NHER 57987 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Cropmarks of possible later prehistoric or Roman boundary ditch

August 2012.
The cropmarks of a possible later prehistoric and/or Roman boundary ditch is visible on aerial photographs (S1) to the southwest of Coltishall airfield, and potentially continuing into it, although this cannot be proved from the aerial photograph evidence. The site is centred on TG 2542 2250. The ditch which runs intermittently from TG 2511 2214 to TG 2579 2285, has a slightly sinuous and irregular course in places and appears to run from alongside the Buxton with Lammas Neolithic causewayed enclosure (NHER 7690) and past a substantial ring ditch, representing either a Neolithic or Bronze Age barrow. Another long-distance boundary ditch runs almost parallel approximately 600m to the west (NHER 57988. There is a lack of correspondence between this boundary and with medieval to post medieval landscape features it crosses and it is assumed that this boundary is either later prehistoric or Roman in date, although see NHER 57988 for mention of similarly aligned boundaries. It must also be noted that the boundary ditch appears to follow a very similar alignment to the co-axial field system to the north east (NHER 36731). This has previously been recorded as being of Roman date, but it must be noted that it exhibits many similarities with the plan of the Nova Scotia Farm co-axial field system at Ormesby which has been proven by excavation to have its origins in the Middle Bronze Age (NHER 12828), although it is not clear how much of it is of this date. Some components may be Iron Age in date.
S. Horlock (HES), 30 August 2012.