NHER 52956 (Monument record) - Possible moated site at Cockthorpe

May 2009. Field Observation.
East of Manor Farm:
Two ponds and a shallow broad depressions suggest the location of a possible moat.
A wooden house was built on the site in the 1960s (now known as Tamarisk House). Local residents suggest substantial foundations and a possible chalk floor surface were visible at that time.
Information from [1]. See letter and map (S1) in file.
D. Robertson (NLA), 18 August 2009.

June to August 2009. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of groundworks during construction of a new house, following demolition of Tamarisk House.
Flint walls and pits/middens containing oyster shell visible in foundation trenches.
Finds recovered included:
1 Mesolithic retouched flint blade.
8 Late Saxon pottery sherd (Thetford type).
1 ?Late Saxon pottery sherd.
31 medieval pottery sherds (25 unglazed, 1 unglazed Grimston and 5 glazed Grimston) and 7 pieces of dressed limestone (3 vossoirs, 1 jamb, 1 ?jamb, 1 slab with chamfered corner and 1 fragment).
1 ?medieval ?candle holder.
3 post-medieval pottery sherds (2 stoneware and 1 iron-glazed red earthenware), 2 brick fragments, 1 crotal bell, and 1 iron knife. Several post-medieval complete brick samples also retained.
Flint identified by P. Robins (NCM) and other objects by A. Rogerson (NLA). See lists, descriptions and annotated map in file.
D. Robertson (NLA), 18 August 2009 and A. Rogerson (NLA), 26 April 2010.

July 2009. Field Visit.
There are two extant ponds in southeast of site. The northeastern pond could be remnant of moat, although the southwestern pond has appearance of a mechanically excavated pond. Recent drains run to the north and west of ponds; it is possible they are on the line of a moat. The northern edge of the paddock to west of site of Tamarisk House is significantly higher than the land to the south (beneath trees) and slopes down to the road to the north. [1] suggested the higher land represents the location of the northern arm of the moat and that the infilling took place during the construction of the wooden house.
One pit containing oyster shells was visible in the section of foundation trench. A section of flint and mortar wall had been removed and left on the ground surface.
D. Robertson (NLA), 18 August 2009.

February-June 2009. Watching Brief.
Continuation of watching brief during construction of a new house and services trenches.
Possible infilled northern arm of the moat identified in service trenches.
Medieval pottery sherds (1 Early Medieval and 1 unglazed Grimston) recovered from top of chalk floor surface exposed at [2].
Pottery identified by A. Rogerson (NLA), see list and descriptions in file.
D. Robertson (NLA), 18 June 2009 and P. Watkins (HES), 6 July 2014.