NHER 36131 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Cropmarks of post medieval field boundaries and undated square enclosure, possibly a medieval moat

19 July 1996. NLA air photography.
Cropmark site of field boundaries, some of which are marked on (S1), others are showing as cropmarks. It is possible that some of them act as drainage ditches. Immediately south of Northall Green Farm is a square ditched enclosure. Two boundaries run parallel to the road, linking up with existing farm boundaries at the intersection of these two ditches are two rectangular sunken features, whch appear to be buildings, also at this point the boundaries turn to form a funnel entrance into the fields. The findspot NHER 13749 of medieval pottery and building material may indicate a medieval date for these features, although they could be post medieval.
S. Massey (NLA), 24 April 2001.

June 2023. Wendling Beck and Fransham Aerial Investigation and Mapping (AIM) Project.
Post medieval field boundaries and ponds, and an undated square enclosure, are visible as cropmarks and earthworks on aerial photographs (S2-S4) and visualised lidar data (S5). They include the features described above.
A network of post-medieval field boundaries is visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs (S4) and in some cases as low earthworks on visualised lidar data (S5). These largely correspond with boundaries depicted on the Ordnance Survey 1st edition 6 inch map (S6), and many are still extant on 1940s aerial photographs (such as S2). As a consequence, they have been mapped by the project only be extent, rather than individually, with the exception of a boundary set back from the road in the north of the site, and another to the east, neither of which are shown on the historical maps.
The small, undated square enclosure described above has also been mapped. This is visible as an earthwork on 1940s and 1960s aerial photographs (S2-S3), and as a cropmark on later aerial photographs (S4). On 1960s Ordnance Survey photos (S3) the ditch defining the enclosure appears to be continuous, but this is less clear on the other sources. The enclosure was not identified on the visualised lidar data (S5) and has presumably been levelled. It could feasibly represent a small medieval moat, although it is rather small and the ditch is rather narrow, so this interpretation is far from certain.
The ’buildings’ mentioned above, which are visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs (S4), are more likely to be former ponds. The westernmost example has not been mapped as it corresponds with a circular pond depicted on the Ordnance Survey 1st edition 6 inch map (S6). The eastern example was mapped by the project as it is not shown on the consulted historical maps, but it seems likely that this is also a former pond. Additional ponds are shown on the other side of the road to the north of the site on the historical Ordnance Survey maps.
Along with extant properties, the mapped pond and boundaries on the north edge of the site, and unmapped ponds and boundaries visible to the west both as cropmarks (on S4, for example) and depicted on the Ordnance Survey 1st edition 6 inch map (S6), appear to be part of a former common edge settlement. This is depicted on Faden's 1797 Map of Norfolk (S7), on which the common is named Northill Common.
S. Tremlett (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 20 June 2023.