NHER 5090 (Monument record) - Site of post-medieval floated water meadows

Earthwork site now destroyed by quarrying. It is highly likely that these features were the remains of floated water meadows created in the late 18th century by Nathan Lucas of Lynford Hall (S1). The aim of these landscape features was to control the flow of water over an area of pasture during winter in order to stimulate the growth of grass for sheep grazing; irrigation at the end of the spring would then provide a bumper hay crop. These features operated what was known as a 'bedrock' system, with water carried round a series of banks and ditches. The water was fed by a leat, controlled sluices and transported around the site by carriers (grooves) in the tops of the ditches. Information from (S2). See (S3) for further information on the floated water meadows of Norwolk and NHER 31157 for details of a similar feature at West Tofts. Further notes by K. Sussams (SAU) are incorporated with report on site NHER 31242, see (S3) in that file.
K. Sussams (NLA) 31 May 1995. Expanded and amended by P. Watkins (HES), 29 April 2013.

1971.
Earthworks first recognised, being described as 'ridge and furrow'. It was noted that there was a distance of 4.6m (15ft) between the ridges, which were at this time 0.6m (2ft) high. Information from (S4).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 29 April 2013.

March/October 1988. Fieldwalking.
Land cleared by Forestry Commission for storage of pine logs and site subject to fieldwalking. Finds recovered now recorded under NHER 58059 (previously Context 2 at TL 8245 9480).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 29 April 2013.

May 1996. Earthwork Survey.
Survey of surviving earthworks in advance of proposed mineral extraction. See copy of survey by B. Cushion (NLA) in file (S5). This site was included in (S6) and the survey is also noted in (S7).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 29 April 2013.

January 1999. Visit and field observations.
Site examined by T. Williamson (UEA). See letter in file and annotated plan (one show a hypothetical reconstruction of the meadow, based on the evidence from the earthwork survey).
D.Gurney (NLA) 20 January 1999. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 29 April 2013.

March 2000. Archaeological Evaluation. Contexts 3-77.
Excavation of ten sondages. Unfortunately no evidence of water control systems for the floated meadow was identifed. See copy of report in file (S8). Finds were limited to nine small worked flints, burnt flints and a single sherd of Iron Age pottery.
D. Gurney (NLA) 19 August 2000. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 29 April 2013.

2002. Watching Brief and Excavation.
Excavation of Palaeolithic butchery site exposed by quarrying. Recorded as NHER 37095.
D. Gurney (NLA) 16 January 2003.