NHER 49258 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Cropmark trackways of possible late prehistoric to Roman date

May 2008. Norfolk NMP.
The cropmarks of a probable trackway of unknown date are visible on aerial photographs to the north of the intersection of the Beccles and New Roads to the west of Bradwell (S1). It is possible given its location and proximity to other cropmarks of possible Iron Age to Roman date (NHER 45215) that this trackway also dates to that period, but this is not certain. This area also contains a number of undated and multi-phase cropmark groups (NHER 45216) and the trackway could easily be related one of the other phases of activity in this area.

This western side of the trackway would appear to follow the same alignment of one of the double ditched boundaries and/or trackways recorded within NHER 45215, thought to date to the Iron Age to Roman date, although no definite relationship can be established. The trackway also appears to run from one side of the post medieval/modern field to the edge of the Beccles Road (S1). It is therefore possible that this route represents a relatively late feature in this cropmark landscape, although this is not certain.
S. Massey (NMP), 29 May 2008.

January 2017. Geophysical Survey
Magnetometer survey of proposed development site.
This survey identified no definite evidence for surviving sub-surface remains associated with this group of cropmarks. It did though identify a sinuous, weak linear trend in this part of the site that appears to have coincided with the east-to-west aligned trackway.
See report (S2) 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.
Three undated north-north-east to south-south-west aligned ditches were identified, at least two of which were possibly associated with one of these probable trackways. If this was the case it is clear that the associated ditches survive only intermittently. There was no evidence for surviving sub-surface remains associated with the more extensive east-to-west aligned trackway to the south.
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 (S3) for further details.
S. Tremlett (Norfolk County Council Environment Team), 22 March 2023.