NHER 52410 (Monument record) - Curvilinear ditch cropmark, probable post medieval plantation enclosure

November 2009. Norfolk NMP.
A curvilinear ditch or possible elliptical enclosure is visible as part cropmark, part earthwork, on aerial photographs (S1)-(S6), on an area of cleared land within Horsford woods.
The cropmark of the ditch can be traced northeast-southwest from TG 1956 1887 to TG 1959 1871, whereupon it turns and continues northwest-southeast as far as TG 1974 1864. It then continues southwest-northeast again until it meets the wooded area at TG 1975 1866, and is visible as an earthwork to the east before the plantation is re-planted (S1) and later in the form of a path through the trees (S2)-(S7) almost mirroring the cropmark described to the west, extending westwards as far as TG 1977 1881, and then turning to the northwest as far as TG 1964 1892.
The ditch appears to enclose an area of land at least 295m in length by up to 195m at its widest point.
The western half of this feature is partly visible as the edge of the plantation on the Ordnance Survey 1st edition map (S7), and it has therefore been assigned a medieval to post medieval date. It is possible that it is related to Horsford Warren, the Warren House being marked on Faden’s 1797 map (S8) and possibly relating to the enclosure observed nearby (NHER 52423), and this cropmark is very similar in tone and appearance, indicating that it may be contemporary.
E. Bales (NMP), November 2009.