NHER 52038 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Cropmarks of undated fragmentary multi-period linear features and pits

December 2006-January 2007. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey on proposed line of Norwich Northern Distributor Route (Areas 3).
Several linear anomalies identified in the field to the north-east of Heath Farm appear to correspond with cropmarks that were subsequently mapped at this location (see below).
See NHER 49758 and report (S14) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 26 July 2018.

April 2009. Norfolk NMP.
Several fragmentary linear features are visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs (S1)-(S10), centred around TG 2901 0890, Heath Farm, Postwick.
Many of the features in the east of the site appear to be aligned in a similar way to the medieval to post medieval field system identified to the north east (NHER 51971), although the possible Iron Age to Roman enclosure ditch feature to the south (NHER 52037) shares a similar alignment, and it is therefore possible that these linear features may belong to either period.

It is clear that some of the ditches share a north northwest-south southeast alignment with the Late Prehistoric to Roman site to the northwest (NHER 51973), particularly fragments of parallel double ditches at TG 2882 0895, and to the north, at TG 2876 0911, which may make up part of a possible trackway, the southern section of which forms part of a possible enclosure at TG 2887 0882 (NHER 52039). This alignment is also shared by the linear ditches in the vicinity of the possible barrow cemetery to the south west (NHER 21766).
To the east of Heath Farm, a second possible trackway is visible in the form of a pair of fragmentary parallel ditches running from TG 2919 0864 to TG 22917 0884, which continues as a single ditch further north, from TG 2917 0890 to TG 2915 0915.

The most prominent feature in the area, however, is a northeast-southwest oriented ditch feature which runs for approximately 480m from TG 2875 0902 to TG 2844 0865. This feature appears to overlie some of the ditches which may relate to late prehistoric to Roman period activity, and may therefore date to the medieval to post medieval period. This feature runs almost parallel to a paleochannel, approximately 50m to the southeast, which was investigated by an evaluation trench (NHER 31109), which did not recover any archaeological evidence (S11)-(S12). Finds from the prehistoric, Roman, medieval and post medieval periods have been recovered from the vicinity (NHER 30932, 31109), suggesting multi-period activity on the site.

To the east of the area, three pit features, located at TG 2925 0882, TG 2930 0870 and TG 22940 0857, and varying in diameter from 4.5 to 8.5m, may in fact represent natural solution features, as those excavated by NAU Archaeology in the vicinity of the latter (S13) proved to be. However, the existence of possible pit alignments and/or structural remains (NHER 52042, 52047 and 52048) to the south suggest that some of these features, in particular four further pits, of around 1.5m in diameter, centred on TG 2940 0865, may in fact have an archaeological origin.

Other enigmatic features in this area (S6) may represent sunken featured buildings (NHER 52045), although again, these could be geological in nature.
E. Bales (NMP), 6 April 2009.

January 2010. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of sections of proposed Postwick Hub.
Trenches excavated in the two fields to the east of Heath Farm (Site PH; Trenches 5-14 and 16; NHER 49758) revealed a number of features that appear to correspond with the north-to-south and east-to-west aligned cropmarks recorded in this area. These included an east-to-west aligned ditch that produced 15 sherds of Middle Bronze Age. This pottery was of a similar nature to that recovered from a substantial nearby enclosure (NHER 52037), which now appear to be of probable Bronze Age date. Unfortunately no dating evidence was recovered from the other ditches likely to correspond with cropmarks, which included features associated with the pair of parallel north-to-south aligned cropmarks in the southern field and a similarly aligned cropmark in the field to the north which appears to continue the line of these features.

A trench placed to investigate two north-east to south-west aligned linear cropmarks recorded in the field to the north of Heath Farm (c.TG 2889 0908) failed to reveal any corresponding sub-surface features (Site PH; Trenches 2-4; NHER 49757).
See report (S15) further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 29 July 2015. Amended 26 July 2018.

April-June 2014. Strip Map and Sample Excavation.
Excavation of several sites prior to construction of new Postwick road hub.
The two areas excavated in the fields east of Heath Farm (Areas 2 and 4; NHER 49758) exposed a number of fragmentary ditches likely to correspond with the north-to-south and east-to-west aligned cropmark features mapped in this area. These included the pair of parallel north-to-south aligned features in the southern field that had also been investigated during the preceding trial trenching. This time a number of prehistoric finds were recovered including a small assemblage of pottery broadly dated as Bronze Age to Early Iron Age and several worked flints. Additional prehistoric pottery was also recovered from the east-to-west aligned ditch that had produced Bronze Age sherds during the earlier work. Prehistoric pottery sherds were also apparently recovered from a north-to-south aligned ditch that extended from the north-west corner of the potentially Bronze Age enclosure (NHER 52037) and was probably a continuation of a similarly-aligned cropmark feature to the north.

An area excavated to the north of Heath Farm (Area 1; NHER 49757) revealed two parallel north-north-west to south-south-east aligned ditches likely to represent the continuation of fragmentary cropmarks recorded to the south. These cropmarks appear to represent a trackway associated with a pair of rectilinear enclosures at its southern end (NHER 52039). Although a possible Late Iron Age/Roman date has been suggested for these features the excavated ditches remain undated, having produced only a small number of prehistoric worked flints. An area excavated to the south of Heath Farm (Area 3; NHER 49759) revealed several presumably contemporary north-north-west to south-south-east and west-south-west to east-north-east ditches, one of which appears to represent a continuation of the cropmark forming the eastern side of the main rectilinear enclosure. Here again finds were limited to pre Iron Age material, including a small number of Neolithic to Early Bronze Age worked flints and two sherds of Early Bronze Age pottery (the latter recovered from a ditch running parallel to that which appears to continue the cropmark feature).
See assessment report (S16) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 27 July 2018.

July 2018. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of proposed development site adjacent to Yarmouth Road.
The area examined coincided with several fragmentary linear cropmarks mapped in the vicinity of TG 2869 0868 but there was no evidence for surviving sub-surface remains.
See NHER 69298 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 3 September 2025.

November-December 2019. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of several sites surrounding Heath Farm as part of Broadland Gate development.
A trench that coincided with three fragmentary north-north-west to south-south-east aligned cropmarks at TG 2884 0893 (Trench 1) revealed no evidence for surviving sub-surface remains.
A north-east to south-west aligned cropmark at TG28810869 was also found to have no associated remains (Trench 7).
Trenches excavated to the east of Heath Farm did however revealed two roughly north-to-south aligned ditches that were potentially associated with similarly aligned cropmarks recorded to the north and south at TG 2917 0891 and TG 2917 0882. Unfortunately no finds were recovered (Trenches 11 and 18).
Although previous investigations have produced little in the way of Iron Age or Roman material this phase of work reveal clear evidence for Roman activity. A ditch at TG 2907 0898 (Trench 10) produced a number of Roman pottery sherds and whilst not directly associated with any cropmark it was aligned north-north-west to south-south-east aligned and therefore parallel to a number mapped nearby. The remains of a Roman post-built structure were revealed in a trench immediately to the north (Trench 9).
See report (S17) and NHERs 49757, 49758 and 62622 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 9 March 2021.

May-June 2020. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development plot within Broadland Gate development (Plot 7).
This phase of work saw a trench excavated across a discrete cropmark recorded at TG 2911 0871. This was found to probably correspond with a partially exposed feature of uncertain nature with a square corner. Its fills produced a range of post-medieval finds that together suggested an 18th-century date.
See report (S18) and NHER 49758 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 9 March 2021.

June 2020. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development plot within Broadland Gate development (Plot 2a).
This phase of work produced further (and much more certain) evidence that at least some elements of this cropmark group relate to Roman period activity. A ditch associated with the easternmost of two fragmentary north-to-south aligned cropmarks at TG 2900 0898 could be convincingly dated to the Roman period - the four slots excavated across it producing a total of 33 Roman pottery sherds. There was though no trace of any feature associated with the western cropmark. Results elsewhere were similarly mixed, with a curving ditch fragment at TG 2894 0904 found to be coincide with a surviving ditch but no remains were associated with two other cropmarks investigated. An east-to-west aligned cropmark at TG 2900 0908 was possibly related to a similarly aligned ditch recorded a little way to the south (which produced a single sherd of Roman pottery).
See report (S19) and NHER 49757 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 9 March 2021.

November-December 2020. Excavation.
Final phase of archaeological mitigation prior the development of Broadland Gate Plot 2a.
This work saw further investigation of two cropmarks in this group, including the easternmost of two fragmentary north-to-south aligned cropmarks at TG 2900 0898. This again produced a significant number of Roman finds, confirming its date. Although the north-east to south-west aligned cropmark at TG 2899 0906 also coincided with the excavated area no associated remains were identified.
See report (S20) and NHER 49757 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 30 November 2023.

May 2021. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site (Broadland Gate Plot 1b).
One of the excavated trenches coincided with the north-west to south-east aligned cropmark at TG 2886 0894. However, although a corresponding linear feature was identified, this was deemed to be geological.
See report (S21) and NHER 49757 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 10 December 2023.

October 2021. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site immediately north of Hawthorne Drive (Broadland Gate Plot 5a).
One of the trenches revealed a north-to-south aligned ditch that potentially related to the extensive cropmark running between TG 2915 0915 and TG 2917 0890. Unfortunately no dating evidence was recovered. A similarly-aligned feature to the east did though produce a single sherd of Iron Age pottery.
See report (S22) and NHER 49758 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 4 December 2023.

October 2021. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site to south of Hawthorne Drive (Broadland Gate Plot 6).
Although the excavated trenches coincided with a number of the cropmarks in this group only one was associated with a surviving ditch – one of the pair of north-north-west to south-south-east aligned cropmarks at TG 2918 0881. No dating evidence was recovered.
See report (S23) and NHER 49758 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 4 December 2023.