NHER 57493 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Medieval and post-medieval enclosures and field drains

27 July 1978 and 7 August 1981. Aerial Photograph Interpretation.
Agricultural Development Advisory Service and NAU aerial photography.
Rectilinear cropmarks.
Enclosures, overlain by modern and 19th century tile drains. Field system?
See (S1).
Compiled by D. Edwards (NAU) 1 December 1980. Information from (S2).
Previously recorded as NHER 17218, which has now been revoked [1].
P. Watkins (HES), 28 February 2022.

December 2012. Norfolk NMP.
Undated enclosures, possibly part of a field system, and 19th century field drains are visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs ((S1) and (S3)-(S10)) across this area. A geophysical survey in 2010 found these to be the remains of strip fields of medieval to early post-medieval date and post-medieval field boundaries shown on the 1838 tithe map and 1st edition ordnance survey map (NHER 17218).
The majority of features in this area, then, centred on TM 0427 9372, are clearly depicted on historic maps, or are clearly functioning as post medieval field drainage, and are not of any great archaeological significance. However, it is possible that some of the features may relate to remnants of earlier medieval to post medieval field system(s), and they majority of features have been mapped in order to give some context to this.
E. Ford (NMP), 11 December 2012.

May 2010. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer surveys of two locations within large proposed development area (Fields 1 and 9).
A block examined east of Alder Farm (Field 1) coincided with several of the southernmost cropmarks in this group. A number of these cropmarks had corresponding linear anomalies, suggesting they are associated with surviving subsurface remains. Three moderately enhanced discrete anomalies detected at this location (c. TM 0421 932) have been tentatively interpreted as possible kilns or similar industrial features. The same interpretation is also suggested for two outlying, similar anomlies. The main group appears to have lain within a rectangular area defined a number of ditches visible as geophysical anomalies and/or cropmarks. These ditches are similarly aligned to those associated with the probable strip fields, suggesting these features were all potentially associated with the same broad phase of activity.
This survey also identified a number of probable ditches to the west of this group that had not been visible as cropmarks. As with the cropmarks these appear to represent a mix of features associated with field boundaries depicted on 19th-century maps and features that had probably been related to an earlier system of land division (elements of which were fossilised in the late post-medieval field system).
The survey of an area to the east of Poplar farm (Field 9) recorded a curving linear anomaly at TM 0446 9364 that coincides with a fragmentary cropmark. This feature corresponds with a curving section of a former field boundary depicted on the Attleborough tithe map (S11). Its form suggests it represent a fossilised element of the earlier, potentially medieval or early post-medieval field system.
See report (S12) and NHERS 65431 and 65432 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 28 February 2022.

November 2022-March 2023. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of narrow strip along route of proposed new access road.
Three north-to-south aligned cropmarks and one east-to-west aligned cropmark to the south of Fowler’s Lane fell within the area examined - all but one of which were associated with corresponding geophysical anomalies. These were all features that also coincide with former field boundaries depicted on 19th-century maps. There was no evidence for surviving sub-surface remains associated with a curvilinear cropmark at TM 0445 9347.
See report (S13) and NHERs 55758 and 65431 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 23 October 2024.

March-July 2023. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of route of proposed new access road.
The trenches excavated to the south of Fowler’s Lane coincided with three of the cropmarks in this group, all of which were associated with corresponding ditches. One of these ditches contained post-medieval finds and all three correspond with former field boundaries depicted on 19th-century maps.
One of the trenches to the north of Fowler’s land coincided with the curvilinear cropmark at TM 0445 9347. This was potentially associated with an undated ditch.
See report (S14) and NHERs 55758 and 65431 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 23 October 2024.

March 2026. HER Enhancement: Forestry Commission Project K.
The cropmarks of the possible medieval to post medieval field system, enclosures, and post medieval field boundaries mapped by the earlier NMP survey (see above) and additional unmapped features, are visible on aerial photographs from 2019 (S15).
J. Powell (Norfolk County Council Environment Service), 03 March 2026