NHER 27130 (Monument record) - Medieval saltern mound

October 2002. Norfolk NMP.
The mound appears to be sub-rounded in plan (S1) with a straight southern edge, and is split in two by a north to south aligned ditch and hedge. The mound has an overall east to west length of 85m and a width of 50m. There appears to be a ditch excavated around most of the circumference of the mound. On the southern edge of the mound is a raised sub-circular platform or feature that appears to have a narrow ditch surrounding it. The feature has a maximum diameter of 21m. The top of the mound also has a series of ridges and furrows or lazybedding cut into it. The ridges and furrows are relatively straight and narrow and aligned in an approximate east to west direction.
This is almost certainly a saltern mound, and forms a small group along with sites NHER 13784, 27129 and 27131. This in turn is part of an extensive saltern complex on the former saltmarsh at South Wootton. Dating evidence for the salterns is scarce although isolated finds from sites further to the north would suggest that the majority of these mounds are medieval in date. The ditch excavated around the mound is not typical, although the two saltern mounds to the west also appear to have had ditches excavated around them. It has been suggested that these were utilised for defensive installations, either during the sixteenth century or the Civil War, although the ditch situated around this mound does not appear sufficient to have acted as an effective defence. This feature may have acted as a boundary feature or a drain and be contemporary with the saltern, but may also represent a later demarcation or defining of the site, possibly associated with the platform and the ridge and furrow. The ridge and furrow is actually more like lazybedding, and is almost certainly Post-medieval in date.
M. Brennand (NMP), 25 October 2002.