NHER 51966 (Landscape record) - Bronze Age barrow cemetery west of the River Tas

Some parts of this barrow group were formerly recorded under NHER 9789.

1928. Aerial photographs.
In field southwest of The Carr, north of Markshall Farm.
Two circular ring ditches.
See (S9), (S12) and (S13).
R. R. Clarke (NCM).

December 1952. Scheduled.
This was one of three areas in Markshall parish which received Scheduled Monument Protection.
Scheduled as County Number 245 and known as "Sites discovered by air photography at Markshall", the areas were labelled A-C.
This was area B, centered TG 235 045. It was described as "Southwest of The Carr circular crop markings show in air photograph taken in 1933."
Information from Ancient Monuments Form.
Amended H. Hamilton (HES), 26 November 2024.

In fact however on (S14) R. R. Clarke (NCM) marks four ring ditches, one with an annexe, and 'road' as dotted lines (date?). (S15) records that local people claim to have seen eight ring ditches when field under barley.
E. Rose (NLA).

Two ring ditches on NAU aerial photogrpahs, each segmented in that they are composed of straight sections of ditch. The larger one, that to the north, is causewayed on the southeast, Adjacent to these features are marks of two trackways running east to west.
D. A. Edwards (NAU), 17 February 1981.

Are these markings periglacial?
A. J. Lawson (NAU).

July 1997.
It was the opinion of E. Rose, D. Gurney, D. Edwards, J. Allen and P. Wade-Martins (all NLA), who jointly examined the photographs 15 July 1997, that though there is periglacial background, the main circular features are definitely some sort of causewayed ring ditches.
E. Rose (NLA), 15 July 1997.

25 June 1996. NLA air photography.
Cropmarks of two ring ditches visible.
H. Clare (NLA), 23 August 2001.

2 July 1996. NLA air photography.
Three ring ditches visible. The largest of which is segmented and has an entrance, suggesting a hengiform monument.
S. Massey (NLA), 23 July 2001.

September 2005.
Ring ditches are also visible on CUCAP aerial photograph (S16).
S. Tremlett (NLA), 27 September 2005.

February 2009. Norfolk NMP.
The site of a late Neolithic and Bronze Age barrow cemetery is visible on aerial photographs to the west of the River Tas (S1-S8). This barrow group consists of at least three, possibly five, individual barrows and is centred on TG 2343 0461. Some parts of this barrow group were formerly recorded under NHER 9789. This cemetery would appear to be sited on a slight crest that overlooks the river to the east and is located approximately 650m to the south of the hengiform monument and possible mortuary and/or ceremonial enclosure at Markshall (NHER 9582-3) and these form part of a wider group of late Neolithic and Bronze Age ceremonial and funerary monuments focused on the confluence of the Rivers Tas and Yare, most significantly including the henge at Arminghall is located 1.5km to the northeast. The line of the barrows are located in-between the 5m and 10m contours, overlooking the Tas valley to the east. The slightly hengiform characteristics of the large northern barrow (NHER 51961) and the fact that a significant number of Neolithic axes (at least fifteen) have been found within the vicinity of the barrow cemetery (NMR TG 20 SW 74), could indicate a late Neolithic origin for one or more of the barrows. Evidence for later Neolithic occupation, or activity that resulted in deposition within pits, was also found approximately 300m to the north during excavations in advance of the Southern Bypass (NHER 9584).

It has been reported that in the past up to eight barrows have been visible within the field (see NHER 9789). However only the features mapped from the aerial photographs were convincingly of archaeological origin. An additional barrow identified by Clarke (S9) to the west, assumed to have been identified on RAF photography from 1928 (S1), although schedule information only refers to 1933 Norfolk and Norwich Aero Club photography (S2) which does not cover this the area of this feature, has not been mapped as it would appear to be of geological origin. Soilmarks visible in 1973 (S7) further east towards the river could perhaps represent additional plough-levelled barrows, although none of these features were mapped as they were felt to be of geological origin. No corresponding ring ditches for these possible former mounds were subsequently visible, again suggesting that they may be natural. At TG 2349 0466 a further circular feature may be identified on the aerial photographs (S8) for example, however when viewed in stereo (S6) this would appear to be a circular hollow and is likely to represent the remains of a pit.
S. Horlock (NMP), 27 February 2009.

See (S11) for additional aerial photographs of the barrows.
H. Hamilton (HES), 14 August 2013.

Before April 2019. Scheduling Amendment.
The scheduled area associated with this site appears to have been amended.
Up to this time, 4 areas had been mapped:
One centered approximately TG 23410 04677 which likely represented NHER 51961.
Second centered approximately TG 23448 04617 which represented NHER 51962.
Third located to the west of the first area, centered TG 23310 04646.
Fourth large area to the southwest centered TG 23356 04470 and measuring approximately 160m NE-SW by 100m NW-SE.
These have been amended to more accurately reflect NHER 51961, NHER 51962, and NHER 51963 respectively.
H. Hamilton (HES), 26 November 2024.