NHER 43797 (Monument record) - Cropmarks of trackways, enclosures and field boundaries of unknown, but possible medieval to post medieval date

June 2006. Norfolk NMP.
The cropmarks of trackways, enclosures and field boundaries of unknown, but possibly medieval to post medieval date are visible on aerial photographs to the immediate south of High House Farm, Potter Heigham (S1). The site is centred on TG 4022 2047 and is located within a larger multiphase cropmark site (NHER 43791). The site consists of a series of double ditched boundaries or trackways. Several field boundaries abut these trackways and possible form at least large rectilinear or polygonal enclosure or field, centred on TG 4026 2036 and measuring approximately 150m by 130m. Another field may be defined to the north, although the cropmarks are more fragmentary in this area.

One of the trackways, running from TG 4013 2058 to TG 4029 2058, appears to follow on from the ‘Laurels Road’ trackway to the west of the Potter Heigham Road and this may indicate a historic date for the route. It is therefore possible that the other ditched enclosures and boundaries are also relatively late in date. However none of these features can be identified on any of the available historic maps. If these field boundaries and tracks are of a historic date then they must pre-date the latest phase of post medieval enclosure, as they are cut by these rectilinear fields and are aligned obliquely to them. The polygonal shape and the double ditched boundaries or trackways is reminiscent of a group of features to the east (NHER 43793), which again in part match up with trackways and a field boundary marked on the Tithe map. This eastern site was therefore interpreted as being medieval to post medieval in date and a similar could be suggested for the boundaries around High House Farm.

However there remains a possibility that these irregular and polygonal shaped fields and trackways are much earlier in date and a late prehistoric, possibly Iron Age date, could be suggested from the morphology. A large polygonal enclosure, of similar shape and size, and with associated trackways, located to the approximately 750m to the northwest (NHER 35525) has been interpreted as being Iron Age in date. A group of field boundaries have been recorded to the south of Reynold’s Lane (NHER 43794). These are undated, but a possible Iron Age to Roman date is suggested. Some of these boundaries follow similar alignment to these larger boundaries to the north of the Lane. However these southern field boundaries form a much more regular and rectilinear arrangement and it is probable that the two sites are unrelated.
S. Massey (NMP), 12 June 2006.