NHER 52356 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Cropmarks of possible late prehistoric multi ditched boundary

October 2009. Norfolk NMP.
The cropmarks of a trackway or multiple ditched boundary of unknown date are visible on aerial photographs to the north of Larter Farm, Haveringland (S1-S2). The site is centred on TG 1684 1944 and consists of a series of discontinuous linear ditches that potentially form a triple ditched boundary or trackway, possibly over 300m in length. This trackway is located to the south of an area of medieval to post medieval date field boundaries (NHER 52355) and it may be of comparable date. However it does not follow exactly the same alignment, being largely oriented north-south, but with a 100m section aligned northeast-southwest from TG 1685 1944 to TG 1676 1937, and therefore may represent an earlier feature. A further section of parallel ditches 126m to the south (NHER 52358) may represent a continuation of these ditches.
An Iron Age (or late Bronze Age to Iron Age) date for other multi-ditched boundary features in Norfolk, like those at Gimmingham (NHER 31746) and Earsham (NHER 11676), has been postulated on the basis of their parallels elsewhere in the country, and excavation at Scottow (NHER 36729) has demonstrated that one ditch in a multi-ditched boundary pre-dated a Roman road.
Distinctive topographic settings appear to have been favoured for their siting, particularly in relation to watercourses and watersheds. It is clear that this boundary follows closely the contour line on the eastern side of a slight valley. At the time of writing the multiple-ditched boundaries recorded thus far in the county are found almost exclusively to the east of Norfolk’s Central Watershed (S3)
E. Bales (NMP), October 2009.