NHER 35933 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Medieval and post medieval boundaries and drains

The central grid reference for the site has been altered from TG 1235 1675 to TG 1254 1666.

13 July 1993. NLA Air Photography.
Cropmark of possible moat showing as two stretches of a broad ditched enclosure (S1).
The full extent is not clear, although the northwest edge continues as a slight depression in pasture (in adjacent field) and meets up with a drain. The 'moated' enclosure may in fact be part of the same drainage system. Although it seems slightly broader.
S. Massey (NLA), 7 February 2001.

15 October 1993. NLA air photography .
The location of the site can be determined, but little can be seen.
Cropmarks of the feature are not showing, but the photographs suggest that the moated enclosure may well be silted up drainage ditches.
H. Clare (NLA), 19 February 2001.

November 2007. Norfolk NMP.
The earthworks and cropmarks of a series of medieval to post medieval boundaries and drains on the valley floor at Morton on the Hill (S1-S3). The site is centred on TG 1254 1666. The broader ditched components of this site have previously been interpreted as representing part of a moated enclosure, although this is no longer considered to be the case. Consultation of all the available photographs would indicate that the ditched features would appear to form part of a drainage system, as suggested above.

The site consists of a mixture of banks and ditches, with the banks largely confined to the low-lying part of the site, located on the valley floor. It is possible that these embankments acted as both boundaries and raised causeways across the wetter ground, particularly in periods of flooding. The former site of the St Marys Church is thought to be located within the centre of this area of banked earthworks, see NHER 7741 and 50676. One of these boundary banks runs up to the former location of the church as defined by the OS first edition (1887-1891). The majority of the ditched features are likely to represent former field boundaries, trackways and drainage channels. One of the double ditched components to the north of the site would possibly appear to continue the line of a similar pairing of boundaries visible as cropmarks to the east of Morton village (NHER 50648).
S. Massey (NMP), 12 November 2007.

February-March 2017. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of site on possible route of Hornsea Project Three offshore wind farm onshore cable.
This survey identified linear anomalies associated with cropmarks recorded in the vicinity of TG 1244 1685 and TG 1254 1678, the majority of which also coincide with former field boundaries depicted on the Morton on the Hill tithe map (S5). There was no evidence for surviving remains associated with the more fragmentary cropmarks recorded in these areas.
Information from draft report. See NHER 66315 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 19 February 2025.

November 2021-March 2022. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of site on proposed route of Hornsea Project Three offshore wind farm onshore cable (Area 4301).
One of the areas examined coincided with the north-to-south and north-east to south-west aligned cropmarks visible at TG 1228 1676. Both were associated with corresponding linear anomalies, indicating the presence of surviving sub-surface remains.
See NHER 66317 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 4 September 2023.

February-June 2022. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of sites on proposed route of Hornsea Project Three offshore wind farm onshore cable.
Several trenches placed to coincide with the linear cropmarks recorded at TG 1243 1684 revealed three corresponding ditches – two of which also coincide with former field boundaries depicted on the Morton on the Hill tithe map (S5). The third ditch was associated with the more east-to-west aligned cropmark immediately to the north. Two refitting fragments of a Roman or medieval brick were recovered from this feature.
Three of the trenches excavated coincided with the north-to-south and north-east to south-west aligned cropmarks visible at TG 1228 1676, two of which revealed corresponding ditches. Dating evidence was limited to several fragments of medieval/post-medieval brick.
See NHERs 66315 and 66317 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 4 September 2023 and 19 February 2025.

October 2025. HER Enhancement: Forestry Commission Project K.
The earthworks and cropmarks of a series of medieval to post medieval boundaries and drains, previously recorded by the NMP survey (see above) are visible on visualised lidar data (S7) and aerial photographs (S6 and S8). As the lidar survey was flown relatively recently (2021) it is likely that the earthworks still survive. Earthworks relating to the features mapped by the NMP survey and additional earthworks visible on the lidar data are centred at approximately TG 1253 1659, TG 1238 1677, TG 1267 1641 and TG 1271 1627. Additional cropmark ditches are also visible on Google Earth (S6) and Bing imagery (S8), centred at approximately TG 1257 1678.
J. Powell (Norfolk County Council Environment Service), 07 October 2025