NHER 50699 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Cropmarks and low earthwork of medieval to post medieval road

November 2007. Norfolk NMP.
Cropmarks of a curving ditch and bank relating to a section of former road are visible on aerial photographs (S1). The position of these cropmarks corresponds exactly to the that of a road marked on Faden’s 1797 county map (S2) and which is labelled as ‘Willow Hurn Lane’ on the 1814 Hoe enclosure map (S3). This section of road formed part of a longer route to the southeast and northwest of the cropmarks and was probably of medieval to post medieval origin.
J. Albone (NMP), 16 November 2007.

May 2020-January 2021. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of site on proposed route of onshore cable for Norfolk Vanguard and Boreas Offshore Wind Farms.
Although the area examined coincided with the southern end of these cropmarks there was no evidence for surviving remains.
See NHER 66055 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 21 May 2026.

October 2020-June 2021. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of site on proposed route of onshore cable for Norfolk Vanguard and Boreas Offshore Wind Farms.
A trench placed to coincide with the line of this road recorded a similarly-aligned ditch immediately to the west of the mapped cropmarks. No dating evidence was recovered.
See NHER 66055 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 21 May 2026.

January 2024. Wendling Beck and Fransham Aerial Investigation and Mapping (AIM) Project (volunteer strand).
The line of the medieval to post medieval road described above is visible as low earthworks on visualised lidar data (S4). It appears much wider than depicted by the NMP mapping, but the Monument Polygon defining the extent of the site has not been altered, as it is not clear how the earthworks, which may be extensively spread by ploughing, relate to the mapped cropmarks. As the lidar survey was flown relatively recently (2017), it is probably that any earthworks still survive.
S. Tremlett (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 12 January 2024.