NHER 31189 (Cropmark and Earthwork) - Post medieval water meadows

Area of floated water meadows constructed in 1809; earthwork channels, and streams led across river as aqueducts. Extensive earthworks and abutments remain.
Important as the most intact survival of the several areas of this type of field in Norfolk.
See full details in (S1).
E. Rose (NLA) 24 May 1995.

Copy of earthwork survey in file, see (S2).

(S3) notes that the water meadows were constructed in 1803 by Thomas Purdey, the tenant of Lodge Farm, part of the Holkham Estate. They went out of use just before World War One.

1999.
Casual find when walking within this site.
In mole hills; pot boilers and unglazed medieval sherds.

March 2012. Watching Brief.
The section of the River Nar that flows through the remains of the water meadows was narrowed and several pools and berms were created as part of restoration works by the Norfolk Rivers Trust. Excavation of sedge and reeds from a small area on the northern banks of the river was monitored. This area was carefully selected in order to avoid disturbing the water meadows. No archaeological finds or features were recorded within the area of the works. However, bricks from structures associated with the water meadows were observed on the river bed.
See report (S4) for further details.
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2012.235).
H. Hamilton (HES), 17 March 2015. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 27 June 2021.

April 2014. Test Pitting.
Five test pits excavated between TF 8248 1514 and TF 8230 1498 in order to assess the depth of historical dredgings identified by a preceding study of aerial photographs. This evaluation was undertaken ahead of proposed works to reduce the height and streepness of this section of the river bank as part of the River Nar Restoration project.
The modern dredging deposits recorded were between 0.3m and 0.1m deep. These overlay a buried soil horizon associated with the water meadows and material that potentially represent either associated bank material or earlier dredgings. An organic silt likely to predate the water meadows was also observed in at least two of the test pits.
No finds were recovered.
Information from report uploaded to OASIS. HER copy awaited.
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2022.110).
P. Watkins (HES), 20 October 2025.

September 2016. Field Observation.
In 2016 it was found that new drainage ditches excavated across these water meadows in 2014 had altered the waterflow and caused damaged to the earthworks. A programme of repair work was therefore designed, which would see upcast removed from the tops of the earthworks and replaced within five of the recently deepened ditches. However, before the works commenced it was determined that despite a recent dry summer the ground was still soft, meaning that machine movements would likely cause further damage to the earthworks (it was noted that even recent work to clear undergrowth from the site had resulted in damage to the tops of the earthworks). It also proved difficult to establish the extent of the recent upcast, which appeared to have been thinly spread. It was therefore decided that the repair work would not proceed.
See report (S5) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 13 December 2024.

December 2021. Castle Acre Heritage Project.
The post-medieval water meadows described above are clearly visible as earthworks on Environment Agency lidar data from a survey flown in 2017 (S6). The Monument polygon defining the site has been extended at its southern end to fully incorporate the visible earthworks.
S. Tremlett (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 17 December 2021.