NHER 43494 (Monument record) - The cropmarks of an extensive late prehistoric to Early Roman settlement, field system and trackways, Hopton-on-Sea

April 2006. Norfolk NMP.
The cropmarks of an extensive Iron Age to Early Roman settlement, field system and trackways are visible on aerial photographs in Hopton-on-Sea (S1-S9). The site is centred on TG 5232 0134 and covers approximately 1km². The main focus of the site is an area of conjoined enclosures with internal roundhouses, surrounded by fields and stock enclosures. This is likely to represent a large farmstead or small settlement. These fields and enclosures are linked to a central trackway may link up with a major long-distance trackway (NHER 43529), which runs through the centre of the site, to the west of the main enclosures. Although the relationship is not clear as the potential meeting point is obscured by the modern road (A12). These trackways to the west possibly pre-date the Iron Age settlement and may have Bronze Age origins. This settlement gets overlain by a later Roman planned system of fields and enclosures, see NHER 43495 for details. 230m to the southeast is another area of field boundaries and enclosures associated with a trackway (NHER 43496). These ditches share the same general alignment as the Iron Age settlement and are likely to be the same date and probably part of the same settlement and field system.

These cropmarks were originally recorded under NHER 11788, which encompasses a vast area of approximately 2km² and includes information derived from metal detecting, fieldwalking and developer funded archaeological evaluations and excavations. This varied archaeological work has produced artefacts ranging from Neolithic through to post medieval period. There has been a notable lack of material recorded dating to the Iron Age period, other than first to second century BC brooch and terret fragment, although many of the Roman coins and brooch styles indicate very early Roman period occupation. However it must be noted many of the Iron Age and Early Roman finds were found to the south of this area of cropmarks and were more in the general vicinity of NHER 43519 and 43525.

The main focus of the settlement or farmstead is a large sub-rectangular enclosure centred on TG 5240 0123 and measuring 135m by 80m (at its widest). This fronts onto a wide trackway that runs through the centre of the site and towards the long-distance trackway to the west (NHER 43529). The ditches of the enclosure are 1-2m wide and there is a clear entrance gap to the east at TG 5244 0125. However there is also a noticeable thinning of the enclosure ditch at TG 5244 0125 and this may indicate the former presence of an entrance leading directly out onto the trackway. Conjoined to this main enclosure is another sub-rectangular enclosure to the east, again measuring 135m long and ranging from 20-40m wide. The access to the main enclosure from the trackway to the eastern entrance appears to lead into/from a square enclosure, approximately 40m², which forms the northern half of the eastern sub-rectangular enclosure. This space is bordered with a double ditched track, which would have structured movement into the main enclosure for both people and animals. The western end of the square enclosure also has a series of elongated and enclosed areas that are probably associated with the separation and housing of stock.

Both of these two large enclosures are heavily sub-divided with internal ditches creating a network of elongated and rectangular enclosed areas of varying sizes, although many form roughly square areas of approximately 20m across. Again these may be stock enclosures and paddocks, or perhaps just areas defined for different domestic, agricultural or even industrial activities. Circular and penannular ring ditches, 3.5-6m in diameter, are likely to the remains of five roundhouses. Two larger and more irregular penannular cropmarks, 8-9m in diameter, may also be the remains of roundhouses, although the slightly angular ditches could indicate a different use.

To the north of the trackway is another enclosure, centred on TG 52434 0134, and defined by a curvilinear double ditched. An internal round house within a rectilinear enclosed area is visible. The area to the west of the main enclosure, centred on TG 5231 0128, also appears to have been heavily subdivided. The space has roughly been divided into blocks 30m long, but varying widths, again presumably for different purposes. To the south of this is a square enclosure, 50m². This seems a lot more regular than the surrounding enclosures and may represent a different and perhaps later phase within the life of the settlement.

To the east of the main enclosures is another conjoined area of fields or paddocks. Running through this is a double ditched linear feature, potentially a trackway, which appears to be on a slightly different alignment to the rest of the enclosures and seems to cross the enclosure ditches of the main settlement area. It is not clear whether this is an earlier feature incorporated into the enclosures, or a later alteration of the site. To the east of this the route of the former valley running SW-NE from Valley Farm obscures the cropmarks for approximately 50m. The line of the ditches and trackway can be seen to continue on the other side, although the density of the cropmarks is significantly lower.

The land to the north of the central trackway is less heavily divided than to the south, forming large enclosed areas almost 200m long, which were probably fields or stock areas. Many of the cropmarks in this area of the site are more irregular and curvilinear and it is possible that some earlier elements have been incorporated into the site. Centred on TG 5251 0151 is a three-sided or incomplete enclosed area that has a noticeably irregular southern ditch. To the west at TG 5233 0147 is a curvilinear double ditched feature, which does not follow general alignment of the rest of the site. Other irregular and curvilinear ditches and enclosures in this area have been recorded under NHER 43500 and are tentatively interpreted as being earlier than the settlement. It is possible that this double ditched feature is also related to earlier activity.

Away from the main focus of the settlement the cropmarks are much more fragmentary, with only small areas of ditches forming a coherent plan of fields. The relationship with the rest of the site is not as clear, although they appear to follow the same alignment as the Iron Age site and are not obviously related to the Roman planned landscape which also covers this area (NHER 43495). The main clusters of cropmarks are located at TG 5229 0177, TG 5192 0171 and TG 5209 0118. The cropmarks on this western part of the site show no obvious relationship to the sinuous trackway that gets incorporated into the later Roman site (NHER 43501). Although a few of the fragmentary field boundaries do run up to the trackway ditches without crossing it, suggesting that it is in use as a trackway or at least a visible feature in the landscape.
S. Massey (NMP), 11 April 2006.

August-September 2011. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site to south of Sidegate Lane.
Although a number of the excavated trenches coincided with cropmarks in this group no corresponding sub-surface remains were identified.
See report (S10) and NHER 62748 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 7 June 2018.

March 2013. Test Pitting.
Test pit survey within fields to either side of Long Belt plantation (Gorleston Golf Course).
The test pits excavated established that any surviving sub-surface archaeological remains in this area are sealed by soil deposits that are between 0.39m and 0.9m deep. Subsoil was present in seven of the nine test pits, although its depth varied (between 0.08m and 0.55m).
Unfortunately the thinnest soil coverage appears to coincide with one of the densest groups of cropmarks, within the small enclosured field at TG 5245 0126.
Information from report uploaded to OASIS, HER copy awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 2 January 2019.

August 2016. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of proposed development area to south-east of junction between Lowestoft Road and Links Road.
This survey identified the remains of potentially prehistoric field systems and trackways, with many of the linear anomalies corresponding with previously identified cropmark features.
Report awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 29 June 2018.

August 2017. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of three fields to south-east of junction between Lowestoft Road and Links Road.
This work saw the investigation of several cropmarks at the northern limits of this group.
The most notable feature was a substantial ditch that corresponds with the irregular southern side of the three-sided or incomplete cropmark enclosure identified at TG 5251 0151. This ditch produced an assemblage of fired clay briquetage of a type consistent with Late Prehistoric salt production. A single sherd of Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age pottery was also recovered from this feature.
Although a similarly aligned cropmark to the north-west of this enclosure was believed to be of a similar date a corresponding ditch at TG 5242 0160 was actually found to contain a number of post-medieval finds. A post-medieval date for this feature is also suggest by the fact that its projected line coincides with a notable kink in a boundary shown on early Ordnance Survey maps.
A number of scattered, fragmentary cropmarks potentially associated with this group were also investigated in the western field but in most cases no corresponding sub-surface remains were identified.
See NHER 62793 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 29 June 2018.

March 2023. Assessment of the Character and Significance of East Anglian Field Systems project.
The site described above was included in the dataset analysed for the Historic England-funded Assessment of East Anglian Field Systems project. See the project report (S11) for further details.
S. Tremlett (Norfolk County Council Environment Team), 22 March 2023.

September 2023. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of proposed development site to east of A47 and south of Masons Farm.
This survey identified a number of linear anomalies that appear to correspond with cropmarks in this group. In general it is the more substantial cropmarks that appear to be associated with sub-surface remains, with little evidence for surviving features associated with the more fragmentary elements of the group.
See NHER 60543 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 31 August 2024.

October 2023. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site to east of A47 and south of Masons Farm.
This work demonstrated that the preceding geophysical survey had underestimated the survival of archaeological remains at this location, with the majority of the cropmarks in this group investigated found to have associated sub-surface remains. These included elements of the more substantial enclosures at the heart of this group and the probable trackway to the north. Dating evidence was scarce, although the excavated ditches did produce a small assemblage of Roman pottery, with the presence of several 'Belgic'-type grog-tempered sherds suggesting this phase of activity potentially commenced during the Late Pre-Roman Iron Age or the immediate post-Conquest period. The majority of the pottery was recovered from features in the south-east corner of the site – i.e. in the vicinity of the more substantial enclosures (the bulk of which lie in the east of the site investigated).
See NHER 60543 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 31 August 2024.