NHER 42057 (Monument record) - Post medieval earthworks

September 2005. Norfolk NMP.
A group of post medieval earthworks, possibly relating to extraction or an industrial or agricultural activity, is visible on aerial photographs within an area of enclosed marsh to the north of the Waxham New Cut at Lam Bridge, Sea Palling (S1). The site is centred on TG 4299 2544 and consists of a chain of overlapping pits and associated spoil heaps and possible platforms. These mounds may have been used as platforms for a seasonal and repeated activity, explaining the overlapping of features, although their function remains unknown.

The clearest sunken feature is an oblong pit, measuring at least 14m by 10m. It may have originally been larger, but its southern end appears to be overlain by spoil. Two narrower sunken strips are also visible to the north and south of this pit. The other earthworks consist of banked platforms of very regularly placed spoil, all generally forming quite regular and flat-topped heaps. Although some of this material coincides with the edges of cut features, and should therefore be interpreted as spoil, not all of these features can be explained by such a process. These vary in width from 10m to 17m and in length from 25m to 37m. It is possible that the material was derived from the cleaning out of the surrounding dykes, although this is usually left in an uneven strip along the side of the channel. Another possibility is that the mounds were used as building platforms, raising them up from the potentially wet ground. The overlapping of material could indicate that these structures relate to some seasonal and repeated activity. Given the location and the condition of the earthworks a post medieval date seems most likely for these features. Two other earthwork pits were identified in the same area of marsh, NHER 42058, one of which was also an oblong pit, although these look more recent and could potentially be early World War Two defensive structures.
S. Massey (NMP), 30 September 2005.