NHER 27926 (Monument record) - Medieval salterns

June 2003. Norfolk 2002. Norfolk NMP.
The features are sub-rounded and elongated in plan, with their long axis running in an approximate north to south direction (S1). The northern mound has a length of 138m, and the southern mound has a length of 97m. The mounds are located to the immediate east of sea defence bank NHER 5528, and may have been truncated on the western side when the bank was constructed. The bank builders may have deliberately utilised the mounds as quarries, or even incorporated them into the bank.
These are likely to be medieval saltern mounds, formed by the discarding of the waste sand after the salt has been washed out of it. They are within a large group of saltern mounds upon the former saltmarsh of South Wootton and King’s Lynn, all of which are likely to date from the medieval period.
M. Brennand (NMP) 30 June 2003.

May and August 2021. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of part of large proposed development area to east of Estuary Farm.
This survey identified little trace of these probable saltern mounds. It should though be noted that the results of this survey were potentially impaired by the presence of 'green waste' across the entire site, which created a dense spread of magnetic disturbance that may have masked archaeologically-significant anomalies. Visualised LiDAR data for the site (reproduced in a report for subsequent trial trenching) indicates that all of these features are likely to survive as low earthworks.
Information from draft report. See NHER 68894 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 27 January 2025.

September-October 2023. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of part of large proposed development area to east of Estuary Farm.
This work demonstrated that all of these features were indeed saltern mounds, with clear evidence that they were composed of filtration waste from salt production. Trenches placed across the largest mound encountered a number of features associated with salt production, including three clay-lined pits likely to represent filtration tanks and a hearth or heath rake-out pit. No dating evidence was recovered, although the nature and position of these remains means they were almost certainly medieval.
Information from draft report. See NHER 68894 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 27 January 2025.