NHER 50747 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Cropmarks of a possible Roman farmstead

This site was previously recorded under NHER 13731.

19 July 1977, 30 July 1977, 12 July 1978 and 16 June 1980. NAU and [1] aerial photography.
Cropmarks of a small subrectangular enclosure, about 0.17ha, 40m wide x 44m long.
See (S1).
D. Edwards (NAU) 18 December 1980.

December 2007. Norfolk NMP.
The cropmarks of a sub-rectangular enclosure and associated fragmentary field boundaries of unknown, but possibly Roman date, are visible on aerial photographs to the east of the Mill Farm, Elsing (S2-S4). The site is centred on TG 0550 1748. Finds such as prehistoric flints and pottery dating to the Roman, medieval and post medieval periods have been found in association with the site (NHER 13731 and 18242). Given the morphology of the enclosure it seems likely that it is Roman in date, although it is possible that it had Iron Age origins. The enclosure is located on edge of an open spur of land overlooking the River Wensum to the north. This site was previously recorded under NHER 13731 and has been described in (S1).

The enclosure is centred on TG 0544 1747 and is 43m long and varies in width from 31m to 41m. The enclosure is polygonal and sub-rectangular in shape, with a possible small annex enclosure, 18m by 9m, to the north. The main enclosure appears to have an entrance to the east, located towards the northern part of the eastern side of the enclosure. A much narrower break in the boundary may also have been present in the southern side (S2), although this is not as clearly visible on aerial photographs taken in other years. It is therefore possible that this break in the cropmark may be the result of a change in ditch depth or fill, later disturbance, or a change in the local cropmark conditions. The ditch varies in width from 2-3m. The cropmark of the ditch in 1977 (S2) and 1982 (S4) appears to exhibit differential cropmark response across the feature, changing from the dark to light cropmark. It is likely that this is due to a reversal of the cropmark response due to particularly dry conditions, although it is also possible that the cropmarks are detecting the remains of a former bank on the edge of the ditch or perhaps deposits of compacted bank material that has filled part of the ditch. In 1977 (S2-S3) a possible square feature, 12m across, may have been visible within the enclosure, however comparison of the feature with other more convincingly natural cropmarks in the general vicinity led to this being dismissed as a non-archaeological cropmark.

To the immediate north of the main enclosure and the annex is a series of fragmentary ditched boundaries that broadly follow the same alignment as the enclosure and are likely to be contemporary boundaries ditches, possibly relating to stock enclosures or fields. To the southeast of the enclosure a more complex area of fragmentary ditches has been mapped, with a particular concentration at TG 0556 1735. Whilst some of these are likely to be broadly contemporary with the enclosure, the group is likely to represent a palimpsest of multi-phase ditches. A number of geological and agricultural cropmarks are also present in this area and therefore a degree of uncertainty must remain over the archaeological origin of some of the cropmarks. It is possible that some of the fragmentary field boundaries recorded within this site are considerably later in date than the enclosure, in particular some may relate to the medieval to post medieval layout recorded under NHER 50733.
S. Massey (NMP), 19 December 2007.