up to 96m by 84m and is defined by a 6m wide water-filled ditch. The ditch is partly obscured by trees on all available aerial photographs and its exact plan is not clear. However, the enclosure has been surveyed on the ground providing a more detailed plan (S1). A U-shaped pond is located in the western part of the enclosure at TG 4659 1352. Only the northern arm of this feature is visible on aerial photographs, with its southern part being obscured by trees. A rectangular pond is also present to the west of the enclosure at TG 46555 13535. This pond measures 5.5m by 8.5m and has a narrow ditch or channel leading from its southern end. This enclosure and its associated ponds have previously been interpreted as a moat or possible duck decoy of probable post medieval date (S3) and (S8).

To the west of the enclosure are a group of earthwork ditches and raised platforms. These earthworks are centred on TG 4651 1355 and partly survive as extant drains. The ditches define a group of rectangular enclosures that measure 33m long by 7m to 15m wide. A square enclosure on the northwest side of the group at TG 4650 1357 is defined by extant drains, but was crossed by two narrow channels in 1946 (S4). The full extent of the ditches and extant drains in this group of earthworks is obscured by trees. It is possible that this group of ditches and platforms relate to a post medieval water meadow although they may serve a solely drainage function. The eastern part of this group of earthworks had been destroyed by the construction of a group agricultural buildings by 1988 (S7). A thatched farmhouse and barns of unknown date were located immediately to the north of the ditch earthworks at TG 4655 1359 (S4 and (S5). These buildings had also been demolished by 1988 and their original relationship to the earthworks is unknown.
J. Albone (NMP), 23 September 2005