NHER 57835 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Cropmarks of circular features of unknown date

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Summary

Several circular features are visible as cropmarks on 'Google Earth'. It has been suggested that the circles were caused by haystacks.

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Location

Map sheet TL59NW
Civil Parish WELNEY, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Map

2012.
Site of at least fifteen ring ditches seen by [1] as images on 'Google Earth'. Such ring ditches are a particular feature of the silt fen and are usually interpreted as 'stack stands'. The crop was stacked on the central embanked area or platforms and the external ring ditch helped to keep the area drained. They have usually been regarded as Roman in date, although a medieval date has also been suggested. Those mapped by the National mapping programme in the King's Lynn area seem to predominantly be of medieval to post medieval date. They were first recognised by Derek Riley (See S1).
Sophie Tremlett (HES) and A. Beckham (HES), 15 May 2012.

May 2026. HER Enhancement: Forestry Commission Project K.
Multiple undated ring ditches, thought to relate to medieval to post medieval stack stands (see above), are visible as cropmarks on the 2006 Google Earth layer (S2) and on Bing imagery (S3).
J. Powell (Norfolk County Council Environment Service), 27 May 2026

  • <S1> Article in Serial: Riley, D.N.. 1946. Groups of circles in the silt fens.. Antiquity. Vol XX, pp 150-153.
  • <S2> Vertical Aerial Photograph: Google Earth. ? - present. Google Earth Orthophotographs. https://earth.google.com/web. 02-JUL-2006 Accessed 27-MAY-2026.
  • <S3> Vertical Aerial Photograph: DigitalGlobe. unknown. Bing Maps Aerial View Orthophotographs. http://www.bing.com/maps (Aerial Option). Accessed 27-MAY-2026.

Object Types (0)

Related NHER Records (0)

Record last edited

May 27 2026 12:40PM

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