NHER 54375 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Cropmarks of a field system of probable medieval to post-medieval date

September 2010. Norfolk NMP.
The cropmarks of a field system of probable medieval to post medieval date and other fragmentary undated ditches are visible on aerial photographs to the northwest of Drayton village (S1-S2). The site is centred on TG 1814 1459. None of these boundaries are depicted on the 1839 Drayton Tithe map (S3) or the Ordnance Survey first edition map (1889 – 1891, 6 inch) (S4), although it seems most likely that at least some of these field boundaries were still in active use in the post medieval period, although may be late medieval in origin. A number of fragmentary ditches within the eastern part of the site, possibly also relating to former field boundaries of an unknown earlier period, have been included within this site.
S. Horlock (NMP), 07 September 2010.

August 2013. Geophysical Survey.
A detailed magnetometer survey was carried out over approximately 10ha of arable land prior to proposed residential development. The development area extended into the southern portion of this site, but the only magnetic anomalies detected in this area were a northeast-southwest ditch not previously noted on aerial photographs and a field boundary depicted on historic Ordnance Survey mapping. No magnetic anomalies correlating with the features visible as cropmarks were recorded.
See NHER 60742 and report (S3) for further information.
H. Hamilton (HES), 11 May 2015.

October 2020. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of large proposed development area.
Several of the excavated trenches revealed sections of a north-north-east to south-south-west aligned ditch that corresponded with the sinuous linear cropmark recorded between TG 1808 1451 and TG 1802 1429. Finds were limited to two sherds of Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age pottery and several worked flint - at least raising the possibility that this group include features associated with an earlier phase of activity.
See NHER 60742 and report (S4) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 2 February 2024.

September 2025. Record reviewed as part of the Forestry Commission Project K
Elements of the probable medieval to post medieval field system mapped by the NMP survey (see above) are visible as cropmarks on Google Earth imagery from 2011 (S5) and Bing Maps imagery (S6).
J. Powell (Norfolk County Council Environment Service), 10 September 2025