NHER 43330 (Monument record) - Cropmarks of medieval strip fields and parish boundary

March 2006. Norfolk NMP.
Cropmarks of incomplete medieval strip fields and a former parish boundary ditch are visible on aerial photographs (S1-S5). These cropmarks are centred on TF 7335 3585. A 3.5m wide boundary ditch is present for 350m on a curving west southwest to east northeast alignment between TF 7316 3568 and TF 7350 3574. At least six other linear ditches join it at right angles on its northern side. It is likely that these linear ditches, the longest of which are visible for 182m and 292m, form the boundaries between medieval to early post medieval strip fields. They are crossed by a current field boundary that also forms the parish boundary between Fring and Sedgeford. It seems probable that these strip fields belonged to Sedgeford parish and that the boundary ditch at their southern end marks and earlier line of the parish boundary. The position of these ditches does not fully correspond to the field and parish boundaries marked on a 1630 estate map of Sedgeford (S6) and they are likely to be earlier than that date. The date at which the parish boundary between Sedgeford and Fring was moved north to its present position is not clear, but also appears to be after 1630. Cropmarks of two linear ditches are also present cutting across the strip fields. The date of these ditches is not known.
J. Albone (NMP), 03 March 2006.