NHER 27288 (Monument record) - Post-medieval drainage ditches, Hickling

March 2005. Norfolk NMP.
A group of post-medieval drainage ditches and boundaries are visible on aerial photographs within the marshes to the east and north of Hickling Broad (S1-S3). Many of these boundaries are marked on northern edge of the 1801 Potter Heigham Enclosure Map (S4), but have been removed by the 1842 Hickling Tithe map showing the same area (S5). The site is centred on TG 4311 2150. Many of these boundaries are parallel to the new road that runs north-south from the Stubb to the Broad, which was also laid out during the parliamentary enclosure of Hickling (S5; p97).

A series of meandering channels traverse this whole area and continue across ‘The Hundred Acres Marsh’ to the east. Some of these more rectilinear post-medieval drains and boundaries link into these earlier meandering channels. Prior to the drainage and enclosure of these marshes the aerial photographs indicate that peat and clay extraction was taking place on this common land, see NHER 27284 for details.
S. Massey (NMP), 29 March 2005.

August-September 2012. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of various works undertaken as part of the Broadland Flood Alleviation Project.
A number of north-east to south-west aligned linear features were recorded in the sides of a widened dyke, one of which potentially corresponded with the similarly-aligned section of probable drainage channel recorded at TG 4331 2187. A north-west to south-east aligned linear feature recorded a little way to the west was also potentially associated with the features in this group, although it didn’t coincide with any of those visible on the aerial images.
Although a new pond coincided with several of the features in this group no evidence for associated remains was identified. It is though noted that the waterlogged conditions would have made the identification of remains difficult.
See report (S6) and NHERs 66588 and 66589.
P. Watkins (HES), 31 March 2023.