NHER 53489 (Monument record) - Site of possible Roman camp or enclosure

May 2010. Norfolk NMP.
A square enclosure with rounded corners, perhaps representing a Roman military camp, is visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs (S1), centred at TG 1201 0580. Although only visible on one set of aerial photographs, the cropmarks are reasonably clear, and the enclosure is similar in its morphology to other camps identified elsewhere in Norfolk. Roman finds have also been recovered from the vicinity (NHER 17647, 21268 and 33052, for example), including a strap end from a piece of Roman military equipment. At the same time, the presence of at least one ring ditch, possibly a round house, together with other external features, is perhaps anomalous in this interpretation.
The enclosure is broadly square in plan, measuring approximately 104m by 93m. Rounded corners are apparent at its southeast, northeast and possibly its northwest corners. The apparent ring ditch lies (at TG 1197 0582) on the projected line of what is presumed to be the western side of the enclosure. A second possible ring ditch is visible to its east (at TG 1211 0575), but the archaeological significance of this feature is doubtful. Various linear ditches within and surrounding the camp predominantly follow the enclosure’s alignment; a few have an orientation closer to east-west and these are likely to represent a different phase of activity, one perhaps contemporary with other sites in the surrounding landscape, including NHER 53602 540m to the southeast and parts of NHER 53488 and 15763 approximately 1km to the north. Two large pit-like cropmarks are also visible.
S. Tremlett (NMP), 21 May 2010.