NHER 54564 (Monument record) - Cropmarks of possible pits and/or sunken-floored buildings of Roman or Saxon date

January 2011. Norfolk NMP.
The cropmarks of a ditch and possible pits and/or sunken-floored buildings of Roman or Saxon date may be visible on the aerial photographs (S1) to the north of the medieval College and church at Rushford (NHER 6092). The site is centred on TL 9224 8139 and is located approximately 150m northwest of two archaeological evaluations (NHER 40919), which produced evidence of Roman, Middle and Late Saxon ditches and land boundaries and medieval settlement and rubbish pits pre-dating the founding of the College in 1342 (S2-S3). Earthworks of Saxon to medieval boundaries and enclosures are visible on aerial photographs surrounding the evaluation area (NHER 54562). Roman, Middle and Late Saxon finds have all been recovered from this general vicinity (NHER 40919, 50036). It is possible that these cropmarks pits and a ditch relate to Roman or Early Saxon activity that pre-dates the Middle Saxon to medieval phase of settlement and land enclosure indicated by the evaluations and the aerial photograph evidence (NHER 40919 and 54562). The possible pits are all broadly sub-rectangular or sub-circular in shape and vary in size from 3m by 2m to 6m by 5m. While it is possible that these may all relate to the remains of sunken-floored buildings, or grubenhauser, it must be noted that a geological origin cannot be ruled out for some or all of these features. The aerial photographs reveal other cropmarks clearly relating to geology and soils within the same field.
S. Horlock (NMP), 18 January 2011.