NHER 45263 (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 west of the Beccles Road in the Fritton St Olaves and Belton with Browston parishes (S1-S8). These cropmarks are also located within a complex area of multi-phase and undated cropmarks, see NHER 49200 for details. The site is centred on TG 4832 0178. The cropmarks are located in three concentrations, TG 4776 0131, TG 4839 0163 and TG 4870 0210.

The majority of the ditches recorded under this site are broadly aligned NW-SE or NE-SW, suggesting that they are broadly part of the same phase or represent the development of the same system of fields and boundaries over a considerable period, with the general alignments persisting even though particular elements go out of use and are replaced in a piecemeal fashion. The arrangement and alignment of these ditches and field boundaries is also similar to those recorded under NHER 45175 and 45229 to the north and the east and NHER 59201 to the south, which have been interpreted as being late prehistoric to Roman in date. A major land boundary or road appears to cut across the fields and enclosures to the north (NHER 45175) and has been interpreted possibly being Roman in origin, although this is not certain and it may be medieval to early post medieval in date, see NHER 43591 for discussion. A large field system possibly associated with this road (NHER 43592) appears to overlie these fragmentary field boundaries on the eastern part of this site, in particular to the north of The Pines Nursery.

This area of cropmarks to the north of the Pines, centred on TG 4839 0164, possibly represents the location of an enclosure, although the cropmarks are a little too fragmentary to be certain. At TG 4836 0162 is a small ring ditch, 5m in diameter (S5). This appears to be located within the end of an elongated rectilinear enclosure, which is conjoined to a double ditched boundary or trackway to the north, 32m by 13m. Although this apparent positioning may be the result of a palimpsest of features in this location. The ring ditch may also be located within an enclosure suggested by other fragmentary ditches to the east. The size of this ring ditch would suggest that it is the eavesdrip gully for a roundhouse of probable Iron Age or Roman date. Another possible rectilinear enclosure may be indicated by cropmarks to the northeast, centred on TG 4877 0202, measuring potentially 70m by 30m (S6). Although again the cropmarks are too fragmentary to be certain. This enclosure appears to be associated with a series of double ditched boundaries or trackways to the north. A similarly oriented and multiple ditched linear is visible to the north of the Back Lane and this is likely to be a part of system of parallel boundaries or tracks.

The southwestern part of the site, in the area of the Caldecott Hall, is probably the busiest section of the site. This is also the area of NHER 49193, another undated, but potentially late prehistoric to Roman period field system, which is obviously of a different phase to this site. The cropmarks in this area appear to represent a series of reasonably closely-set ditches, the majority of which are aligned NE-SW, ranging from 5-25m apart. Perpendicular ditches periodically divide these features up. It seems likely that these boundaries are agricultural and no obvious enclosures or specifically defined areas are visible
S. Massey (NMP), 23 October 2006.

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 (S9) for further details.
S. Tremlett (Norfolk County Council Environment Team), 22 March 2023.