NHER 52278 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Cropmarks of enclosures and boundaries, possibly Iron Age to Roman settlement and fields

Some components of this site were previously recorded under NHER 9794 and 11757.

November 2009. Norfolk NMP.
The cropmarks of enclosures and boundaries, probably representing settlement and fields of mid to later Iron Age or early Roman date, are visible on aerial photographs (S1-S6) within and around the Harford Farm excavation area on the Southern Bypass (NHER 9794) (S7). The site is centred on TG 2241 0427. Some components of this site were previously recorded under NHER 9794 and 11757. One of the ditches visible as a cropmark within this site, was excavated and this ditch (3048 in the excavation report), along with another (6002) clearly post-dated one of the Iron Age roundhouses (3004) and was cut by one of the square-ditched enclosures, interpreted as being later Iron Age or early Roman in date (S7). These ditches would appear therefore appear to date from the mid to late Iron Age, or early Roman period, depending on the relative dating of the square ditched enclosure, see NHER 52289 for discussion. Given the shared alignment of the excavated ditches and the porch of the new roundhouse, it has tentatively been suggested that these elements represent parts of a separate and later phase of Iron Age settlement, where the dominant axis and alignment of the settlement has shifted. These boundaries and enclosures are likely to represent fields and enclosed stock areas contemporary with this roundhouse. The square-ditched enclosures, which are also aligned along this E-W cardinal axis, are likely to represent the culmination of this phase of activity, see NHER 52289 for detailed discussion. This dating for the E-W aligned excavated ditches has been tentatively extrapolated outwards for other boundaries recorded following this alignment. Hence the majority of the boundaries grouped together within this site are aligned broadly E-W or perpendicular to it, N-S, although it must be noted that the western part of the site is characterised by a slightly different alignment, almost WNW-ESE and NNE-SSW, but it is felt that the two areas of enclosures and fields are likely to be broadly contemporary. Iron Age and Roman finds found within the general vicinity of the cropmarks to the west of the site (NHER 11757) and pits containing prehistoric, Bronze Age and Iron Age material were recorded within this field during the watching brief for the construction of the Southern Bypass (NHER 11757).
The cropmarks can be characterised as boundary ditches and trackways to the eastern part of the site, with some possible hints of enclosed areas to the north. These are likely to represent agricultural divisions or field boundaries. Although it must be noted that a roundhouse with an elaborate porch aligned E-W (NHER 52277) is located within this northeastern area and it is therefore possible that this represents settlement contemporary with these boundaries. The alignment of this porch was tentatively taken to indicate that this roundhouse represented a different, and later, phase of settlement to the roundhouses excavated to the south, which all had porches aligned NW-SE. It was suggested that this was broadly contemporary with ditches excavated that pre-dated the square enclosures, see NHER 52277 for discussion. The western part of this site, as mentioned above, follows a slightly different alignment, but would appear to be linked by an intermittent trackway running from east to west. Two rectilinear enclosures are conjoined to this trackway to the west, one 17m by 18.5m and another larger enclosure, approximately 45m square, with internal subdivisions against the trackway. It is not clear whether the larger enclosure represents a domestic site or a stock enclosure. Additional boundaries and ditches within this part of the site would appear to represent the fields and agricultural boundaries. It must be noted that a major trackway and associated field boundaries (NHER 52293). run across the area of this site and that some of the components follow very similar alignments to this phase of cropmarks. The eastern end of the trackway, which is aligned E-W, cut a post-Saxon ditch (107) and was therefore interpreted as being medieval to post medieval in date (S7). It must therefore be stated that the NMP phasing must be treated as extremely hypothetical in the absence of further dating evidence.
S. Horlock (NMP), 23 November 2009.