NHER 11726 (Monument record) - Cropmarks of a possible Roman enclosure or farmstead

Rectangular enclosure with smaller enclosure in one corner, and ring ditch in centre.
Checked by E. Rose (NAU) 21 October 1976 (S1).

Other photographs show the smaller enclosure to be a long rectangle with two subdivisions.

8 July 1996. NLA aerial photography (S2).
Cropmarks of enclosures previously recorded visible. (Ring ditch unclear).
In addition to this a second ring ditch is apparent a short distance to the west (NGR TG 3521 1437) and at least one linear feature.
H. Clare (NLA) 26 September 2001.

The central grid reference of this site has been altered from TG 3536 1438 to TG 3551 1428. The ring ditch previously recorded under this number is now under NHER 49412.

May 2007. Norfolk NMP.
The cropmarks of a large rectangular enclosure and associated ditched boundaries, all probably Roman in date, are visible on aerial photographs to the southwest of Ranworth Priory (S1-S4). The site is centred on TG 3551 1428. Finds of a Roman date have been found within this general area (NHER 28942-3). It is possible that this site represents a small Roman settlement or farmstead.
The enclosure, centred on TG 3549 1436, measures 113m across and up to 52m wide (as visible). The enclosure is only partially visible, as the southern part is located within the low-lying land, now drained marshland. The interior of the enclosure appears to be subdivided by a number of internal ditches. A number of narrow ditches are also visible to the immediate north of the enclosure, suggesting further subdivision of the land outside of the actual enclosure. A line of large pit-like features is also visible running parallel to the enclosure ditch; it is not clear whether these relate to a former boundary or a structural component associated with the enclosure. The majority would appear to be too large for postholes.
To the south of the drainage wetland is a further area of rectilinear and rectangular enclosed areas, ditched boundaries and trackways, which follow a similar alignment to the main enclosure and are therefore likely to be contemporary. Although it is possible that some of the straight parallel ditches, assumed to be trackways leading towards the enclosure, could in reality be more recent drainage ditches. If these two sets of features were originally contiguous, it would imply that this low-lying land was not ‘wetland’ during the Roman period.
S. Massey (NMP) 23 May 2007.