NHER 27853 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Post medieval sea defence

July 2002. Norfolk NMP.
Sand extraction appears to have taken place in the area and the shapes within the dunes in this area are morphologically confusing, but this does appear to be a deliberately constructed feature. The bank is fragmentary, but appears to be aligned in an approximate north-west to south-east direction, with a minimum discernible length of 450m (S1). There is another potential fragment a further 125m to the south east.
This is likely to be the remains of a sea bank although the feature is not depicted on Faden’s map (S2) or later available maps. It appears that while the east and west part of the Holkham coastline was embanked in the seventeenth century, the central area was left open, possibly as the dunes offered natural protection. There is now a sea bank situated 320m to the south of this feature, on a similar alignment, and it is possible that this represents a precursor to the extant bank, or an abandoned attempt to reclaim more land.
The presence of ridge and furrow type earthworks (NHER 27852) to the immediate south of this feature might suggest that it offered protection from the sea at some point.
M. Brennand (NMP), 3 July 2002.