NHER 33794 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Site of likely medieval settlement

January 1946. RAF air photograph.
Shows meandering ditch, roughly parallel to and a few metres north of present roadside boundary, with one sub-rectangular ditched enclosure and a few north-to-south subdivision to east and west. The northern boundary is in part the meandering field boundary still existing in west, whilst the eastern portion has what appears as a ditched causeway extending west from narrow east end of field.

August 1998. Visit.
Confirmed area as arable, seen with stubble. A considerable spread of medieval pottery in central area, near to and
within enclosure. Informant [1] remembers the field being grass until the 1960s when it was bulldozed and levelled. Some slight undulations are apparent including a depression to west of enclosure which was a pond. Site appears to be a toft, possibly on north side of narrow common.
Pottery:
Medieval unglazed - eighteen body sherds, five bowl rims, including two flanged, two jar rims, one base.
Glazed Grimston - seven body sherds, three base sherds including late medieval.
One medieval roofing tile.
Two probable late medieval/early post medieval and one late medieval/early post medieval.
I.D. A. Rogerson (NLA).
B. Cushion (NLA) 1 September 1998.

September 1998. Rather confusing early map evidence for this area.
(S1) Late 18th century map (about 1768) a copy of lands bought by Lescendale in 1653 shows as enclosed lands.
(S2) Faden (1797) suggests common, or at least some form of waste land.
(S3) Enclosure Award 1816 shows two enclosures already existing, the eastern half of field is Great Wilkinsons, the western half Little Wilkinsons. These names do not readily appear to be for recent enclosure.
Interpretation still enigmatic, prefer medieval site but possible infill from elsewhere!
B. Cushion (NLA) 28 September 1998.

September 2024. Wendling Beck and Fransham Aerial Investigation and Mapping (AIM) Project.
The earthworks of probable medieval settlement features consisting of a possible rectilinear enclosure, a possible building platform (mapped by extent) and likely associated field boundaries and drains are visible on aerial photographs from 1946 (S1-S2). The features are subsequently levelled and visible as cropmarks and soilmarks on later aerial photographs (S6-S8). The possibility that some of the features may relate to post medieval drainage ditches cannot be ruled out.
The monument polygon has been amended to the extent of the features as visible on S4-S5.
J. Powell (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 29 September 2024.