NHER 9794 (Monument record) - Prehistoric barrow cemetery, Middle-Late Iron Age occupation site, and Saxon inhumation cemetery, Harford Farm

Harford Farm
The landscape surrounding Harford Farm has been the subject of intensive human activity from the Late Prehistoric period onwards.
Previously known as Markshall Old Heath, it was first identified as an area of archaeological interest in 1933 as a result of pioneering air photography by H. Frederick Low of the Norfolk and Norwich Aero Club. Early evidence indicated the presence of Bronze Age ring ditches and rectangular enclosures and linear features with potential connection to the Roman town of Venta Icenorum (NHER 9786) located approximately 800m southeast. One ring ditch was excavated in 1938 with inconclusive results. Three areas received Scheduled protection in 1952. However, in 1990 this large area was the subject of intensive excavation in advance of the the construction of the Norwich South Bypass. This work recorded 5 Bronze Age barrows, part of a more extensive barrow cemetery (NHER 52280), an area of Middle Iron Age occupation, Late Iron Age enclosures, and a Saxon inhumation cemetery dated to the 7th and 8th century AD.
This record outlines details of the excavated remains.
Details of the cropmarks of these excavated features as well as surviving features have been recorded separately. See NHER 52324 for further discussion and a full list of individual cropmark elements.
Amended H. Hamilton (HES), 26 November 2024.

August 1933. Aerial photography.
A number of "circular and other markings" were observed on an aerial photograph taken by H. Frederick Low of the Norfolk and Norwich Aero Club in 1933.
These included markings on both sides of the road, in an area west of Chapel Hill known as "The Heath", and to the south of the road known as "The Forty Acres" (S9). By 1935 they were described by R. R. Clarke as "numerous circles and rectangular enclosures" (S9) and it was recognized that they may be the remains of "tumuli".
These cropmarks have since been identified as extending over a large are and representing multi-period occupation. See entry dated 2009 below and see NHER 52324 for a full summary.
These cropmarks were reported in the Eastern Daily Press in September 1933 (S) and March 1934 (S).
Information from Norwich Castle Museum Record Card (S1) and (S2).
Also noted in published articles (S9) and (S10).
Amended H. Hamilton (HES), 25 November 2024.

September 1938. Excavation.
Trial excavations were carried out on behalf of the Norfolk Research Committee.
Four circular cropmarks are described in this area south of the road, covering about 8 acres. The first was located immediately south of the road, slightly truncated by the road on the northern edge but with a possible entrance and pit on the southern side and an oval structure in the centre (now recorded as NHER 52282). A second, smaller circular cropmark was located a few yards to the southeast of this (now recorded as NHER 52284); a third larger circular cropmark with a trackway running from its centre to the southwest was located further east (now recorded as NHER 52285); and a fourth smaller circular cropmark to the southeast (now recorded as NHER 52286) (S11).
The large circular cropmark to the south of the road (NHER 52282) was targeted for investigation. Five trenches were excavated around the eastern side, revealing a ditch 4-5 feet [1.2m-1.5m] wide and 19 to 22 inches [48cm-55cm] deep. Rather than circular, the ditch was found to run straight north-south for about 50 feet (15m) before sharply turning. The opening on the south was not located.
A sixth trench was excavated in the centre of the circle, which recorded a narrow feature about 1 foot [0.3m] wide. This was presumed to be the oval feature visible in the centre but the feature was not fully exposed.
No datable objects were recovered. Some worked flints were noted in the gravel at the base of the ditches where reached and small fragments of charcoal were noted in the ditch fill. "Innumerable pot-boilers were found on the surface and in the humus above the gravel but none in the ditch" (S11).
These excavations are also noted in 1942, where they were described as revealing "...earthworks of a settlement type and one of them had wooded buildings within it…" (S12). The latter comment likely originated from descriptions of the charcoal noted above.
Subsequent excavations in 1990 (see below) revealed that some of the trial trenches actually encountered a later linear feature rather than the outer ring ditch.
Information from unpublished report (S11).
Also noted in journal article (S12).
Amended H. Hamilton (HES), 25 November 2024.

December 1952. Scheduled.
This was one of three areas in Markshall parish which received Scheduled Monument Protection.
Scheduled as County Number 245 and known as "Sites discovered by air photography at Markshall", the areas were labelled A-C.
This was area C, centered TG 224 043. Three mapped areas were identified, which roughly covered the excavated area north of the exisiting road, the large ring ditch excavated in 1938 truncated by the road (NHER 52282), and the group of ring ditches to the south and east of these barrows.
Information from Ancient Monuments Form (S13).
Amended H. Hamilton (HES), 26 November 2024.

May 1976. Field Observation.
A. Lawson and E. Rose of the Norfolk Archaeological Unit visited the site.
No remains were visible on the surface.
Information from HER Record Card (S4).
Amended H. Hamilton (HES), 25 November 2024.

February 1981. Air Photo Interpretation.
Group of six ring ditches and possibly seven square features (square barrows?), as well as other linear features indicating lines of ditches.
Observed in Norfolk Air Photo Library images TG 2204/A-AW (Inclusive). See 1:2500 and 6-inch scale overlays.
These cropmarks have since been identified as extending over a large are and representing multi-period occupation. See entry dated 2009 below and see NHER 52324 for a full summary.
Information from HER Record Card (S4).
D. Edwards (NAU), 17 February 1981. Amended H. Hamilton (HES), 25 November 2024.

July 1981.
A double ring ditch (NHER 52288) which has been included in the northernmost of the three areas Scheduled in 1956 has now been destroyed by the extension of the hard area. See NHER 52288 for further details.
Information from HER Record Card (S4).
A. Lawson (NAU), 31 July 1981. Amended H. Hamilton (HES), 25 November 2024.

1990. Excavation.
Full excavation in advance of construction of the Norwich Southern Bypass.
Five ring ditches were excavated, along with evidence of Middle Iron Age occupation, six square-ditched enclosures probably of Late Iron Age date and 48 Middle Saxon inhumations of late 7th or early 8th century date.

The worked flints recovered included core flakes, blades and a range of retouched pieces and other tools. The high proportion of scrapers and the presence of barbed and tanged arrowheads suggests that this assemblage is at least partially of Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age date. A small number of diagnostic earlier pieces are however also present, including a Mesolithic microlith and an Early Neolithic leaf arrowhead.

Objects recovered from the Saxon cemetery include a gold disc brooch decorated with garnet, glass, ivory, and shell with a runic inscription on a silver plate. This has been discussed in publication (S26) and has was included in an exhibition in London in 2012 (S33)

All finds from this excavation were donated to the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 1994.5).
See images (S19) to (S22) for site photography.
The prehistoric evidence is published in (S27); the Saxon cemetery is published separately (S29).
The results of this work are also summarised in (S23).
See also newspaper articles regarding the scheme (S15), and particularly the Saxon cemtery (S16)-(S18), and subsequent Treasure Act case (S25) and (S31).
Amended H. Hamilton (HES), 26 November 2024.

1991 to 1992. Watching brief. Norwich Southern Bypass. Site 57.
A small pit filled with a large quantity of Neolithic flint and 15 sherds of prehistoric pottery was recorded towards the eastern edge of this area.
The flint included:
2 broken cores
20 flakes, bladelets and spalls, 4 shatter pieces, 1 burnt fragment
1 broken axe tip with some wear marks
1 flake from a Neolithic polished axe
1 small Early Neolithic leaf arrowhead
Identified by A. Rogerson and P. Robins.
See unpublished document (S24) for further details.
See published monograph (S28) for summary of watching brief work.
List of finds also included in HER Record Notes (S5).
E. Rose (NLA), July 1992.

2002.
Square enclosures at this site and NHER 9589 suggested as Roman, and associated with the postulated cadastre and other sites.
See (S30).
D. Gurney (NLA), 2 April 2002.

March 2009. Norfolk NMP.
The cropmarks for this site are now recorded under separate numbers, see NHER 52324 for details, including components of a barrow cemetery (NHER 52280), several phases of enclosures and fields of later prehistoric to Roman date (NHER 52278, 52292), Iron Age roundhouses and associated structures (NHER 52314, 52277, 52279) and a group of square-ditched funerary monuments of later Iron Age or Roman date (NHER 52289).
S. Horlock (NMP), 24 March 2009.
See NHER 52324 for details of air photo interpretation of images taken after 1990.
H. Hamilton (HES), 25 November 2024.

Before 2019. Scheduling Amendment.
The scheduled areas associated with this site have been amended. They now appear to coincide primarily with the mapped areas of ring ditches visible as cropmarks recorded under NHER 52286, NHER 52284, and NHER 52288.