NHER 52384 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Cropmarks of possible Iron Age to Roman and medieval to post medieval field boundary ditches and possible trackway

March-June 2009. Geophysical Survey
Magnetometer survey on proposed line of the Norwich Northern Distributor Road (Site T8).
This survey identified no evidence for archaeologically significant features, suggesting that the reasonably dense remains identified to the west of Furze Lane do not continue into this field.
This negative result means that there was no trace of any surviving features associated with the dispersed linear cropmarks that were subsequently identified in this field (see below).
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 9 May 2019.

October 2009. Norfolk NMP.
Several possible Iron Age to Roman field boundaries are visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs (S2), on land to the west of Furze Lane, Taverham.
They run parallel to several other linear features in the area (NHER 52376, 52379 and 52382), and perpendicular to two trackways (NHER 52377 and 52380), and may form part of a reasonably extensive field system, such as that recorded in the Broadland area of Norfolk (NHER 6096). However, it should be noted that these linear features are also aligned at right-angles to the parish boundary, which may suggest that they are medieval to post medieval in origin.
Medieval to post medieval features may also be visible in the area, such as the linear ditch stretching from TG 1669 1581 to TG 1686 1572, and fragments of a possible trackway may be visible centred on TG 1677 1589. The fragmentary nature of these features, however, and the fact that they are only visible on photographs from one year makes interpretation problematic.
Finds from the south of the area include Late Neolithic or Mesolithic and undated prehistoric worked flints, pot boilers. Roman, medieval and post medieval pottery sherds (NHER 24924).
There are also a large number of geological features visible in this area on the aerial photographs.
E. Bales (NMP), October 2009.

April-August 2015. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of site on proposed line of Norwich Northern Distributor Road (Field T8).
Two of the three cropmarks mapped within the area examined were found to be associated with surviving sub-surface remains - a north-west to south-east aligned feature at the western end of the site and a perpendicular feature to the east. It should be noted that the latter was only associated with a corresponding feature in one of the three trenches that it crossed.
No dating evidence was recovered.
See report (S3) and NHER 61117 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 15 May 2019.

January-September 2016. Strip Map and Sample Excavation.
Excavation of site on route of Norwich Northern Distributor Road (Area 1 East).
This phase of work saw further investigation of the north-west to south-east aligned cropmark at TG 1677 1577. Unfortunately it appears that no clear dating evidence was recovered.
See NHER 61117 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 15 May 2019.

April and September 2022. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of part of large proposed development site to south of Norwich Northern Distributor Road (now the Broadland Northway).
This survey identified linear anomalies that appear to correspond with both of the north-north-east to south-south-west aligned cropmarks in this group. The shorter linear feature branching off the westernmost of these cropmarks was also associated with a geophysical anomaly.
See report (S3) and NHERs 61117 and 69800 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 4 April 2026.

July-September 2025. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of part of large proposed development site to south of Norwich Northern Distributor Road (now the Broadland Northway).
This work uncovered a ditch associated with the north-north-east to south-south-west aligned cropmark running between TG 1697 1585 and TG 1682 1564, along with another ditch that appeared to be associated with the shorter cropmark branching off from this feature. A single Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age pottery sherd found in the latter was the only datable find recovered from these features. A trench placed to coincide with the more extensive cropmark running between TG 1725 1564 and TG 1681 1519 failed to identify any corresponding sub-surface remains, despite this feature being associated with a geophysical anomaly.
See report (S4) and NHER 61117 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 4 April 2026.