NHER 66964 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Earthworks of a possible medieval to post medieval boundary bank

June 2023. Wendling Beck and Fransham Aerial Investigation and Mapping (AIM) Project.
An earthwork bank, of an unknown but possible medieval to post medieval date is visible on visualised lidar data (S4). As the lidar survey was flown relatively recently (2017), it is likely that the feature still survives as a very low earthwork. The feature is also visible as a soilmark and as a cropmark on aerial photographs taken in 1946 (S1), 1976 (S2) and 2018 (S3). The feature may relate to a former boundary bank or field boundary of a possible medieval to post medieval date. The feature is not recorded on the readily accessible historic maps (such as S5-S6). The possible boundary bank may be cut by two parallel banks (NHER 66963), visible as cropmarks on S2, which may relate to former field boundaries or a trackway of a possible medieval to post medieval date. The relationship between the earthwork bank and the cropmark parallel banks is unknown. It is likely that the earthworks have been spread by modern ploughing which has resulted in the bank appearing to be very wide (approximately 18m) on the visualised lidar data. The possibility that the feature is natural in origin also cannot be ruled out.
J. Powell (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 30 June 2023.