NHER 11840 (Cropmark and Earthwork) - Possible medieval moat or enclosure and undated pits

Southwest of moated site of old hall.
Broad white L-shaped cropmark. Perhaps infilled outer moat of hall?
Air photographs checked by E. Rose (NAU), 29 November 1976.

October 1945 RAF air photograph shows small trapezoidal ditched enclosure with linking east-to-west arm to eastern field boundary, as earthworks.

December 1997. Field now arable, but slight soil marks indicate probable ditch positions.
Half an hour fieldwalking produced pottery from within and to west of enclosure.
Pottery identified by A. Rogerson (NLA):
Seven medieval unglazed body sherds.
One medieval unglazed bowl rim and base, not joining.
One medieval unglazed bowl or jar rim.
One Glazed Grimston.
B.Cushion (NLA), December 1997.

July 2007. Norfolk NMP.
The enclosure, possibly a small moat, described above is visible as an earthwork and, later, soilmarks on aerial photographs (S1)-(S3), centred at TM 3931 9607. Its general appearance and the recovery of pottery from within it (albeit from the field surface) indicate that it is probably medieval, although this is not certain. It seems to fit within a system of conjoined drainage ditches or boundary ditches which are presumably contemporary. The postulated moat seems too small to represent an independent settlement, although this could be the case, and it seems more likely that it was an ancillary element of the more substantial manorial site to its northeast (NHER 10535).

35m to the east (at TM 3950 9601), and to the north and south of a narrow ditch or drain which may have once connected to the ditches surrounding the enclosure, is a group of irregular conjoined pits, also visible as earthworks and soilmarks on the same aerial photographs. Although it is not entirely certain that these are man-made features, they do not look entirely geological either, and they seem most likely to represent small scale quarrying. While there is no clear association between these features and the moated sites described above, the appearance of the pits would suggest that they are no older than the medieval period, and they may relate to the construction of the moats or the buildings they supported.

Three sides of the postulated moat or enclosure are visible, defined by a ditch of varying width and an inner bank. Externally the enclosure measures 40m by 37.5m, including the external bank to its north. Internally it measures 19m by 26.5m.
S. Tremlett (NMP), 31 July 2007.