NHER 38508 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Complex cropmarks of possible medieval to post medieval date

March 2004. Norfolk NMP.
A multi-phase cropmark site is visible on aerial photographs to the west of Manor Farm, Sidestrand. The site consists of possible field boundaries and linear ditches of unknown date (S1-2). A possible trackway, which curves around towards Manor Farm to the east, may be medieval to post medieval in date. A World War Two searchlight battery was located in this field during the war (NHER 38967) and therefore may of these features could relate to this phase or at least have been affected by the military activity. The site is centred on TG 2553 4029.

The cropmarks of a possible trackway and curvilinear features of unknown definite date are visible on aerial photographs from 1965 (S1). The linears appear to curve around towards Manor Farm. The name ‘Manor Farm’ may indicate the location or associated with a medieval manorial site, although is not always the case. The cropmarks consist of two sets of curvilinear parallel linears, with both bank and ditch components, running from approximately TG 2548 4023 to TG 2557 4025. These linears are around 15m apart, which would be quite wide for a trackway. It must be noted that the features run towards what appears to be a large pond on the Ordnance Survey 2nd edition map (25", 1902-7) (S3). This may indicate that these cropmarks are caused by the approach and access of the pond and therefore may be much more recent and of less archaeological interest. The cropmarks only appear on one set of aerial photographs and again this may suggest that they are quite recent and ephemeral. A curvilinear ditch visible on the same photographs and enclosing the south-western corner of the field, may also not be of definite archaeological origin.

To the north of this, also in 1965, is a cropmark ditch, which appears to have possible conjoined rectilinear and perpendicular linear ditches (S1). This includes a possible square enclosed area measuring 12-13m across, centred on TG 2555 4029. A break is visible in the enclosing ditch to the south west. It is not clear whether this is due to the imcompletenes of the cropmark or the presence of an entrance, it may be a combinatin of both factors. The definite date of these features is unknown, although a Roman date is feasible given the cropmarks.

Some of the cropmarks were quite faint and could easily be confused and masked by the surrounding geological cropmarks. Therefore some caution must be applied to the archaeological origin of all these mapped features, especially as most of the features were only visible on one set of aerial photographs. An area of cropmarks to the extreme north of the field visible in 1981 (S2) were not mapped as they were suspected of being agricultural in origin.
S. Massey (NMP), 17 March 2004.