NHER 27381 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Cropmark of ring ditch

June 2005. Norfolk NMP.
A cropmark of a hengiform ring ditch, possibly a prehistoric round barrow or round house, is visible on aerial photographs (S1). The cropmark is centred on TG 5042 1177. It has a slightly sub-circular plan with an external diameter of 12m. There are two 2m long gaps in the narrow ditch, possibly representing entrances. These are located opposite each other on the southwest and northeast sides of the enclosure, giving the cropmark a hengiform appearance. It is possible that this cropmark relates to a small hengiform monument, round barrow, or roundhouse of Bronze Age or Iron Age date. The cropmark is located at the top of a west facing slope overlooking the small valley of the Pickerill Holme stream at a height of 15m OD. A linear ditch extends for 14m to the southwest of the ring ditch. Although it may be of a different date, the linear ditch appears to curve towards the ring ditch at its northeast end suggesting that there may be a relationship between the two cropmarks. Another possible ring ditch cropmark lies 200m to the northeast (NHER 27380). The ring ditch at this site forms part of a larger group of eight ring ditches located around a headland between the lower Bure valley to the south and the smaller Pickerill Holme valley to the west (see NHER 27547, 27548, 27377, 12187, 27380, 27395). The ring ditches in this group are positioned around the sides rather than on top of the headland and lie at a height of between 10m and 15m OD.
J. Albone (NMP), 9 June 2005.