NHER 45126 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Cropmarks of enclosures and field boundaries relating to medieval to post medieval farms

October 2006. Norfolk NMP
Cropmarks of rectilinear enclosures and field boundaries probably relating to a medieval to post medieval farmstead are visible on aerial photographs (S1). These cropmarks are centred on TG 2987 1070. At the northern end of the group of cropmarks are two rectilinear enclosures fronting onto Hare Road. These relate to a post medieval farm, which is called
‘Rookery Farm’ on Bryant’s 1826 county map (S2) and is also shown on Faden’s 1797 Map of Norfolk (S3). Further to the south are a series of overlapping rectilinear enclosures that also front on to Hare Road. At the southern end of this group is a rectangular enclosure with a 2m wide ditch, which measures 61m by 47m externally. This enclosure overlaps two other rectilinear enclosures that extend for 30m and 68m back from Hare Road. To the north and partly enclosed by one of these is a small rectangular enclosure with external dimensions of 35m by 15m. A 23m by 6.5m area in its northeast corner is sub-divided by a further ditch cropmark. To the northeast of the enclosures fronting on to the road are larger rectilinear enclosures or fields. These have internal dimensions of between 94m by 80m and 168m by 98m. Cropmarks of a double linear ditches, possibly part of trackways between the fields are also present. Faden’s 1797 Map of Norfolk (S3) shows a building, probably a farm, set back from Hare Road and to the south of Rookery Farm in the area of these cropmarks. This building is not shown on later maps. It is likely that these cropmarks are enclosures and fields associated with that farmstead and are probably of late medieval to early post medieval date.
J. Albone (NMP), 09 October 2006.

November 2008. Norfolk NMP.
Further linear features, clearly extending from the rectilinear enclosures and field boundaries relating to a medieval to post medieval farmstead described above (S1), were visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs (S4)-(S7). The area has been extended and the central grid reference has changed from TG 2989 1069 to TG 2992 1058.
E. Bales (NMP), 20 November 2008.

August-October 2014. Strip Map and Sample Excavation.
Excavation of relatively narrow strip between TG 2979 1054 and TG 2972 1089 (on route of Postwick Overflow and Distribution Main pipeline). The excavated areas coincided with a number of the cropmarks in this group, including the probable enclosures adjacent to Hare Road. The majority were associated with corresponding ditches, including the probable enclosures and a number of the boundaries recorded between them. The enclosure ditches themselves produced predominantly high medieval pottery, although late medieval pottery was recovered from features within the interiors of both enclosures. Both enclosures were associated with concentrations of pits and other features, with several pits within the more substantial, southern enclosure being of particular interest due to the presence of late medieval pottery wasters.
See report (S8) and NHERs 64833 and 64834 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 11 October 2024.