NHER 43538 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Cropmark of a ring ditch

April 2006. Norfolk NMP.
A cropmark of a ring ditch of possible Bronze Age date is visible on aerial photographs (S1-S4). This cropmark is centred on TM 3101 8872 and was previously recorded as part of NHER 13612. The ring ditch is circular in plan with a 6.5m wide ditch and an external diameter of 31.5m. A 14m wide gap is present in the broad ditch on the northwest side. At this point narrow inner and outer ditches are present to complete the ring ditch. It is possible that this is a hengiform ring ditch, the entrance to which was later closed by two ditches. However, a more likely interpretation is that this is in fact a double ring ditch where the inner and outer ditches have merged to produce a single broad cropmark for most of the circuit. The most obvious interpretation for this cropmark is that it is of Bronze Age date and that it probably relates to a round barrow. Other ring ditch cropmarks of possible Bronze Age round barrows are present between 275m and 1km to the southwest (NHER 43539-40, 43610-2). This ring ditch is located on the gravel terrace of the River Waveney at approximately 16m OD.

This cropmark was previously interpreted as the landing circle for the World War One airfield at this location (NHER 13612). However, chalk landing circles of this date appear to have had a greater diameter and a relatively narrow line width. Although these features are known to survive as cropmarks at some airfields (see NHER 13549), the form and diameter of the cropmark does not fully support this interpretation.
J. Albone (NMP), 12 April 2006

November 2025. HER Enhancement: Forestry Commission Project K.
The cropmarks of the possible Bronze Age ring ditch (see above) are also visible on aerial photographs from 2006 (S5) and 2022 (S6).
J. Powell (Norfolk County Council Environment Service), 19 November 2025