NHER 29755 (Monument record) - Probable medieval to post medieval field boundaries, a possible building platform and possible ridge and furrow

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Summary

Probable medieval to post medieval field boundaries and a possible building platform are visible as earthworks and cropmarks on aerial photographs. Further possible platforms (suggested as being for arable rather than buildings) and traces of possible ridge and furrow have also been reported following visits to the site. The orientation and layout of the field boundaries is at odds with the modern field pattern, but is shared by field boundaries surrounding a moated manorial site (NHER 13746) further to the north. All lie on or adjacent to land that was formerly part of Downham Common, but their character is of agricultural or pastoral boundaries, rather than settlement (as is suspected at other common-edge sites). Some of the boundaries recorded here are reflected by those depicted on the Tithe Map of 1839, indicating that even though a medieval origin is possible for some of the boundaries, some continued in use into the post medieval period.

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Location

Map sheet TG00SE
Civil Parish WYMONDHAM, SOUTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Map

19 February 1988. NAU aerial photography (S1).
Earthworks at Kimberley Home Farm (Ketts Field Farm) forming rectangular enclosures askew to present layout, and near ford.
E. Rose (NLA), 17 May 1993.

1998. Field near farmstead was a natural flood plain edge scarp with a near parallel upslope scarp which served as a western boundary of probably three ditched enclosures, askew and therefore pre-dating the existing buildings.
Further south, the undulations are mostly natural valley side features, with some meandering channels and wet (possibly spring) hollows.
A few projecting scarped sub-rectangular platforms are possible arable land extending beyond exisiting field boundary.
Drainage ditches also post medieval provide some incomplete subdivision.
B. Cushion (NLA), 12 February 1998.

Pasture fields stretch for nearly 1km south of farm buildings. Earthworks appear to be natural features for the most part. However rectangular enclosures immediately adjacent to farm to south may be earlier medieval field boundaries (B. Cushion, NLA).
H. Paterson (NLA), 23 February 1998.

April 2004. Visit.
Pasture under good condition, grazed by horses and sheep. South of Crownthorpe Carr many very old hedge lines, with a possible hint of relic ridge and furrow.
H. Paterson (A&E), 23 April 2004.

July 2012. Norfolk NMP.
The probably medieval to post medieval boundaries and enclosures described above are visible as earthworks and cropmarks on aerial photographs (S2)-(S8), primarily centred at TG 0955 0402, but also at TG 0987 0395. As stated above, the orientation and layout of the field boundaries is at odds with the modern field pattern, but is shared by field boundaries surrounding a moated manorial site (NHER 13746) further to the north. All lie on or adjacent to land that was formerly part of Downham Common (see Faden’s 1797 Map of Norfolk (S9) and the 1839 Wymondham Tithe Map (S10)), but their character is of agricultural or pastoral boundaries, rather than settlement (as is suspected at some other common-edge sites). Some of the boundaries recorded here are reflected by those depicted on the Tithe Map of 1839, indicating that even though a medieval origin is possible for some of the boundaries, some continued in use into the post medieval period. In particular, the features located on the east side of the site, centred at TG 0987 0395, are comparatively modern in appearance, similar to the drains, tracks or boundaries visible in the field to their north, which have not been mapped. No traces of the platforms or ridge and furrow described above were identified. A single possible building platform, the archaeological nature of which is rather dubious, is visible at TG 0966 0387, but only on certain photographs ((S2) and (S4)).
S. Tremlett (NMP), 22 July 2012.

  • <S1> Aerial Photograph: TG 0904 B-J.
  • <S10> Map: Bircham, W.G.. 1839. Wymondham Tithe Map.
  • <S2> Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1946. RAF 3G/TUD/UK/52 5240-2 31-JAN-1946 (NMR).
  • <S3> Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1946. RAF 106G/UK/1606 1091-2 27-JUN-1946 (NMR).
  • <S4> Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1955. RAF 58/1896 (F21) 0027-8 10-OCT-1955 (NMR).
  • <S5> Oblique Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1988. NHER TG 0904C-E (NLER 196/DUV13-15) 19-FEB-1988.
  • <S6> Oblique Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1988. NHER TG 0904F-H (NLA 196/DUW1-3) 19-FEB-1988.
  • <S7> Vertical Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1992. OS/92336 165-6 11-JUN-1992.
  • <S8> Vertical Aerial Photograph: Google Earth. ? - present. Google Earth Orthophotographs. https://earth.google.com/web. XX-XXX-2006 Accessed 22-JUL-2012.
  • <S9> Publication: Faden, W. and Barringer, J. C. 1989. Faden's Map of Norfolk in 1797.

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Record last edited

Apr 8 2025 10:48AM

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