NHER 43634 (Monument record) - Undated but possibly Iron Age to Roman field boundaries

September 2005. Norfolk NMP.
The cropmarks of enclosures and field boundaries of unknown, but possibly Iron Age to Roman date are visible on aerial photographs to the west of Beach Road, Eccles on Sea (S1). The site is centred on TG 4077 2883. The site consists of a rectilinear enclosure with internal subdivisions and an associated field system. The function of the enclosure is not known, although it is possible that it is a small farmstead and that a range of domestic and stock rearing activities were taking place. The morphology of the ditched features and the enclosure would suggest an Iron Age to Roman date. However the enclosure is on a noticeably different alignment to another enclosure, interpreted as being Roman in date, to the immediate south (NHER 43635). These features underlie the extant post medieval and modern field boundaries, plus cropmarks field boundaries possibly of earlier post medieval date (NHER 43633). To the immediate northwest of the site is another small group of ditches (NHER 27268) that have the same alignment. It is therefore possible that these field boundaries are part of the same field system, although a medieval find located in close proximity to the cropmarks could indicate a later date for these features.

The main area of cropmark enclosures is centred on TG 4064 2885. The cropmarks are quite fragmentary and incomplete and the ditches are all aligned NE-SW and NW-SE. There appears to be a rectilinear enclosure, measuring approximately 95m by 65m, with internal subdivisions. This is bordered to the northeast by an intermittent ditch, which may form a trackway or passage alongside the enclosure. This opens out towards the southern end to form an enclosed area. The northweastern edge of the enclosure is also defined by a double ditched, again probably a trackway. The internal subdivisions are all approximately 25-30m across, additional ditches within these areas suggest that further division of the space also existed. No evidence of internal round houses is visible, although the highly divided and enclosed nature of the site would suggest that specific activities were taken place and this may have been associated with agriculture or stock management and not just domestic. Two additional ditches to the northwest of the enclosure, both approximately 25m apart and perpendicular to the intermittent ditch running alongside the site, may indicate further enclosed areas or fields.

The arrangement of the ditches to the south of the main enclosure suggests that the division of space into rectilinear block may have continued, although the cropmarks are too fragmentary to be certain. Centred on TG 4070 2878, is a small and fragmentary rectangular enclosure, measuring approximately 10m by 6.5m. The purpose of this is not obvious, although it may have been a small stock enclosure. Fragmentary ditches following the same alignment are recorded to the south and east of the main area of cropmarks. These are likely to be part of an associated field system.
S. Massey (NMP), 13 September 2005.