NHER 45052 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - The cropmarks of an extensive settlement and field system, probably Iron Age to Roman in date

THESE CROPMARKS WERE ORIGINALLY RECORDED UNDER NHER 11787

1974. Aerial Photograph Interpretation.
Cropmark of track leaving Hobland Lane at kink at TG 5092 0185 and running to TG 5100 0223 where it makes a gap in a linear feature from TG 5086 0226 to TG 5135 0200. A zigzag feature runs off east side of track.
Photos checked by E. Rose (NAU), 11 November 1976.
Information from (S18).
Previously recorded under NHER 11787.
P. Watkins (HES), 16 March 2019.

August 1998. Trial Trenching.
Partial evaluation of South Gorleston Development Area (Stage 1; Trenches 15-20).
This work saw a number of trenches placed to investigate cropmarks associated with this field system and a probable enclosure now recorded as NHER 45053.
The ditches exposed included one that produced a reasonably large assemblage of Roman pottery. Although this was close to the enclosure, its alignment suggests it was most likely associated with the main field system (i.e. with the cropmarks that form this group).
Trenches placed to investigate the intersections between the cropmarks now recorded as NHER 45052 and NHER 45053 revealed a number of ditches, although unfortunately little in the way of dating evidence was recovered. It does though appear that the features likely to be broadly contemporary with the enclosure (NHER 45053) probably post-dated those associated with the wider field system.
See NHER 62739 and report (S11) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 16 March 2019.

September 2006. Norfolk NMP.
The cropmarks of an extensive settlement and field system, probably Iron Age to Roman in date, are visible on aerial photographs to the north of Hobland Hall, Gorleston on Sea (S1-S10). The site is centred on TG 5111 0212. The site consists of a series of rectangular enclosures and fields arranged around a central trackway, several small ring ditches might also indicate the former presence of round houses. An enclosure, proved by excavation to be Roman in date (NHER 45053), may be associated with these boundaries, although it could represent a different phase. Some features also appear to link into elements of the post medieval landscape and therefore it is possible that some of the ditches are medieval to post medieval in date. This may indicate the continued use of boundaries and trackways over a considerable length of time.

The central trackway runs from TG 5076 0166 to TG 5106 0223 and varies in width from 6-10m. The eastern ditch is noticeably broader than the west, up to 3m. The southern end of the trackway appears to lead towards the corner of a post medieval field boundary to the north of Hobland Farm, although this is probably a coincidence and does not indicate that the trackway is a post medieval feature. To the north of this main and well-defined trackway is a possible continuation of the route from TG 5121 0258 to TG 5110 0234 (S7). At the southern end it appears to join with a curvilinear enclosure boundary or trackway. It is possible that this part of the site represents an earlier or later phase that has been incorporated into a later and more planned phase of the site. Another area of curvilinear enclosures is centred on TG 5068 0188 to the southwest of the site (S6, S10). It could be generalised that curvilinear enclosures are normally earlier than more regular and rectangular enclosures, however this is not always the case and the fact that both of the areas of curvilinear enclosures are located on edge of the main enclosures, this could indicate that they are later additions. Excavation would be needed to reveal the true chronological sequence. The northern, more fragmentary trackway appears to terminate to the immediate south of an extremely straight and broad ditch (NHER 43593), which although undated, may be a major Roman boundary or even associated with a possible Roman Road to the west (NHER 43591). Although this relationship is too tenuous and the cropmarks too fragmentary to indicate any relative phasing or association.

A series of fields and enclosures are arranged to either side of the trackway, these vary in size considerably, from 50m by 55m to 115m by 150m. These differences in size and shape are likely to reflect differences in use, ranging from domestic areas to agricultural fields or paddocks. A number of the enclosures have small ring ditches within them. These are located at TG 5096 0192, TG 5100 0202, TG 5111 0223 and TG 5097 0237. These ring ditches range in size from 4m to 9.5m. The size of these ring ditches and their positioning within the enclosures would suggest that they are the eavesdrip gullies of prehistoric or Romano-British round houses. Similarly sized and located ring ditches have been recorded as round houses to the southeast (NHER 43494-6). Although it is possible that the smaller ring ditch, 4m in diameter, is the remains of a hut or possibly an agricultural structure, such as a stackstand. The presence of the remaining possible round houses indicates the parts of this large complex that was probably used for domestic activities. Another possibly domestic or specialised area may be located to the west of the site, centred on TG 5078 0208 (S3). The enclosures within this area show a high degree of internal subdivision and demarcation of space, with ditches defined areas as small as 15m across.

Another ring ditch (NHER 45054) is located to the east at TG 5162 0209 (S2, S5), 10m in diameter, but this is possibly overlain or overlies a boundary ditch potentially part of this site. It is also located next to the soilmarks of a possible circular mound (NHER 45054) and it is possible that this is the remains of a former barrow. The ring ditch appears to be of very similar size to this possible circular mound and therefore may be associated with a different phase of activity, potentially pre-dating the site.

To the east of the site, separated by the wooded boundary, is a boundary ditch running from TG 5116 0218 to TG 5151 0195. This follows a slightly different alignment to the rest of the site and therefore may represent a different phase. Running up to and across this boundary are a series of roughly perpendicular ditches. Some of these ditches were excavated as part of the South Gorleston Development Area in 1998 (S11). All of the trenches revealed extremely shallow ditches and contained no finds and were interpreted as post-medieval field drains. Whilst it is possible that some of the parallel linear cropmarks running through this section of the site could be related to drainage, the cropmarks indicate that at least some of these ditches are associated with the settlement and fields to the immediate west. It is worth noting that this main eastern linear does run towards and perpendicular to a linear cropmark feature that is marked on the Gorleston Enclosure Map of 1813 (S12). This boundary cuts diagonally across a series of rectilinear fields and is likely to represent a trackway or footpath (NHER 45056). The relationship between the two features is not clear, but it remains a possibility that the later trackway or boundary is a remnant of the earlier field system.

At TG 5120 0215 a series of parallel ditches either join or cross this main eastern boundary. These follow a slightly different alignment and are not perpendicular to the main linear feature. The boundary also appears to cut through ditches associated with this site, indicating that they are not of the same phase and have been recorded separately (NHER 45053). These ditches were proved to be quite shallow during the excavations (S11) and had no associated finds. However a conjoined enclosure to the north appeared to suggest a Roman date, see NHER 45053 for discussion. It is possible that this enclosure and the associated field boundaries represent a different and later phase or development of the site, rather than being completely unrelated.
See NHER 62739 for further information on the features excavated in 1998.
S. Massey (NMP), 13 September 2006.

October-December 2010. Strip Map and Sample Excavation.
Excavation of routes of new access roads to south of ambulance station.
An incomplete draft report on this work notes that several north-to-south ditches were identified, one of which correlated with a cropmark in this group. Two Early Iron Age pottery sherds were recovered from this feature and one of the other ditches contained Roman pottery.
See NHER 57862 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 24 August 2024.

January 2011. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site immediately to south of ambulance station.
The seven trenches excavated revealed a number of ditches, several of which potentially corresponded with the linear cropmarks assigned to this group. The only find recovered from these features was a fragment of post-medieval brick found in a ditch that was potentially a continuation of a feature associated with the north-north-east to south-south-west aligned cropmark at TG 5155 0192.
See report (S13) and NHER 57862 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 3 January 2019.

May 2011. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of two additional proposed development sites, one to the south of the area examined in January 2011 and one to the east.
Although at least two of the trenches should have coincided with cropmarks in this group no obviously corresponding features were identified.
See report (S14) and NHER 57862 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 6 January 2019.

September 2011. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of two adjacent proposed development sites to north-west of areas investigated in May 2011.
Although several trenches were placed to coincide with cropmarks in this group, only one - a north-west to south-east aligned feature at TG 5138 0215 - was potentially associated with surviving sub-surface remains. No finds were recovered from the potentially corresponding ditch.
See NHER 57862 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 1 September 2019.

January 2013. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of large proposed development area.
This survey failed to identify any evidence for sub-surface remains associated with the cropmarks mapped in the field to the east of Hobland Lane and south of Gorleston Lane (c.TG 5093 0246).
See report (S15) and NHER 62730 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 21 May 2018.

March 2014. Trial Trenching.
Additional phase of evaluation at Beacon Park (Site 14; Trenches 19-27).
The trenches excavated at this location coincided with two of the cropmarks in this group, one of which - a north-east to south-west aligned feature at TG 5127 0205 - was associated with an undated ditch. There was no evidence for surviving sub-surface remains associated with the north-west to south-east aligned cropmark mapped at TG 5136 0195.
See report (S16) and NHER 57862 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 31 August 2019.

July 2014. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed A12-A143 link road (Trench 26).
Although the single trench excavated to the west of Beaufort Way should have coincided with at least one of the cropmark in this group no corresponding sub-surface remains were identified.
See report (S17) and NHER 57862 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 21 May 2018.

March 2023. Assessment of the Character and Significance of East Anglian Field Systems project.
The site described above was included in the dataset analysed for the Historic England-funded Assessment of East Anglian Field Systems project. See the project report (S19) for further details.
S. Tremlett (Norfolk County Council Environment Team), 22 March 2023.