NHER 27711 (Monument record) - Ring ditch, possible post medieval stack stand

THIS FEATURE WAS ORIGINALLY RECORDED UNDER NHER 13293. THIS SITE HAS SINCE BEEN SPLIT INTO ITS CONSTITUENT PARTS.

September 2005. Norfolk NMP.
The cropmark of a ring ditch is visible on aerial photographs to the immediate north of the Waxham New Cut, Sea Palling (S1 to S3). The site is centred on TG 4276 2543. It is possible that this is the remains of a low-lying Bronze Age barrow, however an alternative interpretation of a post medieval stack stand is possibly more likely given the location. Other ring ditch sites have been identified on aerial photographs in close proximity to this site, see NHER 27703 and 27709 and 10 for details, although the archaeological origin of 27709 is not definite. Two smaller circular earthworks have been identified to the west and interpreted as post medieval or early modern stack stands (NHER 42060 and 42071).

The ring ditch measures 15.5m in diameter and is located just above the 0m OD contour and the lower lying former fen. The location is within an area of land marked as being distinct from the open unimproved and common fen to the west on Faden’s map of 1797 (S4) and land which certainly has a regular and rectilinear enclosure by the 1839 Palling Tithe map (S5). It is also therefore possible that this ring ditch is the remains of a post medieval stack stand, circular areas of drainage cut around stack bases. The size range of this ring ditch falls well within the general range of other circular features identified as possible stack stands from aerial photographs (S6, page 553 to 4).
S. Massey (NMP), 30 September 2005.