NHER 43792 (Monument record) - Cropmarks of enclosures and field boundaries of late prehistoric or Roman date

June 2006. Norfolk NMP.
The cropmarks of enclosures and field boundaries of possible late prehistoric or Roman date are visible on aerial photographs to the west of Rose Farm, Potter Heigham (S1) and (S2). The site is centred on TG 4080 2013. These ditched boundaries probably defined cultivation areas and stock enclosures, although it is also possible that some of the enclosures were domestic spaces. A ring ditch (NHER 43789) located within one of the enclosures at TG 4082 2019 may represent the remains of a house circle associated with this site. These cropmarks are located within a larger multiphase cropmark site (NHER 43791) and is overlain by or overlies another group of rectilinear enclosures and fields to the east, recorded under NHER 43793, 43795.

The linear ditches, all interpreted as field boundaries and enclosure ditches, are roughly aligned NW-SE and NE-SW. The main area of cropmarks are centred on TG 4082 2017, where a possible rectangular enclosure, 70m across, encloses the ring ditch (NHER 43789. At this location the ditches of several possibly different sites converge (NHER 43791-3, 43795). Some of these ditches have quite similar alignments and without excavation it would be impossible to phase and separate out different elements. The field boundaries recorded under NHER 43795 appear to be medieval to post medieval in date.

The rest of the site consists of quite dispersed and fragmentary linear ditches, which follows the general alignment of the site. Other linear ditches to the west (recorded under NHER 43794) follow a similar alignment in places and it is possible that elements of the two sites are contemporary.
S. Massey (NMP), 12 June 2006.