NHER 63072 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Earthworks and cropmarks relating to Cranwich medieval settlement

This record is for the cropmark and earthwork remains relating to the medieval settlement at Cranwich originally recorded under NHER 1039. Please see NHER 1039 for further information regarding finds.

February 2019. Breckland National Mapping Programme.
Cranwich medieval settlement remains are seen as earthworks and cropmarks on aerial photographs and visualised Lidar data (S1-S8). Features visible include enclosures, banks, ditches, trackways, boundaries and possible ridge and furrow.
The majority of the mapped ditches most likely relate to boundaries and drainage with the highest concentration of earthwork and cropmark ditches seen in the east of the site. Some of these ditches have been mapped as drainage on the Tithe, First and Second edition Ordnance Survey maps (S9-S11) and it is possible some of the ditches recorded as part of this survey are post-medieval rather than medieval.
Features relating to enclosures have been recorded across the area including a very large square enclosure at TL 7843 9483, a second large enclosure TL 7764 9521 and two smaller enclosure at TL 7842 9509. The possible remains of ridge and furrow aligned approximately north east – south west can be seen as cropmarks between 1946 and 1955 at TL 7792 9515.
There are a number of possible trackways consisting of a bank flanked by two ditches recorded across the area such as at TL 7776 9534 and TL 7815 9531. The possible trackways may have also related to, or been re-used as, boundaries and drainage with some of the features mapped on the Tithe and First and Second Edition Ordnance Survey maps (S9-S11). Further examples of these possible trackways are recorded in close proximity under NHER 23839, NHER 35520 and NHER 63073.
Earthworks are recorded in the area immediately to the north of the church (NHR 4976) centred at TL 7825 9503 which may have related to hollow ways and boundaries with two ditches and a bank forming a roughly oval shape. This possible oval shaped feature (centred at TL 7830 9504) may relate to an enclosure or may be the result of a possible hollow way and boundary ditch in close proximity forming a roughly oval shape. There is also a possible trackway similar to those described above crossing the area in the centre of the possible oval feature. Further to this it should also be noted that the church is situated on top of a mound which most likely relates to the settlement earthworks, and is at least partly man made rather than simply a natural rise in the landscape (although this cannot be ruled out). This feature has not been mapped as it is difficult from the aerial sources alone to distinguish the man-made and natural elements of the mound.
The preservation of the features differs across the area over time. The majority of the mapped features can be seen as earthworks in the 1940s and 1950s and by the 1970s most of the earthworks have been levelled, particularly in the east of the area where the banks and ditches can be clearly seen seen as soil marks in 1961 ((S3) - TL7894/C). Some features, mainly in the area behind the church, are seen as earthworks in visualised lidar data and most likely survive presently. Due to change in the landscape over time resulting in a lack of control points, some aerial photographs have been rectified using secondary transformations which may slightly affect the locational accuracy of the mapping.
There is a large number of multi-period finds found across the area and although the majority of the features mapped in this area relate to the medieval settlement, it is possible some features like the roughly oval shaped ditches may be Saxon or earlier in date. The medieval settlement remains are similar to other sites mapped as part of this survey such as the possible manor site and medieval landscape around Northwold (NHER 4831 and NHER 35568) and Cloveston (NHER 63236) medieval settlement to the northeast.
Further work is required to synthesise the mapping from aerial photographs, surviving earthworks, find records and any documentary evidence to fully understand this site.
J.Powell (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 1 February 2019.