NHER 7292 (Monument record) - Earthworks of medieval moat or part-moated toft and section of common-edge ditch

Moat (Ordnance Survey).
(S1) marks a single straight ditch aligned east-northeast to west-southwest. This is the only waterfilled section remaining but forms part of a dry rectangular moat with raised platform. Another dry ditch connects west arm with pond (halfway to house), pond shown on Ordnance Survey. May indicate two compartment moat, or an overflow channel.

1986. Found in moat area by metal detecting.
Two sherds: body sherd of Thetford type ware, another possibly Thetford but could be early medieval.
Identified by A. Gregory (NAU)
E. Rose (NAU) 20 May 1987.

Moat is all dry.
Two compartment appears a distinct possiblity.
Young trees planted in both compartments. Pond has recently been cleared.
Site report in file.
H. Paterson (A&E), 13 October 1992.

1996. Earthwork Survey.
Survey at 1:1000, indicating a common edge toft.
See report (S2) further details and copy of plan (S3). The results of this survey are also summarised in (S4).
B. Cushion (NLA) February 1996. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 2 March 2015.

December 2023. Wendling Beck and Fransham Aerial Investigation and Mapping (AIM) Project.
The earthworks of a medieval moat, double compartment moat, or part-moated toft and enclosure, described above, are visible on aerial photographs (S5-S7) and visualised lidar data (S8). The section of common-edge ditch described above is also visible. The features have been mapped as seen on the visualised lidar data. The resulting mapping broadly accords with the earlier earthwork survey (S2-S3). The interpretation of the earthworks as a part-moated toft and adjacent enclosure and common-edge boundary seems most fitting. As the lidar survey was flown relatively recently (2017) it is likely that the earthworks still survive.
S. Tremlett (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 8 December 2023.