NHER 28552 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Possible medieval toft

5 April 1990. NAU aerial photgraphy (S1)
Earthworks around stream, including rectangular enclosure. Suggested by A. Rogerson (NLA) as toft.
Site visited by a student from Universtiy of East Anglia, name unknown, who believed it was a moat and said [1] was unaware of any history. Nothing on tithe map (S1).
E. Rose (NLA), 6 November 1991

January 1993. Visit.
Irregular and incomplete enclosures, bounded by former watercourse channel to south, and divided by natural depression. Low banks and irregular depressions form other partial boundaries with one enclosure extending east into adjacent field. One possible platform on eastern enclosure. Probable toft remains but not very convincing.
B. Cushion (NLA), 28 January 1993.

The central grid reference for this site has been altered from TG 1197 1132 to TG 1204 1137 due to the extension of the site to the east.

June 2010. Norfolk NMP.
The earthworks of a series of platforms and ditched enclosures relating to former medieval tofts are visible on aerial photographs to the west of Church Farm, Honingham (S1, S3-S5). The site is centred on TG 1204 1137. The aerial photographs provide more convincing evidence of platforms and tofts than previously identified at the site, see above, in particular to the north of the channel and the earthworks were extended to the east to include a probable oblong platform at TG 1221 1154 (S5). It is possible that further earthworks exist to the south, but they were harder to distinguish in this area on the aerial photographs, despite this factor one clear rectangular platform was visible to the south in 1969 (S4). None of the ditched enclosures have the appearance of a moat as was suggested above. Finds of a Saxon and medieval date have been found within the vicinity of this site (NHER 16389, 17163, 23429 & 25701), indicating a level of activity in the area during this period and adding weight to the interpretation that these earthworks relate to medieval tofts and associated boundaries.
S. Horlock (NMP), 08 June 2010.

November 2019-February 2020. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of land on route of proposed North Tuddenham to Easton A47 Improvement Works.
The examination of two areas immediately to the south of this group recorded a number of potentially related linear anomalies. These included an intermittent north-north-west to south-south-east aligned anomaly that appears to continue the line of the earthwork mapped at TG 1190 1125. Perpendicular linear anomalies may represent ditches forming small adjacent enclosures, including one that was potentially associated with the north-east to south-west aligned ditch mapped at TG 1187 1123. A number of potentially archaeologically-significant discrete anomalies were also identified in the vicinity of these possible enclosures, all of which lay to the west of the main north-north-west to south-south-east feature.
See NHERs 65210 and 65211 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 13 May 2022.

July-October 2020. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of land on route of proposed North Tuddenham to Easton A47 Improvement Works.
Only one of the trenches excavated coincided with the recorded earthworks, this just clipping the ditch surrounding the probable platform at TG 1186 1125. A corresponding feature was recorded (described as a 'pond') but unfortunately finds were limited to fragments of undated ceramic building material.
Although the preceding geophysical survey had identified a number of linear anomalies that were potentially related to these earthworks the majority were found to have no associated sub-surface remains. There was also no evidence to suggest that the various discrete anomalies recorded in this area were archaeologically-significant.
See report (S6) and NHERs 65210 and 65211 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 13 May 2022.