NHER 9687 (Monument record) - Site of earthwork 'entrenchment' of unknown date

'Entrenchment' marked around Gidding Heath on (S1), copy in (S2).
No trace on ground or on aerial photographs.
R. R. Clarke (NCM)

Clarke's marking on (S3) corrected, firstly by A. Gregory (NAU) enlarging copy of (S1) in (S2) to same scale as (S3); then further by E. B. Green (NCM) and E. Rose (NAU) checking against original, showing that copy of (S1) in (S2) is defective in position of entrances etc. However it is still very difficult to plot the exact location owing to odd scale of original.
E. Rose (NAU) 19 April 1985.

For former NHER 9687/context 1 see NHER 21259.

(S4) quotes (S5) as saying that in 1587 the Privy Council proposed that a fortified camp be set up on Mousehold Heath. However (S5) actually says that the men should assemble on Mountsurrey with no mention of fortifications. Mountsurrey was the name given to the area now known as Gas Hill so it seems improbable there is any connection with site NHER 9687 or NHER 9688.
E. Rose (NLA) 5 November 1998.

November 2008. Norfolk NMP.
A linear ditch feature with associated bank is visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs (S6). The cropmark runs diagonally northwest-southeast from TG 2738 1165 to TG 2781 1161, 370m to the north of the mapped position of NHER 9687. It is therefore unclear whether this feature represents part of the entrenchment, but it may be contemporary with it.
E. Bales (NMP), 17 November 2008.

July 2015. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of land to north of Salhouse Road at TG 2670 1158.
Although the suggested line of the entrenchment passes through the area examined there was no evidence to associated remains. It was though noted that the site had potentially sustained heavy plough truncation, with only a thin topsoil deposit present and numerous plough scars visible on the surface of the natural geology.
See report (S7) and NHER 64841 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 7 April 2021.

March 2018. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of land north of Salhouse Road at TG 2682 1163 (adjacent to area evaluated in 2015).
There was again no evidence for sub-surface remains associated with this 'entrenchment'.
See NHER 64841 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 7 April 2021.

July-August 2019. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of proposed development site south of Salhouse Road at TG 2726 1134.
No evidence for surviving remains associated with the 'entrenchment'.
Information from draft report. See NHER 65143 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 7 July 2021.

March and September 2020. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site south of Salhouse Road at TG 2726 1134.
Again no evidence for surviving remains associated with the 'entrenchment'.
See report (S8) and NHER 65143 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 7 July 2021.