NHER 52292 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Cropmarks of fields, enclosures, boundary ditches and trackways of possible late Bronze Age to Iron Age date, Harford Farm

Some of these cropmarks were previously recorded under NHER 9794 and 11757. See NHER 9794 for details of Harford Farm excavations.

November 2009. Norfolk NMP.
The cropmarks of an area of fields and enclosures, boundary ditches and trackways of unknown, but possible late Bronze Age to Iron Age date, are visible on aerial photographs (S1-S9) within the Harford Farm cropmark complex (NHER 52324). The site is centred on TG 2244 0426. The boundaries and enclosures are all broadly aligned NE-SW and NW-SE. Fence lines and minor boundaries following the same alignment as the cropmark boundaries were excavated within the central area of the site, as part of the Harford Farm excavations in advance of the construction of the Southern Bypass, and were associated with an area of Middle Iron Age settlement, see NHER 9794 (S10) and 52314 for details. Although the dating sequence for this site is currently under re-evaluation and it is possible that some of the occupation was late Bronze Age in date. These fields and enclosures follow a remarkably similar alignment to a fragmentary area of fields recorded to the southwest (NHER 52145) within the Harford Park and Ride excavation area (NHER 39268). At least one of these ditches was recorded as being Roman in date, although an Iron Age to Roman date has been suggested for the whole system of boundaries, see NHER 52145 for details. Overlapping with this site is another area of enclosures and fields, following a slightly different alignment and recorded under NHER 52278. Although largely of unknown date this phase is thought to post-date the Middle Iron Age settlement at Harford Farm, see NHER 52278 and (S10) for details, and is therefore also assumed to post-date this site.
A rectilinear or polygonal enclosure at TG 2224 0418, measuring 50m by 40m (S6), this may represent a stock enclosure or similar feature, or feasibly relate to an area of enclosed settlement of different date to the open settlement excavated to the northeast (NHER 9794) (S10). To the north of which are an area of enclosures and/or fields (S4-S6), which would appear to be of more than one phase of boundaries. A relatively long-distance boundary ditch runs from the alongside this enclosure to the southwest, running intermittently for approximately 450m. No sign of an enclosure surrounding the area of the roundhouse and temporary structures excavated in the area of TG 2247 0428 was visible on the aerial photographs. An area of possible rectilinear fields, possibly representing more than one phase, was recorded to the southeast, centred on TG 2255 0419 (S1-S2, S4 and S9). These cropmarks were quite fragmentary and in places quite hard to distinguish from the background polygonal geological cropmarks, although the linear features mapped would appear to be archaeological in origin. A longer distant boundary, running broadly from NE to SW, is also visible, almost mirroring that recorded to the west. Very few definite ditches were mapped within the area of the excavations, with most linear and rectilinear features being discounted as geological, apart from a few fragmentary boundaries and a probable trackway were mapped to the northeast of the excavation area. It must be noted that the majority of these cropmarks were only clearly visible on early aerial photographs of the site, potentially indicating that they were relatively insubstantial features that have since been truncated by the plough.
S. Horlock (NMP), 23 November 2009.