NHER 66855 (Monument record) - Post-medieval or earlier field boundaries and undated possible pits or hearths

April 2022. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of proposed extension to East Bilney Quarry.
This survey identified a number of north-north-west to south-south-east and east-north-east to west-south-west aligned linear anomalies likely to represent infilled ditches. A number of these features clearly coincide with former field boundaries depicted on the Beetley tithe map (S1) and it is likely that the other, similarly-aligned ditches represent earlier elements of the same field system. Most are therefore likely to be post-medieval in date, although an earlier origin is possible. An east-north-east to west-south-west former boundary at the southern end of the field is associated with a pair of adjacent anomalies and it is therefore suggested that this may once have been a routeway of some kind. The line of this feature is continue by field boundaries in the field to the west, so it is possible that this was once a road or track running between the kink in Chapel Lane and the north-to-south aligned section of Church Lane to the west. An examination of Faden’s map of 1797 (S2) suggests that this boundary also potentially coincided with the northern edge of Hoe Common.
Other potentially archaeologically-significant responses include a number of discrete anomalies that may represent pits or hearths. Several larger areas of magnetic debris are of an uncertain nature but could potentially represent waste from an industrial process.
Although a number of other short linear anomalies (including several curvilinear examples) were recorded these are regarded as being of undetermined origin and not necessarily archaeologically-significant.
See report (S3) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 12 April 2023. Amended 14 March 2023.