NHER 43351 (Monument record) - Cropmarks of possible medieval field boundaries

March 2006. Norfolk NMP.
Cropmarks of five parallel linear ditches of unknown, possibly medieval, date are visible on aerial photographs (S1-2). These cropmarks are centred on TF 7251 3951. Five parallel ditches are present on a roughly northwest to southeast alignment alongside the Ringstead to Docking road. They are spaced between 20m and 64m apart and are visible for a distance of up to 837m. The longest of the ditches extends from TF 7215 3973 to TF 7292 3939 and is crossed by a modern field boundary and a post medieval road. These ditches also cross the Ringstead and Sedgeford parish boundary. The narrow areas defined by the ditches have the appearance of medieval strip fields. However, these ditches do not correspond to the field pattern shown on a field map of Ringstead dating to 1690 or an estate map of Sedgeford dating to 1631 (S3-S4). It is possible that the position of the parish boundary and the field pattern in this area both changed in the early post medieval period. Similar changes have been recorded on the Sedgeford and Fring parish boundary 3.8km to the south (NHER 43330). Alternatively the ditches may be of an unknown earlier date. Their relationship to a group of possible Roman enclosures to the east is uncertain (NHER 43352).
J. Albone (NMP), 08 March 2006.