NHER 43709 (Monument record) - A group of post-medieval peat or turf extraction pits

September 2005. Norfolk NMP.
A group of post-medieval turf ponds and associated earthworks are visible on aerial photographs on Bells Marsh to the north of Eastfield farm (S1-S4). The site is centred on TG 4355 2413. These elongated shallow cuttings are located next to an earlier medieval peat cutting that is marked on Faden’s map of 1797 as a Broad (NHER 35363). Other areas of elongated post-medieval cuttings are visible to the east NHER 43707-8. This site also includes a conjoined group of ponds that may be associated with wildfowling or fish rearing and of early twentieth century date.

The clearest component of the site is centred on TG 4345 2434 and consists of a series of shallow, angular and elongated cuts, all approximately 70m long and 10m wide. In 1943 (S1) the interior of the cuts is very dark on the aerial photographs and it is possible that they are retaining some water or have not been encroached vegetation to a great degree. The features are showing in the same manner as the larger medieval peat extraction areas to the west, NHER 35363). The date of these cuttings is not known as the cutting of surface peat continued into the early twentieth century (S5; p81), although a post-medieval date is most likely. Another elongated cut feature is visible to the southern edge of the marsh at TG 4352 2401. In 1965 (S4) a further group of turf ponds may be visible to the northeast of the site at TG 4367 2414. However these were not mapped as they could not be identified with any certainty on the earlier aerial photographs, although it is possible that they were obscured by vegetation.

In the centre of the site is a peculiar group of oval and irregularly shaped ponds, approximately 35m across, all linked by channels and with small islands in the centre. The function of these ponds is not known, although it seems likely that they are related to either wildfowling or fish rearing. It is possible that this site is still in use in the mid twentieth century as it is possibly being cleared out in 1945 (S2), although the earthworks themselves do not appear to be particularly fresh and are likely to be much earlier and could possibly even post-medieval in date.
S. Massey (NMP), 30 September 2005.