NHER 6084 (Monument record) - Seckford Hall Yard Close

Amorphous enclosures in marsh, called Seckford Hall Yard Close in 1398, possibly outbuildings of medieval manor.
R. R. Clarke

Blomefield Volume I, page 302 says of Harling Thorpe manor, "the manor house hath been down many ages, for in 1398 the lord liveth at Seckford, and had a pond or pool, in the late side of the manor, called Seckford Hall Yard Close in West Harling. " (S1) A. Davison in August 1977 notes a large depression filled with peaty soil as possibly this pool.

January 1979. Visit by T. Gregory.
Pasture, under low ad bright sun and dead vegetation. Wet dyke not on OS runs from south-west corner of the field and makes a dogleg (to avoidsomething?) before joining the stream. The area east of the dogleg has ridge and furrow c.20cms deep, 8m wide furrows, running NNW-SSE. Remaining south-west corner of the area south-east of the dyke is much rougher with no ridge and furrow, only a few north-south dry drainage (?) channels. North-west of the dyke is rough pasture, overgrown enough to hide minor earthworks.The depression noted by A. Davison abuts on to the dyke.

1979. Metal detecting
Roman coins found in the south-west corner of the site.
See list in file
A. Lawson, (NLA) 1979.
Updated by H. White (NLA), 31 March 2009

See NHER 6087 for two pottery sherds possibly from this site.

1980. Metal detecting
14 Roman coin found in dredgings along the south side of the River Thet.
See list in file
S. Margeson, 4 June 1980

1986. Metal detecting
1 medieval coin.
See list in file
W. Milligan, (NLA), 9 January 1987.

1996. Metal detecting find.
One Roman coin.

1996. Metal detecting finds.
Roman coins, brooch, pottery. Middle Saxon pin. post medieval sherd. Undated bone and tile.

1997. Metal detecting finds.
Twenty eight Roman coins.

1998. Metal detecting finds.
Roman coins, sherd and ?pendant. post medieval jetton.
See list in file including coin list.
D. Gurney (NLA) 27 November 1998.

See NHER 37449 entry for 2002 to 2003 metal detecting for finds from this site.
M. Horlock (NLA), 4 February 2003.

January 2011. Norfolk NMP.
The earthworks of the above mentioned water management features and possible ridge and furrow are visible on aerial photographs from the 1940s (S1-S3) and are discussed in more detail in NHER 6087 – the site of the medieval settlement of Harling Thorpe. A large depression noted on the ground may correspond with this former site, see NHER 6084 for details. A small depression noted on the aerial photographs (S2) at TL 9428 8400 seems unlikely to correspond to this feature and is more likely to relate to water management at the site.
S. Horlock (NMP), 13 January 2011.