NHER 45057 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Multi-period and undated cropmarks

SOME OF THESE CROPMARKS WERE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED UNDER NHERs 11787-11788 and 13020.

January 1998. Desk-based Assessment.
Study of proposed South Gorleston Development Area.
An aerial photographic assessment undertaken as part of this work identified and mapped a range of potentially archaeologically significant cropmark features, including a number now included in this group.
See report (S21) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 16 March 2019.

1998. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of undeveloped area to west of hospital (part of proposed South Gorleston Development Area).
This survey identified a number of fragmentary linear anomalies, one of which appears to correspond with a cropmark in this group mapped at TG 51727 02445.
See NHER 13020 and report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 15 March 2019.

August 1998. Trial Trenching.
Partial evaluation of southern half of proposed development area to south of James Paget Hospital (South Gorleston Development Area; Stage 1; Trenches 21-24).
A trench excavated at c. TG 5204 0201 revealed a number of roughly east-to-west aligned undated ditches, at least one of which probably corresponded with the cropmarks in this group.
See NHER 39347 and report (S22) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 15 March 2019.

December 1998. Trial Trenching.
Partial evaluation of southern half of proposed development area to north of James Paget Hospital (South Gorleston Development Area Stage 2).
One of the ditches identified was potentially associated with the north-north-west to south-south-east aligned cropmark at TG 5181 0221. This feature produced a single sherd of probable Iron Age pottery.
See report (S23) and NHER 39347 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 15 March 2019.

October 2006. Norfolk NMP.
The cropmarks of a dispersed group of multi-period and undated ditches centred on Wood Farm, Gorleston on Sea (S2-S14). The site is centred on TG 5153 0222 and covers the area to the north of Hobland Hall and Plantation and from Hobland Lane in the west to the Lowestoft Road/A12 in the east. The St James Pagent Hospital and South Gorleston Development Area now covers much of the site.

The cropmarks have been split into several different sites. The substantial trackway running through the site is now recorded under NHER 43529. The large cropmark complex located to the north of Hobland Hall is now recorded under NHER 45052-3 and has been interpreted as being Iron Age to Roman in date. A number of other small undated, but probably late prehistoric cropmarks are also recorded under NHER 45055 and 45058-9. Several Bronze Age round barrows are located within the area (NHER 12779, 43551). A possible Iron Age square barrow or square enclosure has also been recorded under NHER 45051. The possible prehistoric or Saxon barrow has now been reinterpreted as a medieval postmill and is recorded under NHER 45050. All of the post medieval field boundaries are grouped under NHER 45056. The World War Two radar or radio site and searchlight battery also located on the site is under NHER 42518.

The cropmarks recorded under this multi-period site do not appear to fit into any specific phase. Without further evidence it is impossible to offer any worthwhile interpretation of these features. Additional aerial photograph material or archaeological excavation would be needed to investigate this area further. A great many prehistoric finds and pits have been found within this area, see NHER 11787-8, 12780 and 13020 for details of assemblages and excavations.

The majority of the cropmarks are located within the central and northern parts of the site. Most of the cropmarks consist of fragmentary ditches and linear features and are likely to represent fragments of former field boundaries. Some of these ditches run parallel to one another and may represent double ditched boundaries or trackway segments, at TG 5121 0205, TG 5125 0163, TG 5168 0209, TG 5181 0223 and TG 5164 0260. At TG 5151 0213 is a C-shaped ditch, 13m across and 26m long at the open end. This is located to the immediate west of the probable medieval postmill (NHER 45050), although the two features do not appear to be related.
S. Massey (NMP), 24 October 2006.

February-March 2010. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of groundworks associated with installation of underground electrical cables.
Although the cable trench excavated to the south of the ambulance station coincided with a number of these cropmark features no corresponding sub-surface remains were identified.
See report (S15) and NHER 57862 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 16 May 2018.

January 2011. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site immediately to south of ambulance station.
The seven trenches excavated revealed a number of ditches, one of which was potentially associated with the north-to-south aligned cropmark running between TG 5156 0203 and TG 5156 0187. Although no finds were recovered it was noted that the cropmark clearly corresponds with a field boundary marked on the late 19th-century 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map.
See report (S16) 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 one of the trenches should have coincided with a cropmark in this group no corresponding feature was identified.
See report (S17) 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 at least three of the trenches were placed to coincide with cropmarks in this group, no potentially corresponding sub-surface remains were identified.
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 identified any evidence for sub-surface remains associated with the two cropmarks mapped at the southern end of the field east of Hobland Lane and south of Gorleston Lane (c.TG 5092 0247).
See report (S18) and NHER 62730 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 16 May 2018.

March 2014. Trial Trenching.
Additional phase of evaluation at Beacon Park (Site 14; Trenches 19-27).
Although one of the excavated trenches coincided with the north-east to south-west aligned cropmark mapped at TG 5139 0193 no surviving sub-surface feature was identified.
See report (S19) and NHER 57862 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 31 August 2019.

June-July 2016. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of field to west of Woodfarm Lane.
Although several of the excavated trenches coincided with cropmarks in the group most were found to have no corresponding sub-surface remains. The one exception was a cropmark likely to relate to one of several north-west to south-east aligned ditches recorded at TG 5141 0257. Unfortunately none of the excavated features produced any dating evidence.
See report (S20) and NHER 62738 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 16 May 2018.

January 2023. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site adjacent to Captain Manby PH, Guinevere Road.
The trenches excavated coincided with one of the north-to-south aligned cropmarks in this group but no associated sub-surface feature was identified.
See report (S24) and NHER 67116 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 12 June 2023.

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 (S25) for further details.
S. Tremlett (Norfolk County Council Environment Team), 22 March 2023.

April-May 2024. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of land east of Woodfarm Lane.
The trenches excavated coincided with four of the cropmarks in this group, although only one (a north-north-west to south-south-east aligned cropmark at TG 5172 0244) was found to be associated with surviving sub-surface remains. No finds were recovered from this ditch.
Information from draft report.
See report (S26) and NHER 68434 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 9 August 2024.