NHER 45069 (Monument record) - Site of undated possible ring ditch

September 2006. Norfolk NMP.
A possible ring ditch is visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs (S1), centred at TG 4061 1971. Probable prehistoric activity is evident in the area (see NHER 45072), and the site could represent a former round barrow. At the same time, it could relate to the passive or active defence of Ludham Airfield (NHER 8456) during World War Two. Some of the airfield’s dispersals are of a similar size and shape to the ring ditch, and it was surrounded by a number of defences, such as the gun emplacement 310m to the northwest. A faint track may be visible leading towards the site from the airfield on aerial photographs taken in 1942 (S2), and the ring ditch could represent a relatively short-lived element of the airfield. A third possibility is that the ring ditch was of non-archaeological origin, and was perhaps merely a reflection of recent agricultural activity. Its open-ended, somewhat U-shaped appearance in plan adds weight to this latter suggestion. It is notable that a very similar ring ditch (NHER 45068) is visible 1.25km to the southwest.

As mentioned above, the cropmark of the possible ring ditch is either incomplete or the underlying feature was open-ended. It measures approximately 14m in diameter. A small pit-like feature is visible within it, lying to the north of the centre point.
S. Tremlett (NMP), 25 September 2006.