NHER 45215 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Cropmarks of enclosures and fragmentary field boundaries of possible late prehistoric to Roman date

October 2006. Norfolk NMP.
The cropmarks of enclosures, trackways and fragmentary field boundaries of possible late prehistoric to Roman date are visible on aerial photographs covering a large area to the southwest of Bradwell, in-between the former railway line and the Beccles Road (S1-S8). Similarly orientated and arranged enclosures and fields are also located to the east of the Beccles Road and these have been recorded under NHER 45175. These cropmarks are located within an extremely complex area of cropmarks dating from the late prehistoric onwards, see NHER 45216 for details. The site is centred on TG 4954 0318.

The majority of the ditches are aligned NW-SE or NE-SW and it is possible that these are fragments of a dispersed field system or related phase of boundaries. Many of the cropmarks are only visible on one set of aerial photographs and the evidence is quite fragmentary. Much of the site is not covered by particularly clear aerial photographs and therefore in some cases it is hard to ascertain whether the cropmarks identified are archaeological or agricultural in origin. Additionally the oblique aerial photographs taken of this area tend to focus on the northwestern part of the site or features to the south of the Beccles Road. Some areas of geological cropmarks are visible on the aerial photographs and this again could indicate that some of the features mapped may be non-archaeological in origin. It is therefore possible that some of the cropmarks are either agricultural or natural origin and that the overall pattern of the fields and boundaries is partially a product of coincidence and misidentification. However there are several areas of more convincing archaeological features that clearly follow the same alignment, such as at TG 5017 0364 (S1), at TG 4944 0307 (S3, S5) and at TG 4922 0289 (S5). It is also possible that some of the closely-set double ditches that have been mapped from different photos could be in reality showing the same ditch and the double ditched feature visible in the composite plot could have been created by inaccuracies in the photo rectification process.

The arrangement and alignment of these ditches and field boundaries is similar to those recorded under NHER 45175 and 45229, to the south, and 45230, to the northwest, which have also both been interpreted as being late prehistoric to Roman in date. A number of prehistoric and Roman finds have been recovered within the area of this site (NHER 11552, 18641, 20866, 24807, 30084 and 39556). A major land boundary or road appears to cut across these fields and enclosures to the south (NHER 45175) and this has been interpreted possibly being Roman in origin, although this is not certain (NHER 43591).

The main concentrations of cropmarks are located within the eastern and northern parts of the site, in-between Church Farm and the School. Many of the linears appear to be double ditched and this may reflect the use of these boundaries as trackways, although as mentioned above some of these closely spaced double ditches may be the result of mapping from different aerial photographs. A more convincing trackway runs from TG 5004 0354 to TG 5024 0371 (S1) to the northeast of the site and appears to take up the line of a more sinuous trackway to the immediate west, which has been interpreted as possibly being late prehistoric in date (NHER 30302).

The majority of these ditches are relatively narrow, approximately 1m across or less. One L-shaped section of wider ditch is visible centred on TG 4994 0310 (S5). This ditch is between 1-2m wide and may form two sides of a rectangular enclosure cut by the road. This possible enclosure may have several smaller conjoined or annexed enclosures to the immediate north. Another section of broader ditch is also visible to the north of the site, running from TG 4967 0347 to TG 4972 0342 (S6). This is also L-shaped although it does not immediate appear to be part of an enclosure. A narrower parallel ditch runs 8.5m to the west and may indicate a trackway.

The fragmentary nature of the site in conjunction with the uncertainty over the archaeological origin of some of the cropmarks makes it hard to provide an assessment of overall average field size and pattern. There are several areas of a more heavily subdivided land, such as at TG 4949 0306 and TG 5022 0339. The ditches in these areas appear to define areas of land as small as 10m across and this may indicate a land use other than agricultural fields, such as small paddocks or stock enclosures or possibly even domestic or industrial activities. However these highly subdivided areas may also be the product of a palimpsest of boundaries over time following a similar alignment.
S. Massey (NMP), 23 October 2006.

March-May 2017. Strip Map and Sample Excavation.
Excavation of pipeline easement through two fields to south of New Road.
Although the four narrow strips excavated coincided with a number of the cropmarks in this group only two were found to be associated with surviving sub-surface remains. Unfortunately neither of these north-west to south-east aligned ditches produced any dating evidence. The only other feature that may have been associated with this potentially early field system was a perpendicular, north-east to south-west aligned ditch in the western field that produced single sherds of Early Neolithic and Roman pottery (the latter abraded).
See report (S9) and NHER 62731 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 9 May 2018.

January 2017. Geophysical Survey
Magnetometer survey of field to north of Beccles Road.
Although the area examined coincided with numerous cropmarks in this group no corresponding anomalies were identified.
See report (S10) and NHER 67115 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 11 June 2023.

March 2019. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site adjacent to Beccles Road.
Although the excavated trenches coincided with a number of the cropmarks in this group none were found to be associated with surviving sub-surface remains.
Information from draft report. See NHER 67115 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 10 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 (S11) for further details.
S. Tremlett (Norfolk County Council Environment Team), 22 March 2023.