NHER 52039 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Cropmarks of possible Late Iron Age to Early Roman enclosure ditches and possible trackway

April 2009. Norfolk NMP.
Linear cropmarks are visible on aerial photographs (S1)-(S3), centred on TG 2892 0876. These clearly form parts of the north, east and west ditches of a large rectilinear enclosure with a curved north-western corner, measuring approximately 145m from east–west. The total area covered by this enclosure is unclear as its southern edge is not visible, but it has a minimum length of 74m. Interruptions in the cropmark, apparently due to its truncation by later field boundaries are present on its northern and eastern sides.

Parallel to this feature, a second possible enclosure is visible, approximately 6m to the west. It also has a curved corner, to the north-east, and, although, slightly smaller and clearly fragmentary, it appears to mirror the larger feature described above, suggesting that the corridor of ground between them may represent a possible trackway.

This suggestion may be given weight by the presence of two parallel ditches 45m to the northwest, which appear to be on the same north northwest-south southeast alignment, and which may be a continuation of two pairs of parallel ditches at TG 2877 0911 and TG 2882 0895 (NHER 52038), which have been assigned a Late prehistoric to Roman date.

It is possible, then, that these features are contemporary with a wider landscape of field systems (NHER 52038) in the vicinity, and possibly with the Late Prehistoric to Roman enclosures 380m to the north (NHER 51973), as they are largely on the same alignment. It may also be related to (NHER 52037) 200m to the east, although this is oriented slightly differently. Their form and apparently isolated nature make a prehistoric or Roman date the most likely. Metal detecting in the area (NHER 34372) has recovered two Roman coins along with a number of medieval and post medieval finds.
E. Bales (NMP), 6 April 2009.

April-June 2014. Strip Map and Sample Excavation.
The eastern end of the field to the south of this site was one of several areas excavated prior to the construction of a new road hub at Postwick (Area 3; NHER 49759). This excavation revealed several presumably contemporary north-north-west to south-south-east and west-south-west to east-north-east aligned ditches, one of which appears to represent a continuation of the cropmark forming the eastern side of the main rectilinear enclosure. Although dating evidence was fairly scarce it was notable that no Late Iron Age or Roman material was present, with finds limited to a small number of Neolithic to Early Bronze Age worked flints and a two sherds of Early Bronze Age pottery (the latter recovered from a ditch running parallel to that which appears to continue the cropmark feature).
Excavations at a site to the north (Area 1; NHER 49757) also exposed two parallel ditches that are likely to correspond with the fragmentary possible trackway cropmarks that extend northwards from the main enclosures (elements of which are also recorded under NHER 52038). These ditches produced only a small number of Neolithic to Early Bronze Age worked flints. Although a small amount of Roman pottery was recovered at the site these sherds lay within a stratigraphically later feature.
See report (S5) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 18 March 2018.

November-December 2017. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of route of proposed new access road.
One of the trenches was excavated across the line of the two north-north-west to south-south-east aligned cropmarks at TG 2889 0872 thought to represent the eastern and western sides of two adjacent enclosures. A single ditch was exposed that appears to have corresponded with the eastern of these (i.e. the western side of the main enclosure) but unfortunately no dating evidence was recovered.
See report (S6) and NHER 49759 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 4 February 2020.

January 2020. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of site of proposed new police station in central part of field.
This phase of work saw trenches excavated across the cropmarks likely to represent the northern sides of the two enclosures, plus the two parallel cropmarks forming the probable trackway to the north. The later were both found to be associated with surviving ditches, although unfortunately neither produced any dating evidence. There was though no clear evidence remains for remains associated with the probable enclosures, although the easternmost cropmark did appear to correspond with a linear feature recorded as geological in nature.
See report (S7) and NHER 62622 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 8 March 2021.

February-March 2022. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of site at southern end of Broadland Gate development (Plot 9).
The phase of work saw further investigation of the three main cropmarks in this group. Although all three of the corresponding ditches were identified dating evidence was again extremely limited, with only a small number of worked and burnt flints recovered. Little more was learn about the form and function of these enclosures, with no evidence that the surviving remains extended much beyond the mapped cropmarks.
See report (S8) and NHER 62622 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 4 December 2023.