NHER 53216 (Monument record) - Soilmark of a former stretch of Roman road

November 2009. Norfolk NMP.
The soilmark of a former stretch of Roman road is visible on aerial photographs (S1-S2) linking the Roman road (NHER 30288) running east from the Roman town of Venta Icenorum, with the section of road (NHER 52298) across the former Poringland Heath and joining with the Roman road to Ditchingham, Stone Street, at Brooke to the southeast. The site is centred on TG 2527 0219.
The soilmark shows a former bank or compacted or metalled surface, running from TG 2534 0211 to TG 2517 0229, is visible up to 10m across, although this is likely to reflect some spreading of bank/road material through recent ploughing and harrowing of field. A ditch can clearly be seen running alongside the bank/road to the immediate east. This is a marked as a field boundary on 1844 Stoke Holy Cross Tithe map (S3). The soilmarks in 1962 (S1) indicate that the boundary ditch curves around to the south at its eastern end, which is consistent with the line of the field boundary marked on the Tithe map. The bank or road soilmark does not appear to follow, although it is hard to be certain. The line of the road and field boundary continues the line of a diagonal field boundary to the north and coincides with a kink in the line of the modern road on the Ordnance Survey first edition map (6 inch, 1889-1891) (S4). It is assumed that the line of the Roman road NHER 30288 to the northwest followed the line of this northern field boundary and joined with this southern section of road before continuing along the line of Roman road NHER 52298.
S. Horlock (NMP), 05 November 2009.