NHER 51948 (Monument record) - Site of probable medieval to post medieval multi-phase field system, with significant trackways and enclosure elements

Some of the cropmarks described below were previously recorded as part of NHER 11783, a World War Two bombing decoy, with which they are no longer thought to be associated.

November 2008. Norfolk NMP.
Some of the cropmarks described below were previously recorded as part of NHER 11783, a World War Two bombing decoy, with which they are no longer thought to be associated.
The site of a significant enclosure and related multi-phase field boundaries, as well as a possible trackway, all of probable medieval to post medieval date, were visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs (S1)-(S3).

Many of these ditch features, especially the section of north-south ditch running from TG 2974 1208 to TG2980 1194, and a section to the south (from TG 2987 1187 to TG 2992 1162 within the former course of a palaeochannel) coincide with the boundaries on the 1839 Little Plumstead tithe map (S4).

A possible trackway, indicated by a pair of parallel ditches approximately 9m apart, running east-west from TG 3049 1209 to TG 3006 1199, also appears to coincide with a field boundary visible on the tithe map. It is quite possible that this feature pre-dates the tithe map, however, as it continues from TG 3004 1198 to TG 2966 1181, through an area which is depicted as woodland on (S4), although it does appear to respect the boundary of this area. The ditch also appears to continue from TG 2964 1180 to TG 2945 1172, along with a second ditch running parallel to it 47m to the south (S3), and may in fact join up with a ditch feature recorded as part of features to the west (NHER 51942).

It is also worth noting that the large (844m in diameter) enclosure ditch that forms a semi-circle around the northern half of the site, and the north-south ditches that appear to be contemporary with it are visible cutting the possible trackway mentioned above, and are therefore presumably later than it.

A further section of north-south ditch extends to the south of the possible trackway, and appears to cut a trapezoidal enclosure, which is a continuation of the ditches recorded as NHER 45121, but clearly forms part of these multi-phase field boundaries.

A possibility of earlier activity on the site is suggested by a number of faint northwest-southeast ditches, centred at TG 3007 1184, which appear to be cut by the later field boundaries. These ditches are on a similar alignment to those recorded as NHER 45117, 1220m to the north-east, which have been assigned a possible Roman date.

At least five small enclosures, or possible enclosures, can be identified. At TG 3010 3118 is a small semi-circular enclosure, conjoined to a ditch (possibly a trackway) which forms its southwest side, and measuring 47m long and 22m wide. To the south, at TG 3021 1180, two or possibly three sub-square enclosures are visible, measuring approximately 50m by 30m. They also appear to be conjoined to the possible trackway mentioned above, and the eastern-most of the three possible enclosures has a north-south ditch which appears, at TG 3029 1177, to be a continuation of the enclosure recorded as NHER 45121. Approximately 320m to the east, at TG 3066 1181, a longer rectangular enclosure is visible (138m by 57m), with a possible entrance towards the north-west corner, three-quarters of the way along the western side. A final, sub-square enclosure is apparent 150m to the north, at TG 3075 1204. This enclosure measures approximately 57m by 38m, and has a possible entrance in its northern edge.

There were also a number of circular features visible on aerial photographs in this area, which have not been mapped as they were not thought to relate to archaeological activity.

A World War Two bombing decoy (NHER 11783) is also noted in (S5) as being located close by, but it was not visible on the available aerial photographs, presumably due to the fact that it was closed in November 1943 and had been ploughed out by the time of the available photographs.

It is clear from the features described above that some of the orientations evident at this site appear to align with features of sites in the surrounding area, e.g. NHER 51932, NHER 45121, and (perhaps) NHER 51949. In the case of NHER 45121, the apparent association is strong, as demonstrated by the continuation of the encolsure ditch described above, and, rather than being an isolated enclosure, NHER 45121 appears to be part of the same field system/enclosure complex recorded as NHER 51948.
E. Bales (NMP), 18 November 2008.

August-October 2014. Strip Map and Sample Excavation.
Excavation on route of northern Postwick Overflow and Distribution Main pipeline (Area 4).
Although the narrow strip investigated coincided with the two north-east to south-west aligned cropmarks at TG 2949 1172 there was no evidence associated sub-surface remains.
It should be noted that a north-west to south-east aligned ditch exposed during this work produced a Middle Bronze Age radiocarbon date - at least raising the possibility that some of the cropmarks recorded in this area represent prehistoric features.
See report (S6) and NHER 64835 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 5 April 2021.