NHER 51991 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Vegetation marks of possible medieval to post medieval land divisions and drainage ditches

March 2009. Norfolk NMP.
The vegetation marks of possible medieval to post medieval land divisions and drainage ditches are visible on aerial photographs (S1-S2) of the valley floor to the southwest of Swainsthorpe Hall (NHER 13245). The site is centred on TG 2258 0064. The remains of a possible medieval date structure has been recorded on the northeastern edge of this site and may be related to these features, see NHER 18372 for details.
The site consists of a series of vegetation marks in the pasture that would appear to relate to a series of drainage ditches, banked boundaries and a possible platform on the valley floor. The central linear feature mapped relates to a central drainage channel. This feature has been mapped, despite being depicted on the Ordnance Survey first edition map (S3), as it aids understanding of the surrounding features. This is visible as a lighter band of vegetation; this is either caused by a parchmark over an associated bank, or by waterlogging of the former ditch causing the vegetation to react unfavourably.
A series of possible banks would appear to have been constructed to either side of this main drain and although it is possible that they may also only relate to the upcast banks alongside of drains, they would appear to represent divisions and enclosures of the valley floor, potentially relating to stock management or some similar activity. Although again it must be remembered that this negative cropmarks may be caused by waterlogging of a drain. Possible circular structures have been identified within the enclosed area within the southwestern part of this site; see NHER 9721 and 51992 for discussion of these features. A lighter oblong mark at TG 2258 0062 may relate to a former mound or building platform, perhaps of a similar nature to the mound and associated medieval brick and tile fragments, possibly indicating a former medieval structure, identified at NHER 18372, 135m to the northeast. It is possible that this just represents the reuse of medieval building material from the nearby destroyed church site (NHER 9725) for inclusion in the mound or feasibly it could have been dredged out the drainage ditch and heaped in a mound of upcast.
S. Horlock (NMP), 11 March 2009.