NHER 16154 (Monument record) - Possible Bronze Age ring ditches and undated trackways and enclosures

Cropmarks.
28 July 1977.
NAU air photography (S1-3).
Cropmarks of three ring ditches, first approximately 25m (TF 6307 0068), second approximately 12m (TF 6325 0059) and third approximately 15m (TF 6324 0068) diameter respectively. Double concentric ring ditch approximately 22m diameter (TF 6313 0042).
Trackways running roughly north-to-south and east-to-west.
Associated linear cropmarks and possible enclosure complex.
Compiled by D. Edwards (NAU), 2 May 1980. Information from record card (S4).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 13 April 2023.

October 2020-March 2021. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of site on proposed route of Anglian Water Bexwell to Bury St Edmunds pipeline.
This work saw the examination of a north-to-south aligned strip through the middle of this field. The survey revealed a range of archaeologically-significant anomalies, including a substantial portion of an apparently continuous ring-ditch that clear coincides with the cropmark listed as being at TF 6324 0068. The cropmark ring-ditch recorded as being centred at TF 6325 0059 would have also fallen at least partially within the area examined, although no corresponding feature was identified. A pair of curvilinear probable enclosure ditches were though identified close to this location so it is possible a cropmark associated with one these has been mistaken for a ring-ditch. These features are part of a roughly north-to-south aligned group of intercutting curvilinear and rectilinear enclosures present between TF 6324 0071 and TF 6322 0056. These presumably relate to the 'possible enclosure complex' noted above and are most likely of Iron Age to Roman date. Two more-isolated rectilinear enclosures and a number of potentially archaeologically-significant discrete anomalies and several penannular linear anomalies were also recorded in the vicinity of the main enclosure group.
See report (S5) and NHER 66454 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 13 April 2023.

September 2021. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of site on proposed route of Anglian Water Bexwell to Bury St Edmunds pipeline.
This phase of work saw the excavation of seven trenches in this field, although these were all placed to the west of the area examined by the preceding geophysical survey. Only a single post-medieval ditch was recorded, at least demonstrating that the western extent of the main enclosure group is as indicated by the geophysical survey. It is though possible that at least one of the trenches had coincided with the cropmark ring-ditch recorded as being centred at TF 6313 0042. If this was the case, it appears no associated remains survive (or are readily identifiable).
See NHER 66454 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 13 April 2023.