NHER 52194 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Roman extramural settlement to the west of the Roman town of Venta Icenorum

February 1981. Air Photo Interpretation.
Cropmarks noted on NAU aerial photography dated 21 June 1975, 13 July 1976, and 28 July 1977.
Photographs attributed to RAF/OS dated 16 April 1946 previously noted but not reviewed at this time.
Linear and rectilinear cropmarks indicating presence of ditches.
Possible extramural settlement to west of the Pye Road (NHER 7947) and west of the western gate of Venta Icentorum (NHER 9786).
These cropmarks were previously recorded under NHER 9759.
Information from HER Record Notes (S13).
See also 1:2500 and 6" overlays.
D. Edwards (NLA), 17 February 1981. Amended H. Hamilton (HES), 12 November 2024.

February 2001. Air Photo Interpretation.
NLA air photography taken on 15 October 1993 (S10).
Site visible but cropmarks are not.
These cropmarks were previously recorded under NHER 9759.
H. Clare (NLA), 21 February 2001. Amended H. Hamilton (HES), 12 November 2024.

August 2001. Air Photo Interpretation.
NLA air photography taken on 19 June 1996 (S12).
Cropmarks of ditches and enclosures of Roman settlement visible.
These cropmarks were previously recorded under NHER 9759.
S. Massey (NLA), 13 August 2001. Amended H. Hamilton (HES), 12 November 2024.

March 2009. Norfolk NMP.
The cropmarks of enclosures and boundary ditches representing to the Roman extramural settlement to the west of the Roman town of Venta Icenorum (NHER 9786), are visible on aerial photographs (S1-S8). The site is centred on TG 2262 0339. This part of the settlement borders the River Tas and the Roman Pye Road (NHER 7947). Finds in this general area indicate the presence of a settlement here into the Saxon period (NHER 9759). Cropmarks of possible sunken-floored buildings, possible grubenhauser, and post built structures, probably representing late Roman and Saxon settlement within the northern part of this site have been recorded under NHER 52198.
The cropmarks, which are likely to represent a palimpsest of several phases of features, consist of several areas of rectilinear enclosures, boundary ditches, and trackways running alongside the Roman Pye Road and the River Tas. The enclosed areas of land vary in size from as small as 20m by 15m to as large as 65m across. It is likely that these cropmarks enclosures and boundaries define areas of both settlement and agriculture, without further aerial photograph evidence it is hard to interpret further. No definite sign of masonry buildings such as those associated with the main area of the wallsed town were identified on the aerial photographs. Detailed analysis of the finds distribution in this field (NHER 9759) would no doubt reveal such patterns. The high level of subdivision within the enclosures centred on TG 2260 0323, to the south of the site, could nominally indicate a specialised activity or settlement at this location. However the finds distributions for the fields would indicate that the focus of settlement was further to the north. It is therefore possible that this represents an area of stock enclosures or fields. The cropmarks of possible sunken-floored buildings, possible grubenhauser, and post built structures of Saxon or Roman to Saxon date (NHER 52198), are visible within the northern part of the settlement to the immediate south of the Roman road running east out of the town (NHER 52026). A large quantity of late Roman and Saxon date material has been recovered to the west of the Roman town (NHER 9759), in particular the northern part of the field, see secondary file for NHER 9759 for details, and may indicate that this part of the extramural settlement was occupied in the later Roman and Saxon periods, and therefore the post-built structures and possible sunken-featured buildings may relate to this later phase of settlement.
The enclosures and boundaries to the south of this site would appear to form part of the Roman extramural settlement, although it must be noted that the at least one of the boundaries would appear to be coincidental with a field boundary marked on the Ordnance Survey first edition map (S9). Although all of these features would appear to be overlain by a curving boundary assumed to be of medieval date, see NHER 52189 for details. The embankments mapped to the east of the river (S1-S2), which are earthwork in the 1940s may also represent features of a later date, however again they appear to fit well with the overall Roman plan. See record NHER 52211 for discussion of similar features to the south of Caistor, which although appearing on historic maps would appear also to correspond well with the overall Roman layout. It is feasible that some boundaries have continued in use for a considerable length of time or perhaps have influenced the positioning of later ditches and drains.
S. Horlock (NMP), 23 March 2009.

Roman coins previously recorded under this number are now recorded under NHER 31803.
A. Beckham (HES), 26 February 2014.