NHER 26822 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Cropmarks of medieval to post medieval field boundaries

April 2002. Norfolk NMP.
Large group of linear boundaries, comprising of mainly ditches and at least one bank, covering a massive area of 2.5km by 1.2km. These are visible on Ordnance Survey aerial photographs from 1966 (S1) and 1967 (S2). The ditches themselves are extremely large, the crop and soilmarks being between 12m and 30m wide. Although the plough may have spread material in both directions. These features consist of a series of long, roughly parallel north to south linears, up to 1km long. The land in-between the boundaries have been subdivided by smaller east to west linears. To the south of the group one of these long linears curves around to from a curvilinear enclosed area, centred on TF 6876 3542. These appear to be part of a large scale land division scheme, which is roughly on the same axis as the modern fields. On some of the photography (S2) these boundaries appear to be producing negative responses. In particular one linear to the north of the group, running from TF 6863 3661 to TF 6883 3719, does appear to be representing a banked feature rather than a ditch. Other of the ditches when showing as soilmarks appear to have chalky material within the centre of the feature. It is therefore possible that this is material that once constituted an associated bank or hedge line, which has filled the ditch.
Many of these boundaries meet up with those recorded on the 2nd edition map (1902-7 6”). It is interesting to compare the boundaries mapped with the field divisions and tracks on the 1623 Map of Heacham (S4). The same long north to south fields are clearly visible. The areas in-between are divided into strip fields and engrossed fields. They are probably part of the same phase of field system as recorded in SMR 26823, also visible on the 1623 map. These banks are likely to be the remains of a late medieval to post medieval enclosed landscape, probably representing the lines of hedges, field boundaries, plantation belts and tracks or hollows running between the furlongs.
S. Massey (NMP), 25 April 2002.